With the Hoogland Center for the Arts still closed for the foreseeable future, the SAA Collective is relocating its gallery to 105 N. Fifth St. in the historic Broadwell Pharmacy building. The Prairie Art Alliance, the precursor to the SAA Collective, was one of the first organizations to join the Hoogland Center for the Arts […]
Arts Features
Posted inArts & Culture
Want to know what’s going on in the virtual world of events and activities?
Click here for an up-to-date list of online events and activities. Let us know and we will include it in the Illinois Times online calendar. Many organizations and businesses may have temporarily closed their physical doors, but they are opening the doors into their virtual events. From kid’s art contests to online learning resources to […]
Posted inArts & Culture
Is there a trickster in the house?
Storytelling is everywhere. In business, there is the “power of the story.” We curate our lives on Facebook and Instagram. We are told we must “own our narrative.” Storytelling is as old as time. Now Gil Opferman has taken his lifelong love for storytelling and has written a delightful new play, Beyond the Beanstalk: You […]
Posted inArts & Culture
Holiday events calendar
Memorial’s Festival of Trees Nov 27-Dec 1, Wed 10am-8pm, Thu 4-8pm, Fri-Sat 10am-8pm and Sun 10am-5pm. A holiday tradition featuring more than 200 decorated trees and wreaths, hand-crafted gingerbread village structures, hand-decorated cookies and live entertainment. Adults $5, children ages 3-12 $3 and ages 2 and under are free. Orr Building, Illinois State Fairgrounds, 801 Sangamon […]
Posted inArts & Culture
Gifts for kids to make
Kids love making homemade cards and gifts. Children derive deep satisfaction from sharing something they made themselves, from macaroni necklaces to hand-painted cards. These gifts are easy to make, economical and can be personalized to fit just about anyone. The scone mix is a wonderful gift for teachers and looks pretty, layered in a canning […]
Posted inArts & Culture
Holiday gift ideas for furry friends
The holiday season is meant for spending time with your friends and family, including those of the four-legged variety. Whether you have a dog, cat, fish or other small pet, Christmas can serve as the perfect time to show your affection by showering him or her with thoughtful gifts. When searching for the right gift […]
Posted inArts & Culture
Fashion comes to Springfield
A body-painted model walks the runway in a flowing dress made from trash and an ornate headdress of flowers. A dress sculpted from 140 pages of Veranda magazine intrigues the crowd. A model glows with illuminated LED lighting sending pink blooms dancing skyward with iridescent rhinestones. Vintage clothing finds a new life on the runway […]
Posted inArts & Culture
Metropolitan Opera magic comes to Springfield
It is a well-kept secret that you can watch a live performance of New York City’s Metropolitan Opera right here at our local AMC Springfield 12 movie theater. The Metropolitan Opera’s Live in HD series brings the magic of the Met to movie theaters in more than 70 countries worldwide, including here in Springfield. The […]
Posted inArts & Culture
Making an art gallery out of Enos Park
A giant paper spiderweb containing an oversized morning glory flower covering the front of an abandoned house. A series of synchronized video monitors flashing various leisure activity options from an upper porch. A palm frond waving maniacally at passersby from a storefront window. A series of bright pink lawn ornaments made out of thrift store […]
Posted inArts & Culture
Mature Mob goes for rock ’n’ roll
The Mature Mob was born in 1991 as a fundraiser for Senior Services of Central Illinois, a revue of talented actors, singers and dancers aged 50 and over. Few Mob shows in recent memory have been as successful, in terms of popularity and audience acceptance, as last year’s “Flashback to the 50s,” a salute to […]
Posted inArts & Culture
The joyful journey
A number of years ago there was a craze for bracelets with the initials “WWJD” which stands for “What would Jesus do?” Surely this is a worthy question, but the sheer number of those bracelets sold and worn all but ensured that somewhere along the line, some wearer of one of these bracelets might have […]
Posted inArts & Culture
Memphis is a revelation
When the musical Memphis opened on Broadway in 2009 it was certainly successful, winning four Tony Awards including Best Musical. Critical response, however, was mixed, with the book by Joe DiPietro (of All Shook Up, seen this summer at Theatre in the Park) and music by Bon Jovi founding member David Bryan both singled out […]
