For the many fans of the Netflix series The Crown – and for anyone wondering just how good theater in Springfield can get – Spencer Theatre’s production of The Audience, playing through the weekend at the Hoogland, is a must-see. The Spencer, with Julie Staley as producer, launched pre-lockdown with Blithe Spirit. As we continue […]
Arts Features
Posted inArts & Culture
Out of this world
There’s something strange growing at the University of Illinois Springfield Visual Arts Gallery. Fittingly, the gallery is attached to the Health and Sciences Building, because the current exhibit looks as though some wild experiments made their way into the art space. Only, these plants dance and sing. They are robotic. In fact, one resembles some […]
Posted inArts & Culture
The Legacy Theatre’s The Music Man
Unabashedly nostalgic to the point of corniness yet at the same time emotionally complex, Meredith Willson‘s The Music Man is a masterpiece. This wonderful new production at The Legacy Theatre (through Aug. 1) will sweep you away. It is exactly what we need right now, a rebirth of community through theater. Director Scott Richardson and […]
Posted inArts & Culture
Shakespeare’s #MeToo moment
Measure for Measure, now onstage in a sterling production at the Illinois Shakespeare Festival in Bloomington through Aug. 4, may shock anyone who considers Shakespeare’s work as irrelevant. While he wrote the play in 1604, England was suffering through an unprecedented pandemic, with blame thrown in all directions. Political divisions were exacerbated by cultural and […]
Posted inSpecial Issues
The new Springfield art scene
The relatively new kid on the visual arts block, DIM Art House, has pushed through this rough year and come out strong. Its three creative founders, Joey Wallace, Christy Freeman Stark and Jeff Williams, have been making things happen and they have some lively plans for the summer. The studio is open each week for […]
Posted inArts & Culture
SAA Collective moving to new location downtown
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 […]
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 […]
