IT Picks

Bask in the beauty, complexity and diversity of the orchid family this weekend during the Prairie State Orchid Society’s annual show and sale. With between 20,000 and 30,000 different species, orchids are recognized as the largest family of flowering plants in the world. Orchids are widely adaptable, and can be found in the tropics, tundra […]

On Friday, Feb. 10, the DEMO Project hosts an opening reception for contemporary artists Emily Ward Bivens and Frances Lightbound, the brains behind the two newest exhibitions housed inside the little white house turned art gallery on Fourth Street. The front gallery features “Contextual Discrepancy” by Emily Ward Bivens, an accomplished artist and professor of […]

Celebrate the 208th birthday of Abraham Lincoln and the 50th anniversary of the founding of Lincoln Land Community College by attending the Lincoln Legacy Lectures on Monday, Feb. 13, 9 a.m., at LLCC’s Trutter Center. This panel event features presentations and commentary from three Lincoln experts along with moderation by John Squibb, LLCC professor emeritus […]

Don’t miss the Vachel Lindsay Association and Springfield Youth Performance Group Foundation’s “VOLTA: Animal Kingdom” show. VOLTA is an annual performance that showcases Springfield’s talented youth in the arenas of poetry, music and dance, this year featuring animal-themed vignettes. The show incorporates well-known poems from the past with the current writing of local high school […]

Step back in time to a fabled world of kings, queens and medieval sword-fighting during The Lion in Winter, the first production of 2017 from Springfield’s Legacy Theatre. Although The Lion in Winter can be described as an intriguing medieval soap opera featuring three sons, one crown, and the question of who will inherit the […]

On Friday, join the University of Illinois Springfield’s Institute for Legal, Legislative and Policy Studies for a seminar on how to effectively lobby the Illinois General Assembly. The program will impart information and tips relating to practical lobbying skills and resources, strategies and tactics, state budget insights and information, as well as winning efforts from […]

As our world increasingly turns to digital media, it is easy to underestimate and overvalue the role of libraries as cultural and community centers. But according to Lincoln Library director Nancy Huntley, “The library is much more than a place with books. We are a community space where people from all backgrounds come in person […]

Attention artists of all skill and experience levels: Are you interested in honing your figure-drawing skills? Come to the The Pharmacy Gallery and Art Space on Monday and Tuesday nights for a series of non-instructed, figure drawing sessions featuring a live model. The Monday night sessions will feature clothed or costumed models; the Tuesday night […]

The 2016 election has shaken longstanding assumptions about American politics, leaving many people with more questions than answers. On Inauguration Day, the Springfield Art Association and University of Illinois Springfield will host a panel discussion on the second floor of Innovate Springfield to answer questions surrounding the history of presidential elections, politics and presidential inaugurations. […]

The Springfield Race Unity Committee presents eight local small conversation groups (including Springfield police officers) reporting on past, present and future efforts to promote unity, interracial understanding and empathy in Springfield. The two-hour program, which will take place on Jan. 21, from 12:30-2:30 p.m., at the First United Methodist Church, is open to all who […]

On Saturday, Jan. 14, bring your little monster to the downtown YMCA for a “Cookies and Canvas”-themed “Kids Night Out” event. Under the guidance of the YMCA’s art staff, kids will paint and draw a monster from their own imagination. The fun will continue at a later date (to be determined) when the children’s artworks […]

On Wednesday, Jan. 18, treat the family to a performance of Pippin, the high-flying, death-defying Broadway musical that features choreography in the style of Bob Fosse, amazing acrobatics by Les 7 doigts de la main, and stunning songs derived from the mastermind of Wicked composer Stephen Schwartz. Pippin is the magical story of a young […]