The first installment of the East Asia Film and Lecture Series Sept. 17, featuring the film “Shower,” was well attended and a lively discussion ensued, led by Joy Yang Jiao (center), Ph.D. candidate at the Institute of Communication Research, College of Media at UIUC. She’s shown here with event organizers, Professors Paul Van Heuklom and Dr. Ashley Green. The series, in partnership with the UIUC Center for East Asian and Pacific Studies, is free and open to the public, and continues Oct. 8, 6-9 p.m. in the Trutter Center, with the film, “Spring, Summer, Fall, Winter … and Spring.”

Michelle Coakes, art professor, had three pieces accepted

Butter Dish

Long Tray

Serving Bowl

into a national juried ceramics exhibit. The exhibit, “In the Kitchen, runs October-December 2015 at Hood College in Maryland.

Congratulations, Michelle!

Join Professors Paul Van Heuklom and Ashley Green this Thursday evening for the first film and discussion in the new East Asia Film and Lecture Series, beginning at 6 p.m. in the Trutter Center. The series, in partnership with the UIUC Center for East Asian and Pacific Studies, is free and open to the public.

Thursday’s film is “Shower,” a 1999 comedy/drama and winner of Best Picture and Best Director at the 2000 Seattle International Film Festival. Discussion of the film will be led by Joy Yang Jiao, Ph.D. candidate at the Institute of Communication Research, College of Media at UIUC.

Critically acclaimed around the world, “Shower” features hilarious characters and stunning performances from well-known Chinese actors. When successful businessman Da Ming is summoned by his younger brother to come home to his father’s old-style bathhouse in Beijing, he can’t wait to return to his fast-paced modern life. But time amongst the crazy cast of characters that frequent the bathhouse gives him a new appreciation for traditional old ways. When a tragic event causes sudden change, Da Ming must choose between the prosperous life he’s made for himself and his responsibility to his family and heritage.

Come to the Trutter Center Sunday, Sept. 20 at 4 p.m. for a free classical guitar recital, as the LLCC Recital Series opens its 2015-16 season. Classical guitarist Russel Brazzel will present “Classical Guitar Music: Classical to Modern.”

Mr. Brazzel, a graduate of Loyola University of New Orleans and Tulane University, has taught guitar at LLCC, Millikin University, Carl Sandburg College and Illinois College. He is a co-founder and music director of the Springfield Classical Guitar Society, In July of 2013, he performed in Bulgaria with violinist Kamen Petkov as a part of the 2013 International Chamber Music Festival.

Other performances in the 2015-2016 LLCC Recital Series:
Oct. 18 – Central Illinois Woodwind Quintet
Nov. 15 – Theresa O’Hare & Tom Irwin
Jan. 31 – Melinda Pitt Kaye
Feb. 21 – River Ramblers
March 20 – Brickhouse Brass
April 3 – Emerald Underground
May 1 – Paul Van Heuklom – Native American Flutes
All performances are held Sundays at 4 p.m. in the Trutter Center on the LLCC-Springfield campus, and are free and open to the public.

First presentation Sept. 17

The Arts and Humanities department is hosting an East Asia Film and Lecture Series this fall and will offer a course in the cultural values of the Eastern world during the spring semester.

The film and lecture series, to be held the Thursday evenings of Sept. 17, Oct. 8 and Nov. 5 from 6-9 p.m. in the LLCC Trutter Center, is in partnership with the Center for East Asian and Pacific Studies at the University of Illinois, Urbana/Champaign. Everyone is invited to attend at no charge.

The first presentation Sept. 17 will be the film “Shower,” a 1999 comedy/drama directed by Zhang Yang and winner of Best Picture and Best Director at the 2000 Seattle International Film Festival, among other honors.

Critically acclaimed around the world, “Shower” features hilarious characters and stunning performances from well-known Chinese actors. When successful businessman Da Ming is summoned by his younger brother to come home to his father’s old-style bathhouse in Beijing, he can’t wait to return to his fast-paced modern life. But time amongst the crazy cast of characters that frequent the bathhouse gives him a new appreciation for traditional old ways. When a tragic event causes sudden change, Da Ming must choose between the prosperous life he’s made for himself and his responsibility to his family and his heritage.

Discussion of the film will be led by Joy Yang Jiao, a Ph.D. candidate at the Institute of Communication Research, College of Media at UIUC. Ms. Jiao’s research focuses on transnational cultural students, media representation and public diplomacy. She has taught classes at UIUC in Media and Cinema Studies, Popular Culture, the Social Aspects of News and Comparative World Literature. She is actively engaged in various international programs, including serving as the spokesperson for the annual U.S. legislator delegation to China.

Other upcoming presentations in the series are:

Oct. 8: “Spring, Summer, Fall, Winter … and Spring” (2003), directed by Ki-duk Kim. Discussion led by Alex Jong-Seok Lee, Ph.D. candidate in anthropology at UIUC.

Nov. 5: “Tokyo Story” (1953) directed by Yasujiro Ozu. Discussion led by Elizabeth Oyler, associate professor of Japanese and director of the Center for East Asian and Pacific Studies at UIUC.

The LLCC course “Cultural Values in the Eastern World” (Humanities 201) will be taught Thursday evenings during the spring semester by English professors Paul Van Heuklom and Ashley Green. Students will explore the literature, music, philosophy and fine arts of the Eastern culture as well as complexities in the development of the human spirit. Registration for spring classes will begin Oct. 28.

Ahoy! LLCC Theatre will hold auditions the evenings of Monday, Aug. 31 and Tuesday, Sept. 1 for its fall production of “Your Swash Is Unbuckled,” directed by Mark Hardiman, professor of theatre. Auditions will take place from 7-9 p.m. in Sangamon Hall South, lower level. Persons unable to audition those evenings should email mark.hardiman@llcc.edu.

“Your Swash is Unbuckled” is a collection of short stage combat plays by Jeff Goode. Each play is approximately 10 minutes long and features swashbuckling, sword-swinging action.

Performances are Nov.11, 12 and 13 at 8 p.m. in the Hoogland Center for the Arts Theatre III.

All roles are open in this production. Auditions will include reading from the script and movement exercises. The cast is comprised of adults and young adults able to play 19 years and older. College students and community members are encouraged to audition. Those interested in backstage duties, stage management or serving as assistant to the director should drop by auditions for a brief conference with the director.

LLCC Theatre is committed to education in theatre, emphasizing not only performance but also growth in those involved in the production. Those participating will register for college credit or participate through LLCC’s Community Education program.

Questions may be directed to mark.hardiman@llcc.edu or by calling 217.786.4942.

The James S. Murray Gallery on the second floor of Menard Hall opened its fall season Monday with the photographs of Carrie Beard. The exhibit, called “Paradigm,” is open weekdays, 8 a.m.-4 p.m., through Sept. 17.

Ms. Beard, a photographer based in Springfield, has assembled a collection of her work that she calls “a labor of love and expression 25 years in the making.”

Ms. Beard holds a degree in photojournalism and publication design from Indiana University at Bloomington. Her photojournalism training is evident, as her photos document clips of everyday life. Although the images were captured in a range of countries, as well as spanning years, each frame illuminates common human expression, elevating it to a position of art and timelessness.

After experiencing the world, Ms. Beard returned to Springfield to raise a family, and for the past several years has been taking classes at LLCC toward her professional interests. It’s there that she developed the spark to complete a series of work that began with photographs taken almost 25 years ago. Although she enjoys the physicality of working with film and the value of light in the black and white image, she is comfortable working with both analog film and digital 35 millimeter cameras. The photographs in the exhibit show the range of her experience.

More of Ms. Beard’s work can be viewed at www.carriebeard.net.

Her photos will also be featured at a reception at the college’s Trutter Museum Sept. 25 from 5-7 p.m., marking the opening of a new exhibit there.

Al Shull, art professor, took third place in the Illinois State Fair Professional Art Exhibit under the drawing category with his graphite drawing, “Izzy among the Garden.”