Children ages two-10, including those with special needs, along with their parents/guardians are invited to a free jazz concert and fun activities Saturday morning, April 18, in A. Lincoln Commons. The event, called “Jazzin’ It Up with LLCC and Friends,” takes place from 10 a.m. to noon.
The LLCC Stolen Moments ensemble will perform at 10 a.m. for approximately 20 minutes, and children will be invited to dance and play along with noisemakers. The event also includes hands-on craft activities and an “instrument petting zoo” where children can view and touch band instruments. Light refreshments will be provided, along with gift bags and a special prize drawing.
“The purpose of the event is to involve children in live music in a fun and interactive way,” said Jason Waddell, LLCC music instructor.
“Jazzin’ It Up with LLCC and Friends” is co-sponsored by the LLCC music department, Logger Activities Board and Boyd Music. LLCC organizations leading hands-on activities include the Jazz Club, Black Student Union and Student Government Association.
The UIS Visual Arts Gallery presents BIO-fied, a group exhibition examining various perspectives on the subject of genetic engineering. The exhibition will open on Monday, March 30 and run through Thursday, April 16. An opening reception for the exhibit will take place on Thursday, April 2 from 5:30 to 8 p.m. in the Visual Arts Gallery. This event is free and open to the public.
While genetic engineering has existed in some form or another since the early 70s, it has recently become widely known as a hotly debated social issue. The science that creates genetically modified organisms has been touted as revolutionary, and our ability to manipulate nature at its very core has led to innovations in crop resistance and food sustainability. BIO-fied artists will consider the social, cultural, economic, and personal ramifications of the manipulation of an organism’s genome through the use of biotechnology. Each artist has the freedom to render the theme as they individually interpret or respond to it.
Exhibiting artists include: Laura Anderson, Denise Blakeman, Adam Dupuis, Amanda Greive, Shane Harris, Mike Miller, Leslie Stalter, Kevin Veara
and Thom Whalen.
The LLCC Recital Series will feature the Brick House Brass Quintet in a performance called “Brassin’ Around the Ages” on Sunday afternoon, March 22. The performance begins at 4 p.m. in the Trutter Center on LLCC’s Springfield campus, and is free and open to the public.
Brick House Brass has been performing for many years and consists of Wil Adams and Vince Camille on trumpet, Jan Arnold on French horn, Jason Waddell (LLCC music instructor) on euphonium and Tom Philbrick on tuba.
The recital will feature musical selections from the Renaissance, Baroque, Classical, Romantic, Modern and Pop eras.
Master tubist Rick Irwin will make a special guest appearance on a new composition written by Brick House Brass founder Tom Philbrick and titled “Fugue #1 in G minor.” The recital will also feature a new composition by LLCC music student/student trustee Jefferson Gentry titled “Seattle in Me.”
The final performance in the 2014-15 LLCC Recital Series is April 19, featuring the Jane Hartman Jazz Trio.
English Professor Jason Dockter defended his dissertation on March 6 at Illinois State University. His dissertation title is “Multimodality, Migration, and Accessibility in Online Writing Instruction.” Congratulations, Jason!
Four Springfield education and arts organizations have partnered to present exhibits in March that explore the various ways artists merge language into their visual art. LLCC, the University of Illinois Springfield, the Illinois State Museum and the Springfield Art Association have formed the Pro-Text Partnership, with plans to present exhibits and events at each of the organization’s creative venues.
Exhibit information is below:
Photos shown are from exhibit reception at the Trutter Center March 13.
Lincoln Land Community College
Trutter Center, 5250 Shepherd Road, Springfield
“Text by Design”
Exhibit duration: March 13–April 3, Monday through Thursday, 8 a.m.-5 p.m.
The LLCC exhibit features the work of more than 40 students in LLCC’s 3D Design, Screen Printing and Intro to Graphic Design classes. The freestanding-designed exhibit will feature large pieces made of cardboard, foam core, wood, Plexiglas, ceramics and other materials and mediums.
University of Illinois Springfield
Visual Arts Gallery, Health Sciences Building 201, UIS campus
“Pretty Thoughts: Works by Mauricio Ramirez”
Exhibit duration: March 8–Sept. 13
Mauricio Ramirez has been described as an architect of letters and icons. Born and raised in Chicago, the urban landscape became his canvas at a young age. Ramirez is a graduate of UIS and is currently an artist in residence at Lacuna Artist Lofts in Chicago. Ramirez’s work can also be seen on walls and freights throughout the Midwest.
Illinois State Museum
Second Floor Gallery, 502 South Spring Street, Springfield
“Pro-Text: When Words Enter Visual Art”
Exhibit duration: March 8–Sept. 13
The ISM exhibit will feature the work of nearly 30 artists and is curated by ISM Assistant Director of Art Robert Sill. Sill explains, “When words, poetry, or type fragments combine with any form of visual art … it exhibits additional layers of meaning. It can trigger new thoughts, create narratives, produce sounds or even evoke feelings.”
Springfield Art Association
M.G. Nelson Family Gallery, 700 North 4th Street, Springfield
“Pro-Text Addendum”
Exhibit duration: March 6–April 3
The SAA exhibit will feature additional works by several of the artists featured in the Illinois State Museum exhibit. Artists include Stan Bly, Shayne Brantley, SAA Executive Director Betsy Dollar, Shane Harris, Allison Lacher, Ruthann Mazrim, Michael Miller, Terry Rathje, Brian Sullivan, Kevin Veara and Thom Whalen.
Additional free public events, entitled “Text Talks” are planned at the Illinois State Museum on March 19, April 16 and May 21. All events begin at 7 p.m.
The James S. Murray Gallery presents “All Over the Place,” an exhibit by LLCC graphic design manager Greg Walbert, March 16-April 2. The exhibit is open weekdays, 8 a.m.-4 p.m., in the Menard Hall second floor gallery.
“While it has always been known that Walbert is an accomplished graphic designer, it is through the biannual faculty art show that we discovered that his talents do not end there,” says Leslie Stalter, professor of art. “He can capture a likeness with exquisite precision in colored pencil or paint a scene on canvas in a loose expressive style. Walbert’s considerable range of abilities will all be on display for the public to enjoy and appreciate.”
Walbert explains the title of his exhibit. “My journey to seeing myself as an artist has been a long one. Along the way I took some time(s) off. I experimented. I scratched the itch that came and went until it was always there. I didn’t have the itch to do one thing one way, just the opposite. I had multiple itches and many things caught my attention. Each subject seemed to find a way to its own medium until there were many media and many subjects. Accepting and embracing my varied identity wasn’t the result of an epiphany. It took the encouraging insights of others. It took the understanding that ‘different’ is a good thing in art. My interests, my styles, my journey, my art is truly ‘all over the place.’”
For nine years in the LLCC Public Relations and Marketing department, Walbert has produced everything from web content and advertising to the college magazine FORWARD and Annual Report. He can be seen walking the hallways with a camera collecting images for his many projects and has taught classes in publication layout for the art department. A Springfield native, Walbert graduated from Eastern Illinois University as a visual communications major.
Please help the Writing Center celebrate International Writing Centers Week by encouraging your students to use our services. We are also holding a story contest for students. All participants receive a goody bag of Valentine’s Day treats, and the top three entries will win prizes including gift certificates to the bookstore and T-shirts. Students can contact the Writing Center for more info.
The LLCC Choir, under the direction of Sue Hamilton, adjunct instructor of music, performed Feb. 3 in the Illinois State Senate Chambers at the State Capitol for the ceremony commemorating the 150th anniversary of the ratification of the 13th amendment. See a video clip of the choir performing HERE.
The James S. Murray Gallery presents “Shift,” an exhibit featuring local artist Bernie White-Hatcher’s evolving style, Feb. 9-March 5. The exhibit is open weekdays, 8 a.m.-4 p.m.
Bernie White-Hatcher of Springfield has lived in Illinois since 1960. Along with an ongoing pursuit of painting, she worked as a draftsman and drafting supervisor for the Bell system, a graphic designer and manager of graphics and illustration at Southern Illinois University School of Medicine, and as part-time adjunct faculty at LLCC. She holds a B.A. in communications and an M.A. in arts management from the University of Illinois-Springfield. Now retired, White-Hatcher concentrates on painting.
“Shift” offers the unique opportunity to witness a sort of retrospective in transitions of one artist’s career over a period of time. White-Hatcher states, “As we age, most of us change and so does our perspective on life. How we ‘see’ things affects what we do, what we produce. As an artist, it has become evident in my work over time. The traditional landscapes I had painted began to evolve in past years, and a new look gradually emerged. Horizontal landscapes – half sky, half land – gave way to ’scapes viewed from a hill or mound. Those transitioned to aerial views, as if viewed from an airplane. The new paintings, still of land and nature, are more abstract, though in some, buildings and objects are definable.”
The LLCC Recital Series will feature bluegrass music by the River Ramblers, including Jennifer Ramm, professor of chemistry, on Sunday afternoon, Feb. 1. The performance begins at 4 p.m. in the Trutter Center on LLCC’s Springfield campus, and is free and open to the public.
The River Ramblers hail from Springfield and surrounding areas. The group assembled in 1987 with the commitment to maintain the traditional bluegrass sound made famous by such bluegrass icons as Bill Monroe, the Stanley Brothers, and Flatt and Scruggs. The group has issued four recordings including mostly traditional songs combined with some original tunes.
Three of the band’s original members—Duane Patterson, Marc Bourne, and Mike Smith—are still with the band. The current lineup, which also includes Jennifer Ramm, Don Randle and Rylie Bourne, has been together for over 13 years. Such longevity has helped the River Ramblers develop a solid sound and large repertoire. The band has performed in eight states throughout the Midwest, helped organize and sponsor festivals and community events, and opened locally for nationally known bands.
The group will perform such bluegrass favorites as “Sweet Blue-eyed Darlin’,” “Steel Rails,” “Cluck Old Hen,” “If It Hadn’t Been for Love,” “Lonesome Highway Blues” and “Jolene.”
Other upcoming performances in the LLCC Recital Series include:
March 22: Brick House Brass Quintet
April 19: Jane Hartman Jazz Trio
