Strategic Communications and Marketing News Bureau

Arts

Arts Image of actor Haven Crawley onstage, wrapped in a blanket with green and blue windows in the background.

Theatre department production of ‘Origin Story’ looks at millennials’ post-college life

CHAMPAIGN, Ill. — A play written by an alumnus of the theatre department at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign will have a familiar feel to recent college graduates and to anyone who remembers trying to find their place in the world as a young person. “Origin Story” examines the life of a young woman, Margaret, […]

Honors Full-length image of Cynthia Oliver in a long, colorful dress, holding out one side of her skirt.

Dance professor Cynthia Oliver receives Doris Duke Artist Award

CHAMPAIGN, Ill. — Dance professor Cynthia Oliver has been named a 2021 Doris Duke Artist. Designed to invest in the creative potential of dedicated artists, the honor comes with an award of $275,000 that is both an investment in and a recognition of the contributions of artists in the fields of contemporary dance, jazz and […]

Arts Image of three dancers on stage in white tops and flowing red skirts.

Studiodance showcases dance students’ work

CHAMPAIGN, Ill. — Dance students will present their choreography and perform at Studiodance, an event of the dance department at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign to showcase student work. Studiodance, Oct. 21-23 at Krannert Center for the Performing Arts, will feature six dance performances and one film. Alex Kinard, a senior dance student, choreographed a […]

Arts Photo of Christopher Robert Jones and Liza Sylvestre sitting on a bench in an art gallery.

‘Crip*’ exhibition at Krannert Art Museum centers experiences with disability, access

CHAMPAIGN, Ill. — A new exhibition at Krannert Art Museum features artists whose work addresses disability or non-normative identities and reflects their experiences. “Crip*” runs through Dec. 11 at KAM at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign. The exhibition was co-organized by Gallery 400 at the University of Illinois Chicago, and it will be on view […]

Arts A theatre professor and a student actor perform on stage with a table with a box and typewriter between them.

Illinois theatre season reimagines the American story

CHAMPAIGN, Ill. — The theatre department at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign will produce a season of plays that offer a fresh look at the American theater. The department will bring a wider range of voices to the stage in its 2021-22 season through work by women, people of color, LGBTQ authors and students. “The […]

Arts Photo of Tim Dean in a Krannert Art Museum gallery with Hal Fischer's photographic series "18th near Castro St. x 24" on the wall behind Dean.

Krannert Art Museum hosts retrospective of photographer Hal Fischer

CHAMPAIGN, Ill. — A retrospective of the work of photographer Hal Fischer, an alumnus of the School of Art and Design at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, showcases the scope of his career and examines his development as an artist. “Hal Fischer Photographs: Seriality, Sexuality, Semiotics” runs through Dec. 22 at Krannert Art Museum. The […]

Arts Photo of Gloria Allen standing in a full-length fur coat on a snowy street.

CAS, McKinley Foundation hosting art exhibit, presentation about transgender older adults

CHAMPAIGN, Ill. — An art exhibit, film screening and conversation on the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign campus will examine the experiences of transgender older adults. “To Survive on This Shore: Photographs and Interviews with Transgender and Gender Nonconforming Older Adults” documents the life stories of transgender older adults. The Center for Advanced Study at the […]

Arts Photo of Rochelle Sennet in a pink evening dress leaning over the keyboard of a Yamaha grand piano.

New recording pairs music of Bach with works by Black composers

CHAMPAIGN, Ill. — Rochelle Sennet, a professor of piano in the School of Music at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, recorded suites by J.S. Bach and by a variety of Black composers in her project “Bach to Black” to broaden the appeal of each to diverse audiences. The first in a series of three recordings […]

Arts Image of the abstract painting "Bel Canto" by Louise Fishman

Krannert Art Museum retrospective of Louise Fishman’s drawings an unexpected memorial

CHAMPAIGN, Ill. — A retrospective at Krannert Art Museum of the late abstract artist Louise Fishman’s works on paper will serve as an unexpected memorial to the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign alumna. “A Question of Emphasis: Louise Fishman Drawing” opened Aug. 26, exactly one month after the artist’s death. It is the first retrospective of […]

Arts AJ Ghent onstage, singing and playing guitar.

ELLNORA guitar festival marks Krannert Center’s return to in-person performances

Editor’s note: An additional performance has been added to ELLNORA: The Guitar Festival since the ELLNORA artists were announced. This release has been edited to add information about the appearance of Joan Jett and the Blackhearts. CHAMPAIGN, Ill. — Krannert Center for the Performing Arts on the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign campus will reopen for […]

Arts Image of Mark Zuckerberg from the video supercut "DEFICIT OF LESS" by Ben Grosser

Illinois artist Ben Grosser’s solo show imagines ‘Software for Less’

CHAMPAIGN, Ill. — A finite social network asks us to consider how we would use it if posts were a limited resource. “Minus” gives each user 100 posts – for life. Artist Ben Grosser created the experimental artwork to look at what would happen if social media worked to reduce engagement, rather than induce it. […]

Arts Panel from graphic novel showing well-dressed Black residents on a busy city street.

Graphic novel illustrated by Illinois art professor portrays thriving Black community before, after Tulsa massacre

CHAMPAIGN, Ill. — A new graphic novel about the Tulsa Race Massacre emphasizes the thriving Black community of Greenwood as much as it remembers the racial violence that took place there. “Across the Tracks: Remembering Greenwood, Black Wall Street, and the Tulsa Race Massacre” was written by Alverne Ball, of Joliet, Illinois, and illustrated by […]

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