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Photo courtesy of the Edgar Lee Masters Memorial Museum and Home Facebook page.This summer the Edgar Lee Masters Memorial Museum is hosting a lecture and music series called Masters Back Porch Chautauqua. All events in the series take place on the 3rd Sunday of May through September. Dr. Ethan Stephenson and board member Terri Treacy spoke to Community Voices about the series, the history of Chautauqua, and how visitors can view the Edgar Lee Masters home.For more information visit: https://elmhome.org/https-elmhome-org-event/ -
Photo courtesy of Bella SzaboBella Szabo started as the new Executive Director of the Springfield Area Arts Council in February of this year. She spoke to Community Voices about her passion for ceramics, the behind the scenes of curating exhibits, and about the programs and events she is bringing to the SAAC. Bella also talks about her time as the manager of the University of Illinois Springfield Visual Arts Gallery. Find more information about upcoming events and programing at the SAAC here.
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The deadline for submissions is May 22. -
The Joy of Movement is an organization that offers dance and exercise classes for those with Parkinson's disease. Founder and instructor Eve Fischberg and class participant Pat Graham spoke to Community Voices about the classes offered both in-person and online. Graham also shared how the classes have helped her as she contends with her disease and why she advocates for others to join. For more information visit: thejoyofmovement.org -
Lance Tawzer is the Director of Exhibits and Shows at the Abraham Lincoln Presidential Library and Museum. His love of music led to his start in Material Issue then The Lupins, to museums, and now to Petersburg and the ALPLM where he brought it all together for the highly attended State of Sound exhibit. -
The Capital Area Concert band is an all-volunteer organization that provides opportunities for life-long band musicians to perform long after they've graduated from high school. The organization is celebrating 50 years and has several upcoming concerts. Band members Jan Zepp and Tom King spoke to Community Voices about the history of the organization, the music performed over the years and how others can participate in the band, too.With the exception of the April 27 concert, performances are free and open to the public. Upcoming concerts include:April 16 - 7 p.m. - concert, First United Methodist Church, SpringfieldApril 27 - 7 p.m. - UIS Concert Band concert, Sangamon Auditorium, UIS(UIS Concert band has invited CACB to be part of its concert. Tickets are available at https://uispac.com/uis-honor-band-festival-and-uis-band-concert/)April 30 - 7 p.m. - concert, Trutter Center, Lincoln Land Community CollegeJune 14 - 7 p.m., - concert, Abraham Lincoln Presidential Museum Theatre, Springfield -
Rhys Lovell, the artistic director at the Heartland Theatre Company in Bloomington, Ill. spoke to Community Voices about his role as guest director for "John Proctor is the Villain," a performance put on by the UIS Theatre program. Lovell talked about the play which revisits "The Crucible" and explores how some protagonists can be viewed as flawed with modern-day lenses. The play runs April 12-14 and 18-20. For more information about tickets visit: https://uispac.com/john-proctor-is-the-villain-uis-theatre/ -
The concert is set for Aug. 16. -
With the shrinking media landscape, many communities are underrepresented in the media. To hear from these communities, NPR Illinois hosts an event called LISTEN. The Petersburg, Ill. community was chosen for the March LISTEN event and with the help of Broadgauge, a local restaurant and event space, NPR Illinois spoke to several area residents and learned about the joys, challenges and media usage in the community. Community Voices co-hosts Vanessa Ferguson and Randy Eccles listen back to the event recording and provide analysis of the topics discussed. LISTEN in Petersburg was funded by a grant from the Community Foundation for the Land of Lincoln. -
The Faith Coalition for the Common Good is a non-profit with 35 institutional members that include faith congregations, nonprofit, and union labor organizations. They come together to address the injustices of racism and poverty in Springfield and Central Illinois. The Executive Director of the Faith Coalition Tyshianna Bankhead along with Dr. Brandon Derman, Environmental Justice Taskforce Chair, spoke to Community Voices about the mission of the Faith Coalition, inequities in the community, and issues surrounding rent in the state of Illinois. They also discuss their upcoming spring Gala on April 11. -
Associate Vice Chancellor for Alumni Engagement Chuck Schrage sat down with Community Voices contributor Christian Nix to discuss the importance of Alumni Engagement. He talked about his experience playing college football and the life lessons that came with it. He also discussed the role that the Division of Advancement plays at UIS. -
The funding comes from the Great American Outdoors Act, a Trump administration measure that supports recreational access on public lands — as well as their upkeep.
