"Seeing the creative decisions of three different illustrators together in one drawing is fascinating. Our approaches were as varied as the weirdos we ended up creating," says Urbana-based woodcut illustrator Lydia Puddicombe.
The pros and cons of virtual performance are more complex than what first meets the eye.
February 2021 offers lots of reasons to love the arts in Champaign-Urbana.
Illusionist, mentalist, and performance artist Scott Silven feels lucky to offer this chance to "take a moment to step back and reflect and realize that even in fragmented times, we can still find new forms of connection.”
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"A few weeks ago we started talking about how moving into the new year we all felt hopeful about the future for the first time in a while. We wanted to share the feeling and see if we could keep it going, so we came up with the CU Haiku Hope Project."
"I believe that the role of the poet laureate is above all to bring people together," says Ashanti Files. "It is to expose our neighbors to our hidden talents."
How can local arts experiences help cultivate inspiration and relieve stress for the year ahead?
The winter holiday arts line-up may look a bit different this year, but with locally-sourced gifts to give and receive, there's still plenty to celebrate.
"It has made us very aware of taking care of each other. We are even more attentive to the culture with which we make theatre and what of the ‘old normal’ can be scrapped from this experience," says Genesee Sprido about producing theatre in COVID times.
What exactly is a small press? And how does it differ from zines and distros?
Like everything else, gratitude will look different this year. But preparing for this article has given me hope. It has reminded me that artists are resilient and often at their best when the chips seem to be down.
What follows is a recount of yet another experience within the world of The Great ARTdoors.
The Arts Section strives to celebrate our community's rich and vibrant artistic scene, from theatre to local authors, film, performance art, and everything in between.
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