CHAMPAIGN — Archival photos are the centerpiece of a new display at the Krannert Art Museum focusing on the Black lesbian experience in the Midwest. The new solo exhibition by Jen Everett, “Could You Dim the Lights?” opens February 1 and runs through October 2024. Powell noted the universal appeal of Everett’s work, saying, “She’s…
URBANA — Before graduating from the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign in winter 2023, Lindsay Peters created a senior project that combined her passions for sound editing and LGBTQ+ community advocacy. Peters wanted to combat the underrepresentation of the queer community in media, so she recorded and produced a series of original songs, poems and short…
URBANA — A group of artists who identify as people of color is having its first meeting on Wednesday, December 13th. The newly formed CU BIPOC Artist Collective aims to help non-white artists connect with each other, network, and find emotional support. The collective is a partnership between the City of Urbana’s Arts and Culture…
URBANA — Saturday Night Live’s Ana Gasteyer brings her comedic and musical stylings to the Krannert Center for the Performing Arts on Wednesday, Dec. 6, for a performance of her Christmas album, “Sugar and Booze.” During her six years as a cast member on SNL, Gasteyer gained fame for her impressions of celebrities like Celine…
URBANA —The Spurlock Museum in Urbana will host a one-woman show on December 2, following its successful run in Chicago. This performance delves into the Japanese-American experience in Illinois, spanning four generations. Connie Shirakawa, the creator and performer of ‘Woman Warrior,’ initially believed she had no stories to share. However, as she delved into the…
CHAMPAIGN — As the holiday season approaches, many towns and cities are gearing up for their annual Christmas tree-lighting ceremonies. From Danville to Charleston, there are plenty of events to choose from. Here are some of the upcoming events: Danville’s Lighting of the Old Oak Tree: The Danville Girls Chorus, the San Ramon Valley High…
While Illinois has moved to protect access to gender-affirming care and enshrined civil rights for the LGBTQ+ community overall, four of the five states that border Illinois have all seen a massive rise in bills that target the queer community, especially transgender youth. According to the ACLU’s anti-LGBTQ legislation tracker, Missouri’s state legislature has considered 48 bills in 2023 alone that would negatively impact the queer community in areas ranging from healthcare to education to free speech and expression.
CHAMPAIGN — Harrison Price remembers when he first started feeling unwelcome in the Catholic church. It was 2015 when the Supreme Court was considering Obergefell v. Hodges, the case that guaranteed the right marriage for LGBTQ+ couples. “In the bulletin, there was a big note that had an image, like, you know, bathroom-sign-type image of…
URBANA — Prohibition-Era decadence dominates the stage in Andrew Lippa’s musical “The Wild Party,” as attendees flirt, dance and fight in a debaucherous celebration hosted by the tempestuous couple Queenie and Burrs. IPM reporter Owen Henderson spoke with Danny Yoerges and Rachel Rizzuto, the husband and wife team directing the show, about Lyric Theatre at…
DANVILLE — “Uncle Joe Cannon” is a student-produced documentary that revisits the life of a prominent 19th-century Illinois politician. Joseph Cannon spent 46 years in the U.S. House of Representatives representing Illinois — including eight years as Speaker of the House. Even when he led the Republican Party for years, he made it a point…
URBANA — A play described as a combination of children’s author Judy Blume and the movie “Rambo” opens at the Station Theatre in Urbana tomorrow night, Oct. 26. “WROL (Without Rule of Law)” by Michaela Jeffery focuses on a group of eighth-grade girls who have lost trust that adults know how to run the world….
URBANA — The ninth CU Jazz Festival takes place this weekend with a variety of shows and events around Champaign-Urbana. One of those performances will celebrate the memory of a local jazz legend this weekend. Morgan Powell, a former professor at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign School of Music, was revered as a trombonist in the…
URBANA — Carmen Christopher is known for his roles in TV shows like “The Bear” and “I Think You Should Leave,” but he got his start in improv and stand-up comedy. Now, in addition to his work in television, Christopher has a comedy special on Peacock and is in the midst of a national tour…
The 2003 festival takes place at Krannert Center for Performing Arts, the Channing-Murray Foundation, the Rose Bowl Tavern, and the Urbana Free Library.
‘Support groups are not enough’: CU’s queer community works for more cohesion CHAMPAIGN — Despite feeling like “there’s no shortage of queer people in Champaign,” finding the LGBTQ community in Champaign-Urbana wasn’t easy for 21-year-old Arden Hatch when she moved here in 2020 and came out as a trans woman. “I think the community feels…