40 North | 88 West: Champaign County Arts, Culture and Entertainment Council
Art is here. See it. Create it. Support it. Watch how it helps our community grow.

40 North | 88 West
COLLABORATIONS

40 North | 88 West collaborates with a variety of artists, businesses, governmental agencies, non-profits, and individuals as they develop original programs and services to meet the needs of the Champaign County arts community. Explore the following links and see how 40 North is helping to put Champaign County's arts, entertainment and culture on the map!

Martin Luther King Jr. Community Event

The University’s Martin Luther King Jr. Commemorative Symposium is working to bring together the UIUC campus and local community residents to reflect on, discuss and plan ways to advance Dr. King’s vision.

40 North | 88 West at the MLK Community Event
A central element of the 2008 MLK Commemoration is the Krannert Center Community Event, which will take place on Saturday, January 26, 2008, from 2-4:30pm.  This family friendly community event will happen in the lobby of Krannert Center for the Performing Arts. It is free and open to the public, and 40 North | 88 West will be there to provide information on how artists and arts-lovers can better connect with Champaign County's creative community!

The program includes:

  • Cultural Stories
  • Omnimov Dancers
  • Mo Better Blues School Program Jazz Group
  • Reception by Classic Events Catering
  • UIUC Raas Team
  • Essay Contest Presentations (where middle and high school students will present their winning essay entries)
  • UC Hip Hop 
  • Djibril Camara and the Maragiri Drum and Dance Group
     
    Visit http://www.admin.uiuc.edu/mlk/calendar/community_event.html for more details.


The full schedule has been announced for the 2008 Martin Luther King JR. Commemoration at the University of Illinois - “PASSING IT ON! Lending a Voice, Sharing the Vision:” 

  • Friday, January 18, is the Seventh Annual Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Countywide Day of Celebration - “Transforming Our Communities Through Peace & Justice.”  The event takes place at the Hilton Garden Inn, 1501 S. Neil St., Champaign, from 4:00pm. Keynote speaker is Joyce Tucker, VP Global Diversity and Employee Rights for the Boeing Corporation. Featured entertainment will be the University of Illinois Black Chorus, Dr. Ollie Watts Davis, Conductor. A reception follows the program, which is free and open to the public.

 

  • A Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., Community Celebration will happen Sunday, January 20, 2008, from 5:00pm, in Foellinger Great Hall, Krannert Center for the Performing Arts, Urbana. Keynote speaker is Fr. Joseph Brown, S.J., Director of the Black American Studies Program, SIU Carbondale. This event is also free and open to the public.

 

  • A Martin Luther King, Jr. Unity Breakfast will take place on Monday, January 21, 2008, from 8:30am at The Vineyard Church: 1500 N Lincoln Ave. Urbana. Free and open to the public.

 

  • Also on Monday, January 21, 2008, from 10:00am: Urbana Rotary and Urbana High School Interact - Youth Festival. In the Illinois Street Residence Hall (ISR), multipurpose room, Urbana. Featuring presentations by: Urbana and Mahomet School combined choirs, Reading of Dr. King’s “I have a Dream” speech by Nicholas Lyles, Urbana High School students, Interactive workshop on Diversity, conducted by Sam Smith. For further information contact: Grace Mitchell, Urbana Senior High School 384-3505.

 

  • On Thursday, January 24, 2008, 7:00pm, the University of Illinois will host a special Martin Luther King, Jr. Symposium: Voteless People are a Hopeless People. 112 Greg Hall, 810 S. Wright Street, Urbana. Sponsored by: Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, Inc., Cultural & Minority Affairs Committee of Illinois Student Senate, College Democrats and College Republicans. Free and open to the public.


For more, visit http://www.admin.uiuc.edu/mlk/calendar/calendar.html.



Champaign County
Lincoln Bicentennial Commission

Champaign County is joining other Illinois communities in planning celebrations in honor of Abraham Lincoln’s 200th birthday in 2009. Recently, the cities of Urbana and Champaign and the County of Champaign collaborated to form a Champaign County Bicentennial Commission, bringing together nineteen citizens to coordinate and encourage schools, civic organizations, clubs, churches, libraries, and the like to develop and execute celebrations to honor our 16th president.

In January 2008, 40 North | 88 West welcomed representatives from the Champaign County Lincoln Bicentennial Commission to an intake session with members of the area's arts community.

Read more here.


Urbana Public Arts Task Force Luncheon for Artists and Arts-related Organizations

Urbana Civic Center, 108 East Water Street, Urbana
Wednesday, November 7, 2007
12:00 - 1:30 P.M.

The City of Urbana Public Arts Task Force, in collaboration with 40 North | 88 West and the Urbana Business Association, is hosting a luncheon for artists and arts-related organizations on Wednesday, November 7th, from noon to 1:30 pm, in the Urbana Civic Center, located at 108 East Water Street, Urbana. The Urbana Public Arts Task Force is seeking input from artists regarding the Urbana Public Arts Program. During lunch, participants will be invited to participate in a discussion about the role of the arts in people's lives, and provide input on how a Public Arts Program can best serve the community.

For details, and to RSVP, visit this page.



S.P.E.A.K. Cafe

at Krannert Art Museum 

Co-sponsored by the African-American Studies and Research Program, Krannert Art Museum and 40 North | 88 West, S.P.E.A.K. (song, poetry, expression, art, and knowledge) Cafe is a student-run, open-mic public space for hip-hop and Black Power expression on the themes of Race, Roots, and Resistance.

Organized and moderated by Aaron Ammons, S.P.E.A.K. Cafe usually takes place the third Thursday of each month.

 

For more information on how to participate, please contact AASRP at 217-333-7781 or email wmpatter@uiuc.edu, or Krannert Art Museum at 217-333-1861.

40 North | 88 West Online Arts and Culture Event Calendar

Looking for something interesting to do this weekend?  40 North | 88 West – Champaign County’s Arts, Culture and Entertainment Council – has launched a new campaign to heighten community awareness of the variety and excellence of arts, culture and entertainment available throughout the county. At the center of the campaign is the redesigned 40 North web site and events calendar (www.40north.org/calendar/), with improvements being made to both functionality and appearance. A coordinated media campaign promotes www.40north.org as the central resource for Champaign County arts news, events and directory information, and further positions Champaign County as a creative center and a principal destination for art.

This project was made possible through a collaboration with the UIUC Cultural Engagement Council, a chancellor-appointed committee representing the significant arts and cultural institutions at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign.

more: http://www.40north.org/news/?p=833

2008 Boneyard Arts Festival

April 18-20, 2008
multiple venues

The Boneyard Arts Festival, an annual event hosted by 40 North, takes place in late April. Visual artists, musicians and other performers come out of the woodwork as Urbana, Champaign, Campus, and the surrounding communities come alive. Mark your calendars NOW for the 2008 Boneyard Arts Festival, happening Friday, Saturday and Sunday, April 18-20, 2008!

more: http://www.40north.org/events/festival.html



A Call to Arts - Open Critiques

Third Wednesday of each month - 7pm
different locations throughout Champaign County

Performance, visual, and literary artists are invited to come together to present work and participate in open critiques at locations throughout Champaign County. These introductory critiques provide challenging and insightful observations about new works, and offer exciting opportunities for artists to interact and network. A Call to Arts is organized and moderated by Jenny Southlynn and is co-sponsored by Krannert Art Museum and 40 North | 88 West.

See schedule for 2007-2008




PAST COLLABORATIONS

One State: Together in the Arts conference

The One State: Together in the Arts conference is a biennial gathering co-convened by the Illinois Arts Alliance and the Illinois Arts Council. Held in different locations throughout Illinois since 1999, the conference brings together arts leaders and practitioners from communities throughout the state to learn, celebrate and connect with each other.

The next One State conference will be held May 17 & 18, 2007 at the Krannert Center for the Performing Arts on the University of Illinois campus in Champaign County.

The goal of the conference is to promote the health, strength and diversity within the Illinois arts community and provide opportunities for true connectivity by:


Convening arts leaders and practitioners - representing the whole range of disciplines, missions, types of organizations, geography and size, and including individual artists - to improve communications among the field and between the arts community and other sectors and to further extend our statewide network of arts advocates

  • Creating a sense of statewide community by actively facilitating connections amongst conference participants and encouraging the exploration of various regions and communities throughout the state 
  • Providing education, training, resources and support for new, emerging and experienced arts leaders and practitioners 
  • Sharing information about best practices for using the arts to build healthy communities and for leading arts organizations in a changing world 
  • Exploring the impact and trends of our social and political landscape as it relates to the field 
  • Helping arts leaders and practitioners become more effective advocates through in-depth discussion of arts related issues, gaining further understanding of the importance of the arts in contemporary society

Diversity statement:

As we choose our speakers, facilitators, art and entertainment, members of the planning committee acknowledge that diversity and inclusiveness are the overriding goals of this conference. Diversity refers to the spectrum of the arts field and the communities served by our leaders and practitioners. Diversity includes people of differing race, ethnicity, culture, gender, religion, age, ability, personal style, sexual orientation, appearance and tenure, as well as people of diverse opinions, perspectives, lifestyles, ideas, thinking and being.

We actively seek participation from underrepresented groups and do not discriminate for any reason.

The overall profile of conference speakers and artists must reflect the faces and life-experiences of the people we hope to motivate to become local and regional leaders in the field of arts advocacy. Likewise, as we market the conference we will work together to make sure that representatives from all communities—be they communities of place or communities created by similar needs and interests—feel welcome at the One State: Together in the Arts conference.

For more, visit http://artsalliance.setupmyblog.com/?page_id=2



ARTS WALK: Downtown Festival of the Arts
August 18, 2007

40 North | 88 West collaborated with the Champaign Park District and the City of Champaign for the 4th Annual Downtown Festival of the Arts ARTS WALK on Saturday, August 18, from 10:00 am to 7:00 pm. The festival moved to a new location for 2007 - the heart of downtown Champaign - at the intersection of Neil and Main Streets. Downtown Champaign came alive with over 70 fine artists displaying their awe-inspiring artwork. The art on display spanned a variety of mediums including, watercolor, fiber, jewelry, photography, glasswork, sculpture, and more. Painter Larry Steinbauer (co-owner of Champaign's Wind, Water and Light Gallery) won the Best in Show ribbon for the entire festival.

Participants in this year's ARTS WALK sampled the eclectic flavors of downtown restaurants and cafes, explored the cultural atmosphere while enjoying live entertainment by the Kevin Lucas Orchestra, Scott Burns Quartet, and vocalist Jocelyn Scofield, among others. Walkers could experience the healthy benefits of fitness and art by taking part in a scavenger hunt that involved the entire festival. Participants received lots of free items at the 40 North ARTS WALK tent, including free pedometers to track their progress and materials to create their own masterpiece. Click here for more: http://www.40north.org/calendar/index.php?event=1185486927815




Entrepreneurial Arts Organizations and Artists Workshop: Developing New Capacities that Will Increase Participation, Contributions and Earned Income
40 North | 88 West offices: 1817 S. Neil, Suite 201, Champaign
Friday, February 23, 2007, 10:00 AM - 4:30 PM
Lunch included

40 North | 88 West - Champaign County's Arts, Culture & Entertainment Council - in collaboration with the University of Illinois Academy for Entrepreneurial Leadership, will host a workshop in late February to help arts professionals develop and enhance their entrepreneurial skills. Renowned cultural facilitator and consultant Jerry Yoshitomi will lead the workshop, entitled Entrepreneurial Arts Organizations and Artists: Developing New Capacities that Will Increase Participation, Contributions and Earned Income.

Workshop participants:

  • Deploy methods that increase creativity, entrepreneurship and innovation
  • Explore ways to get patrons to make repeat purchases or refer friends to your organization
  • Learn new approaches and technologies to expand memberships, audiences, donor base and income
  • Address the barriers that discourage participation and the drivers that encourage participation
  • Gain skills to innovate new services/programs or add value to existing ones
  • Better reveal the benefits and value artists have already provided to customers, audiences, students, parents, etc.

    more information



Illinois Arts Council Grant Application Workshop
Urbana-Champaign Independent Media Center
202 South Broadway Ave. Urbana
Thursday, February 8, 4:00 p.m

The Illinois Arts Council (IAC) staff, in cooperation with 40 North | 88 West, will hold an application workshop at the Urbana-Champaign Independent Media Center on Thursday, February 8, from 4:00 p.m. The workshop is part of a series of events being held around the state to assist applicants in completing proposals for fiscal year 2008 Program Grants.

Program Grants are available to arts organizations and not-for-profit organizations that present arts programming. Grants are awarded for general operating and project support, and are available in eleven different areas of arts programming. Copies of the FY2008 Program Grant Guidelines and Application Form will be available at the workshop.

The application deadline for IAC Program Grants (FY2008) is March 15, 2007.

The free, 90-minute workshops are designed to provide information specific information on the application procedures for the Program Grants as well as about programs and services offered by the IAC. Interested persons should contact Jennifer Armstrong, Executive Director, 40 North | 88 West, Champaign County Arts, Culture & Entertainment Council: 217/351-9841, JenniferA@40North.org. 

Visit the Illinois Arts Council website at www.state.il.us/agency/iac for further information regarding grants, program guidelines, and the review process.



Arts and Education - A Creative Conversation
Thursday, November 30, 2006, 5pm
Krannert Center for the Performing Arts - Lobby


Get out of the classroom and into a creative conversation!


40 North | 88 West - Champaign County Arts, Culture and Entertainment Council - invited members of the public to join us at Uncorked in the Krannert Center for the Performing Arts lobby on Thursday, November 30 at 5pm for an informal gathering of teachers and others interested in arts education in our community. No speakers. No agenda. No expectations. Just a chance to network in a relaxed environment.


We sampled beverages from Sun Singer Wine & Sprits, The Corkscrew Wine Emporium, Friar Tuck Beverage, Jim Gould,or Bacaro. Appetizer plates were also available for purchase at the Interlude bar.


Here is a link with more information about the Uncorked series - http://www.krannertcenter.com/performances/details.asp?elementID=21421.



Economic Survival Skills for Artists
Saturday, October 14, 2006
2:00pm


Announcing Economic Survival Skills for Artists, a panel discussion featuring Beth Amsbury.

Gary O'Brien, moderator
Nathaniel Banks, Jan Erkert, Mark Rubel, and Sasha Rubel


Beth Amsbury, a U of I Department of Theatre alum and writer/performer of this season's performance of Bones of the Building, will be joined by local artists, Nathaniel Banks, Jan Erkert, and Sasha Rubel in a panel discussion about creative economy. This is collaboration between Krannert Center for the Performing Arts, The UIUC Career Services Office in the College of Fine and Applied Arts, and 40 North | 88 West.


more: http://www.40north.org/collaborations/economic_survival_skills_panel.html


Emerging Arts Leaders - A Creative Conversation
Friday October 13, 2006
2-4pm

Verde Gallery
17 E. Taylor St.
Champaign, IL 61820
217-366-3202
http://www.verdant-systems.com/

Throughout October, the Americans for the Arts Emerging Leader Council partners with emerging arts leaders from across the country to host Creative Conversations.

Emerging arts leaders from Illinois are invited to visit Champaign County on October 13th to network and dialogue with their peers. This event is open to all, but targeted towards cultural workers under the age of 35, or who have five or fewer years of experience in arts administration. Students are welcome. TO REGISTER, visit the Americans for the Arts website - www.americansforthearts.org - or call 217-351-9841.

This Creative Conversation will focus on the importance of making connections: in and outside of our field; with each other and with established leaders; and locally, regionally, nationally and globally.  We will share successes, challenges, questions, and discuss strategies to create greater, more meaningful and valuable connections. 

Our venue for this Creative Conversation, Verde Gallery, also serves food and beverages - in case you need a pick-me-up! (Remember to bring quarters for the meter.) Later, continue the conversation in one of Downtown Champaign's many cafes, restaurants and bars, or spend some time in our unique shops. 

Out of town guests are invited to experience the cultural life of Champaign County throughout the weekend.  Be sure to visit www.40North.org to find out what's on the creative calendar!


Katrina: After the Storm
September 27–30, 2006
multiple venues

Katrina: After the Storm – Civic Engagement Through Arts, Humanities and Technology addressed the critical issues raised by the storm and its aftermath – issues of social justice and equity, broken connections and the need for community healing. Katrina: After the Storm utilized advanced technology to create a virtual community, connecting Urbana-Champaign and the University of Illinois with sites across the country in order to share common concerns and ignite dialogues that emphasize our interconnectedness. The Katrina summit wove together inspiration and input from the arts, humanities, and technology to spark creative, innovative suggestions for engaging all members of our community and mending the torn social fabric.

more: http://www.40north.org/news/?p=812 


Katrina: After the Storm was produced through a partnership between:

    • Beckman Institute for Advanced Science and Technology
    • Carle Clinic Association
    • Champaign Park District’s Historic Virginia Theatre
    • College of Liberal Arts & Sciences
    • College of Fine and Applied Arts
    • Duke University
    • I-CHASS: Center for Computing in Humanities, Arts, and Social Science
    • Krannert Art Museum
    • Louisiana State University
    • Minority Serving Institute Network
    • Renaissance Computing Institute
    • WILL-AM-FM-TV
    • Siebel Center
    • 40 North | 88 West
    • ATLAS, Applied Technologies for Learning in the Arts and Sciences





Entrepreneurial Artists Make a Splash
Saturday, September 9, 2006
5:00 p.m. - 6:30 p.m.
Alice Campbell Alumni Center - Ballroom
601 S. Lincoln Ave., Urbana

The Academy for Entrepreneurial Leadership, Krannert Center for the Performing Arts and 40 North | 88 West have announced Entrepreneurial Artists Make a Splash, a unique panel discussion to be held September 9th at the Alice Campbell Alumni Center Ballroom, immediately preceeding the Krannert Center’s kick-off party for the 2006-2007 season. Artists, students and members of the general public are all invited to attend this free event.

From photographers to musicians and painters, artists make a splash in our communities through their creative works and entrepreneurial spirit. Come hear stories of how CU’s finest artists got their start and what inspired them to entrepreneurial greatness.

more: http://www.40north.org//news/?p=827



A Walk in the Park
August 19-20, 2006


The Champaign Park District, Champaign County Sports Commission, and 40 North | 88 West - Champaign County's Arts, Culture & Entertainment Council - invited County residents to take A Walk in the Park this Summer, as part of the Downtown Festival of the Arts.

Art lovers and health enthusiasts everywhere were invited to this first-ever art walk through West Side Park and Downtown Champaign. Kicking off the event, Congressman Tim Johnson welcomed walkers at an opening ceremony in the News Gazette Entertainment Tent in West Side Park. 

more: http://www.40north.org/about/walk_in_the_park.html




Academy for Entrepreneurial Leadership Workshop
"You Don't Have to Be a Starving Artist"
April 10, 2006


The Academy for Entrepreneurial Leadership presented this new workshop, featuring noted speaker Peter Hackbert, on how artists can turn artistic expression into comprehensive strategic business plans. Sponsored by the College of Fine & Applied Arts Career Center, the Academy for Entrepreneurial Leadership and 40 North | 88 West. Find out more about the Academy for Entrepreneurial Leadership at http://www.business.uiuc.edu/ael/.



Illinois Creates: The Illinois Arts Education Initiative
March 6, 2006, Virginia Theatre


The Illinois Arts Alliance, 40 North | 88 West and the Champaign County Cultural Consortium co-hosted this community forum on arts education. The Illinois Arts Alliance presented the results of a study revealing broad disparities in the amount of arts education provided in public schools throughout the state. Following the presentation, a distinguished group of local panelists discussed arts education challenges and successes in Champaign County.

more: http://www.40north.org/news/illinois_creates.html




Business Strategies for Artists Workshops
January, 2006


40 North | 88 West, in collaboration with Parkland Community College, hosted this exciting new workshop series in the Winter of 2006. The first workshop in the series was entitled Build Your Bottom Line - Money Matters, Contracts and More. The second was entitled Make the Scene - Marketing Tips and Tools. 40 North | 88 West and Parkland College were pleased to offer these two valuable workshops for artists, where arts professionals learned how to present their work on the Internet, find venues, market themselves, negotiate contracts and more.

more: http://www.40north.org/news/workshop_business_strategies.html




techMix
September 14, 2005


The Great Impasta restaurant was the location for an exciting first-time-ever creative convergence. For this special techMix gathering, 40 North helped bridge the imaginary gap thought to separate the creative worlds of art and technology.

more: http://www.40north.org/events/techmix.html



Wall2Wall Guitar Festival
Fall, 2005


4 Days. 30 Artists. All under 1 roof.
In the Fall of 2005, Krannert Center for the Performing Arts hosted the Wall to Wall Guitar Festival. From Sergio and Odair Assad to Dan Zanes, this four-day performance extravaganza was a guitar fan's dream. 




Jazz Threads
2003-2004


A unique collaboration between Krannert Center, numerous local venues, and 40 North | 88 West, Jazz Threads commemorated the history, celebrated the present, and helped build the future of the vibrant American art form of jazz.

more: http://www.40north.org/jazzthreads/home/