Category: Arts
Northern Illinois University graduate Mark Valadez began writing fiction in high school and knew that he wanted to become a writer. Now at 44, he is credited for writing the episode that airs at 8 p.m. (CST) Thursday on the new Fox show “Gang Related.” The series, which premiered May 22, is about Ryan Lopez,...
The community is invited to the Kishwaukee Symphony Orchestra’s Family Fun Day at 3 p.m. Saturday, Aug. 9, at Sycamore Community Park, 940 E. State St. The event will feature a variety of activities, including live musical entertainment, a bouncy house, a climbing wall, face painting, a magician and use of the park’s tennis and...
Rich Holly, dean of the NIU College of Visual and Performing Arts, and his colleagues in the School of Theatre and Dance are paying close attention to the demolition of the Stevens Building. Holly posted photos of the work Monday under the headline “Excitement Mounts as Stevens Building Demo Gets Serious.” Gov. Pat Quinn released...
What’s in the water? Passersby have noticed that wooden arches have popped up in the Illinois and Michigan Canal near Ninth Street in Lockport. John Siblik, a Lemont native and alumnus of Northern Illinois University, banded branches together to make these 101 sculptures, which extend a half mile in the water as part of Lockport’s...
Rich Holly, dean of the NIU College of Visual and Performing Arts, has received a $2,500 grant from the DeKalb County Community Foundation for the second consecutive year. The funds from the grant will help in the partnership created with Arts Midwest to bring the Arts Midwest World Fest to DeKalb County during the upcoming school year....
Gordon Bird, professor of music and director of bands at NIU from 1960 until his retirement in 1983, died June 16 at Oak Crest DeKalb Area Retirement Center. He was 99. Bird held a bachelor’s degree from Drake University, a master of music degree from Northwestern University and a doctorate of education from Columbia University...
If you have a passion for making and learning music, the NIU Music Building is the place for you this summer. Enroll in private music lessons, join the NIUkulele or the NIU Guitar Ensemble, bring your small child to a group music or piano class, or enroll in an adult group piano or guitar class....
A summer internship for a Peru, Ill., marketing and design company led to a career opportunity for recent graduate of Northern Illinois University. LKCS recently hired May 2014 graduate Tom Quesse to help reinforce its expanding business as part of the company’s web development team. LKCS Vice President of Business Development Sid Haas called the hiring of the graphic designer and...
NIU School of Art alumna Michelle Pairitz, a principal of the Chicago office of smartdept. inc., considers herself an “aspiring Picasso.” Residents of Geneva are likely to dispute the “aspiring” part of that description, however, now that Pairitz and her husband, Eric, made a very public return to their painterly roots. Michelle Pairitz, who earned...
Finals week doesn’t have to be all work and no play: Just ask any of the unsuspecting, yet enthusiastic dancers featured in the NIU Alumni Association’s #HappyNIU music video. For them, finals week 2014 was an opportunity to show just how happy they are to be part of the Huskie family. Participants took a break...
The 2014 Bright Futures program – the Science of Music – is staging its grand finale Tuesday, June 10, at Hopkins Park Shelter prior to the first DeKalb Municipal Band concert of the season. Sponsored by NIU STEM Outreach, DeKalb County libraries and the DeKalb Municipal Band, the Bright Futures Fair offers a night of free...
Summit Records has released the first-ever compact disc by Northern Illinois University’s band director, titled “Concertos for Brass: The Music of Thomas Bough.” The CD includes three original concerti for solo brass and wind bands in addition to two arrangements by Bough. The concertos are performed by Bough and the NIU Wind Symphony in addition...
