Program info & archives
Story Subject Category: Arts/Culture
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The art of storytelling has been with us since before written history. When most people think of storytelling today, they think of someone simply reading a story aloud from a book. But traditional storytelling actually involves much more than that. We caught up with storytellers Dan Keding and Kathe Brinkmann to get the story straight from the storytellers themselves.
Segment duration: 11:01
Story links:
- Champaign-Urbana Storytelling Guild
- Tim Sheppard’s Storytelling Resources for Storytellers (UK)
- International Storytelling Center (Jonesborough, TN)
- Dan Keding: Storyteller, Author, and Folk Musician (personal website)
- Kathe Brinkmann: Storyteller (personal website)
Producer: Steve Drake and Virginia Steffen
Editor: Steve Drake and Tristan Riddell
This segment is filed in these categories: Arts/Culture • Folklore • Hobbies • Literature • Champaign • Urbana
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Yu “Ian” Wang is an avid collector of local artists. He was born in China’s southernmost province of Yunnan and immigrated to the United States in the mid-1990s. Although he lives in Champaign and works in Rantoul, Wang has always kept his ties with his Chinese homeland. Collecting artwork from his hometowns takes him not only across the Midwest, but across the globe. His collection is a combination of traditional Chinese water-ink painting and modern Western abstract art.
Segment duration: 9:11
Producer: Steve Drake
Editor: Jared Collins and Steve Drake
This segment is filed in these categories: Antiques/Collectibles • Arts/Culture • Ethnicity/Culture • Hobbies • Libraries/Museums/Cultural Centers • Champaign • Rantoul • Urbana
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We meet Runway, a group of young fashion designers from Urbana-Champaign who have joined together to create high fashion from other people’s cast-offs. Using recycled materials, the Runway designers put on a fashion show that highlighted not only their creativity and ingenuity, but also the need to conserve and re-use many the things that people throw away. Jared Collins got a front-row seat for Runway’s fashion show.
Segment duration: 07:09
Story links:
Producer: Jared Collins and Steve Drake
Editor: Jared Collins and Steve Drake
This segment is filed in these categories: Arts/Culture • Environment • Hobbies • University of Illinois
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Lucy Brownlee, the owner of Lucy’s Airbrush in Decatur, trained as an artist at Walt Disney’s University in California. Now she uses her Mickey-inspired art training to bring a one-of-a-kind look to some decidedly different works of art on cars and motorcycles. Series Producer Steve Drake visited Lucy in her garage studio in Decatur and got a first-hand look at one of her latest creations
Segment duration: 07:33
Story links:
Producer: Steve Drake
Editor: Jared Collins and Steve Drake
This segment is filed in these categories: Arts/Culture • Automotive • Decatur
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We meet photographer David Wiegers, of Gurnee, Ill., who is traveling across American documenting the many sculptures, monuments and other public artworks dedicated to Abraham Lincoln, including those located on the University of Illinois campus.Over the past few years, Wiegers has photographed over 200 statues and monuments dedicated to our 16th president. Series Producer Steve Drake caught up with Wiegers when he visited the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign campus to photograph one of those Lincoln artworks, the relief sculptures that adorn the walls on the university’s own Lincoln Hall.
Segment duration: 06:02
Producer: Steve Drake
Editor: Jared Collins and Steve Drake
This segment is filed in these categories: Architecture • Arts/Culture • Historical Landmarks • History • Illinois Culture/History • Photography • Travel • Champaign • Lincoln • University of Illinois • Urbana
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The mission of 40 north/88 west is to nurture artists in Champaign County by fostering collaboration, and keeping them informed about opportunities and events. Producer Virginia Steffen introduces some of the artists who are part of 40 north and the work they are creating in central Illinois.
Segment duration: 06:45
Story links:
- 40 north/88 west
- David Raila
- Adriana Smith
- Georgia Morgan
- Deborah Fell
- Kim Allison
- Hyon Joo Kim
- Christine Main
- Burcu Okay
- Athan Chilton
Producer: Virginia Steffen
Chief Camera - Segment: Julius Bolton, David Noreen, Henry Radcliff, Virginia Steffen
This segment is filed in these categories: Arts/Culture • Champaign • Champaign County • Urbana
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By producer Alison Davis Wood
I first met Chad Dunn when I was producing a story on another band that he plays with called Desifinado. After talking to him, I quickly realized that Chad should be his own story for Prairie Fire. His talents include hand crafting instruments that are used by Sting and members of Paul Simon’s band, and he teaches Brazilian percussion to young and old. But Chad is also a lover of trash. He looks at old bottles and paint drums and hears music. What also is incredible is that he inspires others to do the same.
Chad’s musical mission of keeping things out of landfills led to him forming Recycled Rhythms. The band is unlike anything you’ve seen before. It is part musical group, part perfomance art, part environmental activism. But most of all the band is fun to watch. You can’t help but move to the beat and maybe even join the band on stage with a pair of “dancing hands” (empty boxes with scrap paper attached).
Chad’s vision for the future of the band is that Recycled Rhythms will do extensive workshops within communities across the country. The group would help organize a community “clean-up” with a local school. Then Chad would work with school children to turn the items collected into musical instruments. They would teach the kids how to play tradtional Brazilian rhythms on the new instruments. All the work would result in a performance between the school children and Recycled Rhythms after which the instruments would be donated to the school.
I hope this story inspires people check out a performance of Recycled Rhythms or possibly make their own instruments. Maybe you will think twice before you throw something away ... there could be music in that old cereal box or coffee can. You just have to let it out!
Segment duration: 09:19
Story links:
Producer: Alison Davis Wood
Chief Camera - Segment: Julius Bolton, Brian Paris, Virginia Steffen
This segment is filed in these categories: Arts/Culture • Music • Champaign
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By Maeve Reilly
When we visited a gallery where Charlie and John Sweitzer display their hand-made Shaker-style furniture, it was interesting to see how placing the furniture in a gallery changed people’s perceptions. People were tentative about touching the pieces, but, when they did, they realized that something as “common” and functional as furniture could be a work of art. In the program, one woman talks about how the sensual the show was—getting a literal feel of the furniture was as important as the visual look.
I’ve always been interested in the simple lines and clean design of Shaker furniture, but John’s “live-edge” desk, which incorporated his concept of taking nature’s design—a piece of wood with cracks, uneven surfaces and rough edges, was truly the highlight of the filming at the Ann Lloyd Gallery. John and Charlie claim to be furniture makers, not artists. But when you see the care they use in choosing renewable wood sources and using the form that nature created to often help with the design, you can’t help but examine your own surroundings and think about how much thought you give to choosing things that you use every day.
Segment duration: 05:30
Story links:
Producer: Maeve Reilly
Editor: Tim Hartin
This segment is filed in these categories: Arts/Culture • Business
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Orpheum Science Museum by Elif Basar
In college I read somewhere that the Orpheum Children’s Science Museum was looking for volunteers, and they were holding a volunteer orientation. I had never heard of this place, and I was not even aware that a children’s museum even existed in Champaign. I had done previous volunteer work with children and science, so I thought this would be a fun opportunity. I went to check out this tiny museum, which I had passed by several times in the past, and hardly noticed. I was pleased when I walked inside. Who knew at the time that what looked like an abandoned area of downtown held such a colorful and promising place? The answer is, not many people. Apparently, I was not the only one who was unaware of it.
I volunteered for some of their special events’ weekends, which drew in a modest number of people. I had such a wonderful time explaining different scientific concepts to children, and seeing them engaged and actually interested in what I was saying. Children were really enjoying themselves, not even noticing that they were learning at the same time. I have always felt that places like these are very important for our community to have. Many of the surrounding communities have had established children’s museums for some time, and it is only in the last decade that Champaign has joined them. I wanted more people to be aware of this place, and its importance, so that is can continuously grow and improve as planned. Already this has started, as I observed by the crowd it drew in this January at the event Prairie Fire filmed. Children were all over the place, participating in hands on experiments and demonstrations. Trying to film them in action was a bit of a challenge, since they would run as soon as they noticed the camera. Virginia Steffen still managed to sneak up on them, and get some great shots before they noticed.
We had a wonderful time that Saturday shooting this. I really hope more people take notice of this neat little place, and will help to support it.
Segment duration: 08:13
Story links:
Producer: Elif Basar
This segment is filed in these categories: Arts/Culture • Illinois Culture/History • Libraries/Museums/Cultural Centers • Livestock/Animals/Zoology • Science/Nature • Champaign • Champaign County
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Paul Idleman by Alison Davis Wood
Paul Idleman was a man who lived many lives during his short time with us. I first met Paul when he had recently taken the job as director of the Champaign County Historical Museum. Many times over the years he provided props and shooting locations for productions at WILL including “Gold Star Mothers: Pilgrimage of Remembrance” and “10 Sisters: A True Story.” As I got to know Paul, he shared some amazing stories from his years in Colorado. He had published a comedy newspaper and one of his writers was Roseanne Barr. One time he even assigned Roseanne to do an interview with then “almost famous” comedian Jay Leno. Paul was also a big music fan. Every year he would burn CDs for his friends that included his favorite songs. He used his graphic design talents to create hysterical covers for these treasured gifts. Paul’s love of music had led him to a career as a rock and roll photographer. He approached a Colorado radio station about publishing a newspaper for them and suggested he get photos of local concerts to include in the publication. The radio station bit and he had a backstage pass. Over the years he braved the crowds to get shots of The Who, Paul McCartney, Bruce Springsteen and Stevie Ray Vaughn. But over the years he took other jobs and the photos were hidden away in boxes. Thankfully after he moved back to his hometown of Champaign, Carolyn Baxley of the Cinema Gallery in Urbana persuaded Paul to dig through his collection. The result was a showing of his work at the Gallery and an opening reception that drew friends from as far away as Colorado. Luckily, many got the chance to experience the talent of this wonderful man. He will be missed.
Segment duration: 09:12
Story links:
Producer: Alison Davis Wood
This segment is filed in these categories: Arts/Culture • Cinema/Theaters/Film • Music • Photography
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