PREMIERE EVENT AT LOFT 125. . . IMPROV: Games & Stuff

What’s LOFT 125?  It’s a whole new concept for a laid-back entertainment venue offering ages 21+ an affordable alternative for an awesome evening with friends!  LOFT 125 will present four unique events during the 2015-16 season, including interactive as well as sit-back-and-chill events. That means entertainment ranging from games to music.  With a mere $10 ticket and money-saving BYOB, it’s designed to be affordable for everyone.  And, it all takes place at LOFT 125 - Madden Arts Center’s third floor transformed for the moment with casual lounge-style group seating and other comfy seats.  The address?  125 N. Water St. in downtown Decatur.

LOFT 125’s premiere event is coming soon!  If you enjoy “Whose Line Is It Anyway?” you won’t want to miss IMPROV: Games & Stuff on Friday, November 13 from 7:30-9:30 pm.  Led by Jayson Albright & The Kablooey Group, it will be a zany evening of unpredictable and interactive improv games – no skill and no experience necessary!  In fact, just a willingness to play along, toss in your ideas and laugh, makes you a prime candidate for a having a blast.  Besides, it’s on Friday the 13^th – how improv is that?!  No worries, though. The games are designed to put you at ease, let you interact from your seat, put The Kablooey Group on the spot or get up on stage yourself, if you’re “game.”  Bring your energy (and a crazy prop, if you want.)  Additional props, photo boards and stuff will be available for your entertainment pleasure.  Even the food bar, created by TapRoot Restaurant and available for purchase, will be “improv-inspired.”  

Popcorn is complimentary but, remember, BYOB because no beverages (alcoholic or non) are provided.

LOFT 125. . . a new wave of social things to do!  Get your tickets for IMPROV: Games & Stuff at www.decaturarts.org or by calling 217-423-3189.  Advanced ticket purchases are encouraged but tickets will be available at the door.

THE MAN YOU SCRIPT

Who do you want to be? How do you live your life?  Where do you place your faith and find strength?  You are the author of your own life. Are you the man or woman YOU script?

These may be questions you’ll ask yourself after experiencing the dynamic poetry performance entitled “The Man You Script” coming up Saturday, October 10 from 6-8 pm on the third floor of the Madden Arts Center.  After overwhelming success performing in Atlanta, St. Louis and Houston, the Moore poets – Jaesun, Charles, Harold and Ashley – return to their hometown of Decatur, IL to share their experiences of love, life, pain, joy, failure and triumph through poetry.  But it’s more than reading poetry – much more!  You can expect a stage production that will make you laugh, make you cry and inspire you.

On the inside of their book “The Man You Script” it reads:
“For those that Speak L.I.F.E. (Lyrics that Implement Faith into Existence)
The book is a collection of poems and journal entries from two generations of Moore men.  They will be joined on stage by Charles’ daughter Ashley.

We can’t actually walk in someone else’s shoes but what a unique opportunity to hear their words about life and witness an open door into their world!

Tickets are $10 in advance and at the door (ages 21+).  
Your ticket includes the show and a complementary wine tasting.

Click HERE to purchase online or call 217-423-3189.

CHILE & ARGENTINA Exhibit

This year’s International Arts Experience at the Decatur Area Arts Council is an exhibit entitled CHILE & ARGENTINA: Neighboring Cultures.  See it in the Anne Lloyd Gallery at the Madden Arts Center is open Monday-Friday (8:30 am-4:30 pm) and Saturday (10 am-2 pm) from June 5-July 30.  As always, the exhibit is open free to the public.

This colorful exhibit celebrates the blending of ancient traditions, European influences and contemporary life in the neighboring countries of Chile and Argentina.  Textiles, ceramics, copper work, fine art, woodwork, artifacts and more bring the cultures to life.

A major part of the exhibit is a display of Chilean posters.  The poster curators, Mario Cardena and Jean Paul Brandt, are both graphic designers and university professors who received support for this project through the University of Diego Portales in Chile.  DAAC Gallery Director Sue Powell met Mario last spring when he was visiting Millikin University. Her discussion with him about presenting the culture through posters and other art forms launched this whole exhibit.

The rest of the art and artifact on display come from 10 private collections, plus Spurlock Museum Teaching Collection, Krannert Art Museum Teaching Collection and an Argentine artist who lives in Schaumburg, IL.

Here are a few unique items and facts:

• The copper rooster and hen on the wall is a traditional wedding gift related to the national dance, the cueca.
• Most traditional Chilean wedding celebrations include the dance which parodies the courtship of the rooster and hen.  The costumes are worn by the dancers who wave handkerchiefs above their heads, possibly symbolizing the feathers of the bird or the rooster’s comb.
• The display hutch in the corner has a number of “mate” (pronounced mah-tay) cups.  Yerba mate is the national drink of Argentina.  The yerba mate leaves are used to create a rather strong, caffeine-rich “tea.”  Sharing mate is a symbol of hospitality in Argentina and the protocol for serving mate is followed religiously.  Everyone drinks from the same cup.  It’s a very social tradition that can be seen in just about any setting or group.
• Check out the charango (a musical instrument like a little guitar) made out of an armadillo’s back shell.

Field Trips to the Exhibit

If you’ve got a group that would like to visit the exhibit through our Field Trip program, which includes a discussion of the exhibit and a hands-on Chilean/Argentine craft project, contact us at 217-423-3189 or arts4all@decaturarts.org.  Ask about our field trip scholarships.

This exhibit is sponsored by ADM and partially supported by a grant from the Illinois Arts Council Agency.

For more information, please contact the Decatur Area Arts Council visit our website at www.decaturarts.org.

Jerry Johnson
Executive Director
Decatur Area Arts Council