Sangamon Experience

“Soul & Soil: Farming in the Sangamon River Valley” selected for screening at Farm to Film Fest

bwood8 — Wed, 12 Feb 2025 16:20:05 +0000

“Soul & Soil: Farming in the Sangamon River Valley” selected for screening at Farm to Film Fest bwood8 Wed, 02/12/2025 - 10:20

Sangamon Experience - Grand Opening Of New Exhibit: Soil & Soul

hbruc3 — Tue, 29 Oct 2024 15:49:26 +0000

Sangamon Experience - Grand Opening Of New Exhibit: Soil & Soul hbruc3 Tue, 10/29/2024 - 10:49

The Sangamon Experience at the University of Illinois Springfield invites you to attend the grand opening of its new exhibit, Soil & Soul: Farming in the Sangamon River valley, which includes a documentary film that tells the stories of 10 individuals who have spent their lives farming throughout the Sangamon River valley, an area that encompasses approximately 1,500 square in central Illinois.

Soil & Soul is presented by United Community Bank, with additional funding from the Melvin Wing Charitable Trust and the Dan and Carolyn Dungan Family Fund.

Event Details

Date: Nov. 7, 2024

Time: 6:00 -7:00 PM

Location: Brookens Auditorium

Premiere of Soul & Soul: Farming in the Sangamon River valley

Time: 7:00 - 8:00 PM

Location: View Soil & Soul exhibit at the Sangamon Experience.

Food and refreshments from local vendors will be served.

This is a free event but registration is required. at the link below.

When

Thu, Nov 7 2024, 6 - 8pm

Location

Brookens Auditorium and Sangamon Experience

Event Type

Employee

Faculty

Department

Sangamon Experience

New “Soil & Soul” exhibit and film explore the history of farming in Sangamon County

bwood8 — Wed, 23 Oct 2024 14:41:34 +0000

New “Soil & Soul” exhibit and film explore the history of farming in Sangamon County bwood8 Wed, 10/23/2024 - 09:41

UIS’ Sangamon Experience explores central Illinois journalism and social justice in the 1980s

bwood8 — Mon, 01 Jul 2024 19:59:19 +0000

UIS’ Sangamon Experience explores central Illinois journalism and social justice in the 1980s bwood8 Mon, 07/01/2024 - 14:59

Echoes of Change: Central Illinois Journalism and Social Justice in the 1980s

asutt4 — Fri, 03 May 2024 22:06:59 +0000

Echoes of Change: Central Illinois Journalism and Social Justice in the 1980s asutt4 Fri, 05/03/2024 - 17:06

Echoes of Change: Central Illinois Journalism and Social Justice in the 1980s

Echoes of Change: Central Illinois Journalism and Social Justice in the 1980s is a captivating exploration of the profound impact of local journalism during a transformative era. In this enlightening program, we delve into the vital role played by journalists in Central Illinois as they confronted and reported on the Illinois Human Rights Law (1979), Equal Rights Amendment Rally (1982), Urban Renewal (1983), the Desegregation of Local Government in Springfield (1987), and the creation of the Central Illinois Gay Lesbian Task Force.

Moreover, the program explores journalists' ethical dilemmas and professional challenges in pursuing truth and justice. It underscores the importance of journalistic principles such as accuracy, fairness, and impartiality, which guided reporters in their quest to uncover and expose social injustices.

By revisiting the stories and struggles of Central Illinois in the 1980s, "Echoes of Change" not only honors the legacy of local journalism but also invites reflection on its enduring relevance in today's world. In an era marked by shifting media landscapes and evolving challenges, the program is a powerful reminder of journalists' essential role in safeguarding democracy and promoting social change.

When

Wed, Jul 24 2024, 6 - 7:30pm

Location

UIS Student Union Full Ballroom, 2251 Richard Wright Drive, Springfield, Illinois 62703

Event Type

Campus

Department

Sangamon Experience

Understanding Inequality: Redlining is only part of the story

asutt4 — Fri, 03 May 2024 17:31:22 +0000

Understanding Inequality: Redlining is only part of the story asutt4 Fri, 05/03/2024 - 12:31

Understanding Inequality: Redlining is only part of the story

Redlining, some scholars contend, has become a “narrative crutch” that obscures a much longer history of housing discrimination. Redlining didn’t create systemic racism in American housing patterns, it sanctioned it. Vulnerable communities still feel the impacts of this profitable disinvestment in vast and far-reaching ways. The perpetuation of racist residential patterns far exceeds the reach of government actors. Public and private actors are, in many ways, equally responsible for the spaces we do and do not inhabit to this day. This session will center a local lens and deep dive into new maps and resources added to “Mapping Inequality” and other related digital humanities projects from the University of Richmond’s Digital Scholarship Lab and New American History. Participants will have an opportunity to explore OER resources designed to help seek solutions in the modern era.

Speaker: Annie Evans is the Director of Education and Outreach for New American History at the University of Richmond. Annie is a National Geographic Society Grosvenor Teacher Fellow, a NatGeo Certified Educator and Trainer, and Co-Coordinator of the Virginia Geographic Alliance. With over 30 years of classroom and educational leadership experience, she designs digital humanities curricula, and facilitates professional learning for K-16 teachers and museum educators, focusing on Historical Thinking Skills, GeoLiteracy, Instructional Coaching, Project-Based ��ý, and Performance Assessments. She hopes New American History will inspire the next generation of public historians, history educators, and civic leaders.

When

Fri, May 24 2024, 12 - 1pm

Location

Virtual

Event Type

Campus

Department

Sangamon Experience

New UIS Sangamon Experience exhibit tells the history of underrepresented people in central Illinois

bwood8 — Mon, 08 Jan 2024 21:29:07 +0000

New UIS Sangamon Experience exhibit tells the history of underrepresented people in central Illinois bwood8 Mon, 01/08/2024 - 15:29

Screening of, The Life and Work of Vachel Lindsay

asutt4 — Thu, 09 Mar 2023 17:46:26 +0000

Screening of, The Life and Work of Vachel Lindsay asutt4 Thu, 03/09/2023 - 11:46

The Life and Work of Vachel Lindsay

You are invited to attend the screening of The Life and Work of Vachel Lindsay, hosted by Sangamon Experience, on Friday, April 14 at the Brookens Auditorium at the University of Illinois Springfield from 6 pm. A panel discussion will follow.

Please reserve your ticket here!

Storyteller Studios

“The Life and Work of Vachel Lindsay” is a new film that explores the eclectic and passionate story of Springfield’s most notable artist. It looks at his influences and upbringing in the late 1800s and brings Lindsay’s poems to life through performances by actors and Lindsay scholars. The film will play at the historic Vachel Lindsay Home in Springfield, Illinois.

Interviewed scholars include Jennifer Caldwell, David Logan, Kevin Purcell, Sheila Ryan, and Ian Winterbauer. The film was directed by Kevin Christensen, with production assistant Jared Treece, of The Storyteller Studios. The documentary was produced by Kevin Christensen, Sheila Ryan, Elizabeth Cheney, Justin Blandford, and Aasne Daniels with executive producer Josh Hester. Poetry performances are by Aasne Daniels, James Daniels, Kevin Purcell, Jack Drea, Alina Johnson, Asher Paris, and Sterling Paris.

The documentary was directed and produced by The Storyteller Studios and commissioned by the Illinois Department of Natural Resources and State Historic Sites Springfield.

When

Fri, Apr 14 2023, 6 - 7:30pm

Location

Brookens Auditorium, University of Illinois Springfield, One University Plaza, Springfield, Illinois, 62703

Event Type

Art

Department

Sangamon Experience

Untold African American Stories

asutt4 — Thu, 02 Feb 2023 23:11:28 +0000

Untold African American Stories asutt4 Thu, 02/02/2023 - 17:11

The Sangamon Experience at the University of Illinois Springfield will host an Illinois Humanities Road Scholars Speakers Bureau presentation entitled "Untold African American Stories" by Mary Frances.

Mary Frances, documentarian and independent historian, searched institutional and individual collections of photographs depicting the history of black life in Springfield. Untold African American Stories is told through photography and the stories of African American life in Springfield, Illinois. Engage in discussing the past and how it impacts today by attending Untold African American Stories.

This event is free and open to the public.

This event is being produced by the University of Illinois Springfield, Sangamon Experience and Diversity Center, in partnership with Illinois Humanities. The Illinois Humanities Road Scholars Speakers Bureau invites Illinois authors, artists, and educators to share their expertise and enthusiasm with people throughout the state, enabling local nonprofit organizations to present free-admission cultural programs to their communities.

When

Tue, Feb 21 2023, 6 - 7pm

Location

Brookens Auditorium, University of Illinois Springfield

Event Type

black history

Department

Sangamon Experience

Memories of State Government: Springfield’s Doc Helm and his Photo Collection 1941 – 1992

asutt4 — Thu, 02 Feb 2023 22:59:46 +0000

Memories of State Government: Springfield’s Doc Helm and his Photo Collection 1941 – 1992 asutt4 Thu, 02/02/2023 - 16:59

The Sangamon Experience at the University of Illinois Springfield and the UIS Diversity Center will host a presentation entitled "Memories of State Government: Springfield’s Doc Helm and his Photo Collection 1941 – 1992" by Illinois State Archives Director Dr. David Joens and Archival Program Administrator Cathy Popovitch.

Eddie Winfred "Doc" Helm worked as the official state photographer of Illinois for over fifty years. He left behind a collection of over 45,000 photo negatives, documenting the political, social, and cultural life of Springfield and Illinois. David Joens and Catheryne Popovitch of the Illinois State Archives will discuss Doc’s legacy and the task of making his work accessible to a broader audience.

This event is free and open to the public.

Presenters:

David Joens is the Director of the Illinois State Archives, the state agency that is responsible for the preservation of historic Illinois state and local government records. A fifth-generation resident of Illinois, Joens received his Bachelor’s degree from Northern Illinois University in DeKalb, two Master’s degrees from the University of Illinois at Springfield, and a doctorate in Illinois history from Southern Illinois University in Carbondale. He is the author of three books on Illinois history and government, including “From Slave to State Legislator: John W. E. Thomas, Illinois’ First African American Lawmaker,” published by SIU Press.

Cathy Popovitch is an Archival Program Administrator at the Illinois State Archives. She currently oversees the Operations and Publications Sections of the State Archives and serves as the Illinois State Historical Records Advisory Board’s Deputy Coordinator. She is an active member of the Council of State Archivists and serves on the Board of Directors of the Illinois State Historical Society. A sixth-generation resident of Illinois, she has a bachelor’s degree in history from Millikin University and a master’s degree in library and information science from the University of Illinois.

When

Wed, Feb 15 2023, 12 - 1pm

Location

Brookens Auditorium, University of Illinois Springfield

Event Type

black history

Department

Sangamon Experience