Here are 3 things to do for the weekend of Jan. 19-21, 2023, curated by WGLT's Lauren Warnecke. You can find more coverage on our Datebook - Arts & Music page or by subscribing to WGLT's Weekend Scoop email newsletter, which goes out every Friday.
Art exhibits Up- and Downtown: There are a plethora of locally themed new art shows to take in, with McLean County Arts Center hosting an artists’ reception tonight from 5-7 p.m. In the Brandt Gallery, decorated Minnesota painter (and ISU alum) Brian Fink presents a whimsical curation called “Mythical Landscapes of the Future,” while Heartland Community College professor Jane Camp presents digital captures of the Great Lakes. Across town at University Galleries, an Alumni Spectacular anchors their 50th anniversary with a wide array of work products from decades of esteemed artists with ties to Normal. Both galleries are free and open to the public; for hours and details visit mcac.wildapricot.org or galleries.illinoisstate.edu.
Grand Ole Opry @ BCPA: Multi-platinum country artist Chris Janson leans even harder than usual on honkytonk in his latest album, “The Outlaw Side of Me.” The Missouri-native is a friend of the Midwest, bringing his full band to the Bloomington Center for the Performing Arts for a night. Just try to stay in your seat—I dare you. 7:30 p.m. Friday; tickets $47-$89 at 309-434-2777 and artsblooming.org.
A Blo-No smackdown: Iron Spirit Pro, Bloomington-Normal’s professional wrestling promotion, hosts its first event of the year. The main event pits Chicagoans Craig Mitchell and Xavier Sky against one another—an uneven match size-wise, but certainly not a forgone conclusion. 7 p.m. bell Saturday (6:30 p.m. doors) at the Normal Community Activity Center; tickets $15 at ironspiritpro.com.
