Lauren Warnecke

Community Players' black-tie gala was no ordinary fundraiser for the troupe, who turned out dressed to the nines for a roaring ‘20s-themed evening of dining, drinking and dancing to celebrate the theater’s centennial. But this party was not only about looking backward at the 100-year history of Community Players. It also was about the future.

Matt Jagitsch draws lifelike portraits and wildlife using white-on-black technique called reverse drawing. Rick Decorie takes his camera to Midwest junk yards in search of old cars and architectural artifacts. Both spent decades in different fields. Their concurrent solo shows at their McLean County Art Center prove any time is the right time to kick-start an art career.

Susan Naber, a paraprofessional at Brigham Early Learning Center, was nominated by Gov. JB Pritzker for a national education award for her work setting young children with disabilities on a path to school success.

Director Tom Dzurison debuts "The Lifespan of a Fact" at Heartland Theatre Company on Feb. 2. The play, based on a 2012 book of the same name, is about an overzealous "essayist" and the fact-checker of a struggling publication assigned to review his not-quite-true article.

About 50 people viewed the documentary film “The Central Park Five” on Wednesday in Braden Auditorium on Illinois State University's campus. The screening was part of a weeklong series of events hosted by ISU celebrating Martin Luther King Jr. Day.

Curator Troy Sherman is rounding the bend on his first year at University Galleries, and the first show he’s curated opens next week. The show is called “simplenothingsimplesomething” — all one word — and features a multimedia installation by Portland-based artist Avantika Bawa.

Central Illinois mainstay Edward David Anderson will play a solo set in Destihl’s Barrel Room on Saturday, Jan. 14. That’s not unusual, but there’s a lot that makes the evening unique: Anderson kicks off a four-part series curated by his company, Black Dirt Music, and introducing three Americana heavy hitters to Bloomington-Normal. Plus, there's a new brew exclusively for concertgoers.

In an ultimate example of students going above and beyond, WGLT profiles two Normal Community High School students in January and February who transformed a sociology project into arts events at the Coffeehouse for all to enjoy. The catch? It’s got to make an impact.

Community Players Theatre presents the company premiere of Lynn Nottage's Pulitzer Prize-winning play, "Sweat." The production runs Jan. 6-15 in Bloomington.

Looking for last-minute gift ideas? Two new poetry collections by Bloomington-Normal artists may be just what you need for a cozy holiday at home.