Arts and Culture

The closure of the Strait of Hormuz during the U.S. war with Iran has sent energy prices way up. Something similar happened back in 1973 during the OPEC oil embargo. Find out more in this episode of McHistory.

In a one-time show on June 6, the McLean County Museum of History will serve as the backdrop of a special projection show. Visit BN coordinated the project for ISU fine arts faculty to illustrate and animate images for the show.

The Illinois Shakespeare Festival has announced its 2026 season, featuring two Shakespeare plays and, for the first time, an American classic.

Student winners of this year's City of Bloomington Black History Essay Contest wrote about everyone from civil rights icons to artists, musicians and little-known scientists. The young people have chosen heroes to admire and people who speak to them.

There are many myths about the American west. They're wrong yet are remarkably sticky in American cultural consciousness according to historian Megan Kate Nelson. Nelson will speak at Illinois State University on March 19.

The City of Bloomington has deferred adoption of an Eid al-Fitr Day proclamation in part due to the conflict with Iran.

WGLT is saying farewell to longtime program director Jon Norton. Norton is retiring at the end of the month after nearly 23 years with Bloomington-Normal’s Public Media. Norton said he’d like to be remembered as someone who works hard and is a nice person.

The Illinois Arts Council and the Illinois Capital Development Board have partnered to commission a public art piece for display at the new Wonsook Kim College of Fine Arts complex. It’s part of a larger push for public art in Bloomington-Normal that will now include a major opportunity on Illinois State University’s campus for an Illinois artist.

During the Great Depression the federal government tried to stimulate the economy by funding a variety of buildings and programs. Inside the 1936 WPA post office in Normal is a 1938 oil on canvas mural, a salute to the community, to human achievement, and to the importance of beauty in public spaces.

2025 was a good year for Normal, according to City Manager Pam Reece, noting town achievements include a range of infrastructure projects, opening a refurbished skate park at Fairview Park, and advancing the town's public arts plan.