The 2011 Hughes Gallery Christmas Show, part of Murphysboro Hometown Christmas, will once again showcase Illinois artists.  It is our pleasure to be able to carry work by artists who have not been shown before in southern Illinois.  This year our large selection of work is priced to accommodate everyone's budget, with no price more than $50.  The hours are 10-4 on Saturdays, December 10th and 17th and 1-4 on Sundays, December 11th and 18th.  Our address is 1603 Edith Street in Murphysboro.

A monumental bronze sculpture commissioned by SAS Inc. was recently completed and installed by John Medwedeff and the staff of his studio, Medwedeff Forge & Design of Murphysboro, IL. SAS Inc. is a privately held software development company in Cary, NC. The commission was awarded to Medwedeff after a national search.

“There is a place where dreams are born…,” that’s the first line of “Never Never Land,” the well known song from the musical “Peter Pan,” which is being presented as the closing production of the McLeod Summer Playhouse 2011 Season, July 28 through Aug. 1.  This production is present jointly by Carbondale Community Arts and  MSP and is the 2011 All Southern High School Theater Project production.

From the Kennedy Center to Leavenworth prison and hundreds of appearances in between, the story of Hugh DeNeal’s journey as a bluegrass musician trying to finance his trip to the big time, ending up charged with mail fraud stemming from business deals that bilked investors of over half a million dollars premiers at the historic Liberty Theater in downtown Murphysboro on Saturday, July  9th with additional shows on Saturday, July 16th.

McLeod Summer Playhouse’s 2011 season opens Thursday, June 17 with Broadway’s singular sensation A CHORUS LINE.  Originally conceived and directed by Michael Bennett, this exciting and riveting musical, which opened on Broadway in 1975, is an intimate look at the lives’ of a group of dancers auditioning for a Broadway show.  There’s Cassie, who went from featured roles to the unemployment line; Connie, who never grew taller than four foot ten inches; Richie, who had to face life after high school; Sheila, Bebe, and Maggie who found solace and acceptance at ballet class; and eleven other dancers whose face the challenge of growing up and fighting for self worth.

Art lovers, as well as wine lovers, can look no further than Riverside Park in Murphysboro this weekend, where the Shawnee Hills Wine Trail Art and Wine Festival will take place on Saturday and Sunday.

Often described as the most romantic film ever released, “Casablanca” is a classic that seems to be an eternal favorite.

Once again the Hughes Gallery Christmas Sale, featuring the work of Southern Illinois artists, will be held during the Murphysboro Hometown Christmas. Hours are 10:00 a.m., to 4:00 p.m., on Saturday, December 4, and 1:00 – 4:00 p.m. on Sunday, December 5. 

The “A Weekend in Murphysboro” traveling exhibit has made its final move as its sections were transported from the Murphysboro Chamber of Commerce Office and the Daum Administration Building, and the exhibit was dismantled. “Showing some wear and tear” according to Mayor Ron Williams, “after a dozen moves around the community, the various images will now be examined and some framed and hung in the Daum Administration Building.”  The Tourism Commission has been charged by the Mayor to work with him on this segment of the project.

Plays are like people.  They begin with a twinkle in the eye, go through a long embryonic period, and after many hours of intense labor, pop out to take their place on life’s stage.  In this case the stage is a part of the SIUC Department of Theater and the “babies” are world premier productions.

 The “A Weekend in Murphysboro” traveling exhibit has moved from The First Bank and Trust Company of Murphysboro and is now split between two locations --- the Murphysboro Chamber of Commerce Office in the historic Hamilton House at 203 South 13th St. and the Daum Administration Building at the southwest corner of 11th and Walnut Sts., where it will remain for the month of October.

The General John A. Logan Museum wishes to announce that the museum’s “Gone But Not Forgotten: The Power of Cemeteries” exhibit originally scheduled to close on November 15 will close instead on Sunday, October 24, 2010.

“Abraham Lincoln:  Self-Made in America” features reproduction artifacts from the Abraham Lincoln Presidential Library and Museum
A world-class traveling exhibit featuring reproduction artifacts from the Abraham Lincoln Presidential Library and Museum in Springfield, Illinois will be exhibited at the University Museum at Southern Illinois University Carbondale, Tuesday, October 19- Friday, October 30 and the General John A. Logan Museum in Murphysboro from Friday, November 5 – Friday, November 19.

Visitors and residents will have the opportunity during Apple Festival and the entire month of September to see some of the images from a joint project between the City and Southern Illinois University Carbondale. The “A Weekend in Murphysboro” traveling exhibit will be on display at The First Bank and Trust Company of Murphysboro at 1403 Walnut Street during business hours (9:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m., Monday through Friday).

Local artisans are invited to take part in the second Creative Expressions Art Fair and Sale sponsored by Southern Illinois Healthcare’s Second Act program. The event will be held at the Carbondale Civic Center on Saturday, October 16 from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. and is open to the public.
The Second Act Manager, Mona Kerns, said last year two grants enabled The Second Act to provide art classes to their members and to sponsor an art fair.

Anne M. Hill is dedicated to art.  If you don’t know it from her tireless efforts in the community, or if you haven’t read it on her aqua blue t-shirt, you can read it the inscription on a special plaque of recognition that now hangs in her living room. The special plaque was presented to Anne M. Hill on July 15, 2010 by McLeod Summer Playhouse and Carbondale Community Arts in recognition of her support and dedication to the arts. “There are many people who deserve to be recognized,” said CCA Executive Director, Nancy Stemper during the presentation, “but not many with as long a history of support within this community as Anne.”

The “A Weekend in Murphysboro” traveling exhibit is now on display at the University of Illinois Extension Office, 402 Ava Road, Murphysboro, where it will remain for the month of July. The business hours at the Extension office are Monday – Friday, 8:00 a.m-12:00 noon and 1:00 – 4:30 p.m. but it will be closed July 5th in honor of the July 4th holiday.

University of Illinois Extension in Jackson County is the next location to display the “A Weekend in Murphysboro” traveling photo exhibit.  To date, the exhibit has been seen by more than 700 viewers since its premiere six months ago. According to Julie Mumbower, Interim Jackson County Director, “It is an honor to have been selected as a site for this display, as it meets one of our goals of exposing young adults to new experiences and teaching them innovative developments in various fields.”

The General John A. Logan Museum will host a cemetery tour of Pleasant Grove Memorial Park, Hiller Cemetery and Bostick Cemetery beginning at 1:30 p.m. on Saturday, June 19, 2010.  Anyone interested in taking this tour should meet at Pleasant Grove Memorial Park on Old Highway 13 between Murphysboro and Carbondale.

The Friends of Murphysboro and the Murphysboro Park District have announced the lineup for this year's Movies in the Park.