Let’s Hear Your Ideas for Downtown!

Have you ever been walking around Downtown and thought to yourself, I wish Downtown had _________?  Downtown Champaign has come along way in a very short period and now we are wanting to hear from you about ways you think Downtown could be even better.  The Champaign Downtown Association works closely with a number of partner organizations such as the City of Champaign, the Champaign Park District, and the C-U MTD.  We can’t guarantee that your ideas will be implemented but what a great way to be a part of the discussion.

We would simply ask that you leave a comment below and try to be respectful in your response.  There may be things that you don’t like, such as parking tickets, but let’s work on getting some good ideas out in the public.

Be sure to check out our Future Planning page under the Development tab to see all of the great things already in the works.

Thanks for helping to make Downtown Champaign a great place to visit!

Children’s Building Fair May 16th

Parents and kids it’s time for the 2009 Kids’ Building Fair at the Orpheum Children’s Science Museum, located at 346 North Neil Street in downtown Champaign.  Bring the whole family for a day of fun!  Learn about and participate in hands-on building trade activities! Admission to outside activities is free; regular admission will be charged to enter the museum.  This event runs from 11 A.M. – 4 P.M. on Saturday, May 16th.

If you would like more information about this free family event please contact the museum at 217-352-5895 weekdays from 10-4 and weekends from 1-5.

You can also go online to the museum website at http://www.orpheumkids.com

For adults and interested older children there will be a walking tour covering current and former downtown theater locations. Some of these theaters were in the same building.  Orpheum Board historian Perry Morris will lead these walking tours.  The tours will start at the fountain in front of Jim Gould’s restaurant.  The first tour will start at noon the second tour will start at 2 pm.

The Orpheum Children’s Science Museum

The Orpheum Children’s Science Museum is located at 346 North Neil Street in downtown Champaign.  The museum is open weekdays from 10-4 and weekends from 1-5.  The museum is closed on Mondays.  With advance notice staff can be available for on-air interviews during open times.

The mission of the Orpheum Children’s Science Museum is to provide children of all ages the chance to explore and learn science at their own pace in an informal setting. Our home, the 1914 Orpheum Theatre, is one of the finest buildings in downstate Illinois, and20our facility is one of the best examples of adaptive reuse of a historic build ing in the country.

“indi go” Art Gallery Opens at 9 East University Avenue

A Gift in the Form Of Art

by Emily Cleary

Published in the Buzz – Illini Media

A new artist co-cop in downtown Champaign, Indi Go, made its debut earlier this month during the Boneyard Arts Festival. Located at 9 East University Ave, Indi Go’s owner, Jim Barham, said he wants Indi Go to be a community gallery where residents, students, and everyone in between can display and appreciate local art.

Indi Go currently features art by local residents, Michael Downs, Kelly Kirchhoefer, and Ryan Slattery, all of whom Barham chose to be a part of the gallery for the opening during Boneyard. The highlight of the gallery is twenty-nine year old Ryan Slattery’s stainless steel creations. Ranging from miniature and intricate piano replicas to a larger-than-life fishing pole, Slattery’s work is diverse in its subjects and size.

Slattery said that his craft began “as more of a hobby to see if I could do it.” His first creation was for his mother five years ago, and he has since created about 150 detailed stainless steel pieces, he said. Even more impressive is that he has never taken an art class, but his only training was his “apprenticeship as a sheet metal worker.”

The style Slattery executes is unique in that the metal creations are “objects I see,” he said. “I’m not really into abstract stuff.” The reality of his subjects may be the reason Slattery’s art is so appealing to others. It may also explain the numerous requests he has gotten for custom-made pieces. Several of the pieces from the collection are functional, which give his art an aesthetic appeal, in addition to the appeal of practicality and originality.

Barham, a native Champaign resident, “decided on giving Ryan a place to show his work” when he opened Indi Go, a big city style gallery with sharp white walls set off by dark wood floors. Inspiration for the gallery rooted from Barham’s love of art as well as his love for helping and putting people together, he said. In addition to Indi Go being an outlet for local artists, Barham said he is currently working with Krannert so that the gallery can be an outlet for U of I students as well. “I’m not the owner, the community is,” he said. Hence the gallery’s theme, Visual Space Has No Owner.

Indi Go was intended by Barham to be a place where the community could admire the original work of artists like Slattery. A contribution to Champaign like this should not be put to waste. Whether you wish to show your art or just admire others’, Barham’s impressive gallery can be your chance to do both. See more about Indi Go and it’s showcase at www.indi-go-art.com

Artist Against Aids Opens Friday Night

Champaign – The Greater Community AIDS Project (GCAP) is pleased to announce the Artists Against AIDS Benefit Exhibition and Sale being held Friday, April 24 through Monday, April 27. With over 200 artists contributing their work, this exhibition is a hallmark of the entire community’s talents, diversity and support in the the fight against HIV/AIDS. Works in a wide variety of media will be featured, including ceramics, glass, metals, painting, photography, printmaking and sculpture.

This year GCAP is pleased to announce that Artists Against AIDS will once again be held in the beautiful Orpheum Theatre at 346 North Neil Street (Neil and Washington) in downtown Champaign.  This marks the second year the event will take place in the beautiful auditorium of the Orpheum.  Follow this years event the auditorium will be closed for extensive restoration.

• Friday April 24th from 6-10pm
• Saturday April 25th from 1-10pm
• Sunday April 26th from 1-7pm
• Monday April 27th from 1-7pm

For more information visit GCAP at www.gcapnow.com

Follow the Latest Downtown Happenings with Twitter

The CDA is now Twittering!  This technology allows you to stay in touch with all that is happening in Downtown in real time.  Events and stories posted on this website automatically post to our twitter page along with up to the minute facts and reminders.  Allways be in the know with twitter!

www.twitter.com/DTChampaign

if twittering isn’t your style and you prefer facebook, the CDA also has a fan page on Facebook that allows you to sign up for special events, stay in touch with the latest on the CDA calendar and communicate with other friends of Downtown.

Downtown Facebook Fan Page

Boneyard Arts Festival Kicks off Thursday Night in Downtown Champaign

Seven years ago the Boneyard Arts Festival shape-shifted from a traditional art walk into a community-wide celebration of the arts in many forms. Paintings hung in galleries and coffee shops. Music floated out of open storefronts. Performance artists delighted downtown visitors. It was fun, fulfilling and memorable, and it was just the beginning.

In 2009, the unique countywide event, produced by 40 North | 88 West Champaign County Arts, Culture, and Entertainment Council, will take place April 16 through 19. The Boneyard Arts Festival now energizes as many as a hundred different locations in Champaign, Urbana, Campustown, Dewey, Rantoul and Sidney. Sculptors, weavers, photographers, painters and other visual artists join musicians, dancers, actors, poets and other performers sharing their creativity in a wide variety of venues – from cafes, galleries and cultural houses to retail stores and salons.

For the first time, this popular festival expands to four days in order to focus on the event’s multiple centers of activity. Thursday features downtown Champaign, with its tempting restaurants and clubs, wide variety of shops, theaters, welcoming businesses and more. On Friday the festival spotlights Campustown, where college students aren’t the only ones who enjoy this district’s entertainment offerings. Downtown Urbana sets the stage on Saturday, with its popular row of galleries and variety of music venues from IMC to the Station Theatre. On Sunday, the communities outside of Champaign and Urbana will spotlight the artists living in their communities.

New activities and artistic events will make this year’s Boneyard Arts Festival more exciting than ever: Krannert Center for the Performing Arts is hosting dance, music, performance artists and multi-media arts in the streets of each district throughout the festival.  On Saturday, downtown Urbana will host a fun program of family friendly events and kids arts activities.

Director of Resource Development, Megan Wolf comments, “The community comes alive during the Boneyard Arts Festival! It illustrates the breadth and depth of artists and performers that live here in our community. The Boneyard is inspiring, educational, funky and best of all there is something for everyone. We are fortunate to live in a diverse, creative community; the Boneyard is a way to rediscover your own town.”

The cornerstone of the Boneyard Arts Festival is the collaborative relationships between local artist and venues, both traditional and non-traditional, where work is displayed or performed.  Artist and businesses interested in participating are encouraged to have their arts-related events or displays promoted in festival publications and online at www.40north.org.  For information, visit the website or contact 40 North at (217) 351-9841.

Everything You Need to Know about Watching the Marathon in Downtown

Downtown Champaign will offer a great location to view the Illinois Marathon this Saturday morning!  Bring your lawn chair out and enjoy the scene.  Runners from the Half and Full Marathon should approach Downtown in mid morning.  However, if you are traveling into Downtown , please be aware of alternative traffic patterns in the area.

Marathon starts at 7:55 A.M. on First Street near the I Hotel and Downtown is located at the 11 mile mark.  The race will be in Downtown in mid morning.

+ All Downtown spectators are encouraged to use the Hill Street Parking Deck.  You can park here all day for FREE!

+ Main Street and Church Street will be closed to all traffic (except local) between 8:30 AM and 12:30 PM

+ Temporary stops signs will be installed at Walnut and Locan Street.

Remember to travel cautiously around the race course and be aware of your surroundings.  Let’s all do our part to welcome the 9,000 runners to Champaign and ensure this event becomes an annual tradition!

2009 Illinois Marathon Map

Travel Advisory with list of road closures

Illinois Marathon Website