Photo Gallery |
A look at Thursday's Night Market at Lincoln Square

Lane To, from Champaign, browses buttons and pins at a booth at last week's Night Market at Lincoln Square Mall. Held at the mall's southwest parking lot near Vine Street, the market offers more than two dozen booths of vendors offering chocolates, flavored popcorn, homemade household goods, and handmade art. Every Thursday until October 10, the market also hosts several food trucks and live entertainment starting at 7 pm. (Photo: Sentinel/Clark Brooks)

LaRisha "RiRi" Exum-Howard, owner of RiPoppedIt, finishes a sale at her booth last Thursday. RiRi creates "Bougie" flavored popcorn for special events and parties. Customers can choose unique flavors such as Cotton Candy, Lemon Pound Cake, Red Velvet and a dozen more made at her store at 2004 S. Neil St. in Champaign. (Photo: Sentinel/Clark Brooks)

Artist Dan Wild, from Champaign, draws a group caricature for a family. Wild, Art Director at Adams Outdoor, is a talented illustrator, graphic designer and caricaturist. At last Thursday's Night Market, he drew portraits at no charge for marketgoers who would pose for two minutes at his booth. (Photo: Sentinel/Clark Brooks)

Local punk rockers Pancr8s performs in their opening set last Thursday. (Photo: Sentinel/Clark Brooks)

Lead singer and songwriter Simona performs with Pancr8s, a local punk rock band. This week's Night Market at Lincoln Square Mall entertainment features the duo Bourema Ouedraogo and Jason Finkelman. (Photo: Sentinel/Clark Brooks)

Hundreds of shoppers peruse the vendor booths at last Thursday's event. Tonight market starts at 6 pm with live entertainment starting at 7 pm. (Photo: Sentinel/Clark Brooks)

Maria Ayala, owner of Pueblito Nature, explains the origins of her Columbian Chocolate with customers last Thursday at her booth. Pueblito chocolate is created in small batches to feature the unique taste from the different growers in rural Columbia. Ayala and her booth will be at tonight's installment of the Night Market at Lincoln Square. (Photo: Sentinel/Clark Brooks)

A short line of marketgoers order drinks at Keke’s Mobile Beverage Trailer. Keke's offers fresh, handsqueezed lemonade, limeade, and teas, each that can be customized to taste with a dozen different flavorings. (Photo: Sentinel/Clark Brooks)

A shopper closely inspects a set of handcrafted earrings from one of the many vendors last Thursday. (Photo: Sentinel/Clark Brooks)

A couple enjoys a quiet moment away from the music in the parking lot a few steps away from the market area. Bourema Ouedraogo and Jason Finkelman are headlining this evening's live entertainment starting at 7 pm. (Photo: Sentinel/Clark Brooks)

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Pressing the right buttons at Urbana Night Market

Photo: Sentinel/Clark Brooks

Emil "The Button Man" Cobb creates a new button for a customer last Thursday at Urbana's first Night Market at the Square at Lincoln Square Mall Thursday evening. Night Markets will be held every Thursday for the next five weeks in the Southeast parking lot, showcasing local artists, craftsmen, and food vendors. Next week, Panc8s will be the featured band for the event, sponsored by The Market and the Urbana Arts and Culture. Cobb creates photo buttons and keychains on the spot from customer social media feeds or phone albums.

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Iced out: Artist Christopher Reme's designs from the future

Artist Christopher Reme poses in booth at the Crystal Lake Park Art Fair last month. His unique, afrofuturistic graphic designs are characters he creates not only visually, but also each with their own personality and legend.
Photo: Sentinel/Clark Brooks
URBANA - Christopher Reme remembers starting to draw when he was around six years old. Unable to stay quiet during church services, his grandmother handed him paper and pens to keep him occupied during sermons. It was not long after he became obsessed with art. Influenced by comic books and cartoons, his technical ability improved to the point that he could enroll at the Art Institute in Chicago.

After two years, he left the program to continue his art education along a self-directed path. Eventually, he pursued other interests, putting art on hold. Nearly 15 years later, he rediscovered his passion and talent.

One of the many characters created by Christopher Reme. The Champaign native creates designs featuring characters and creatures doing everyday things. For every demon, warlord, or mutant he has created, each has an elaborate backstory.
Illustration provided
"When I first started doing this, I didn't expect anybody to like it or care about it," Reme said from behind a table in his booth at the Crystal Lake Park Art Fair on August 3. "I would draw while at work or school and be like that's nice. That's cool. But that was as far as it went."

That was until his wife Sara convinced him to take the next step.

"You're good at this," she told him three years ago. "We're doing a show."

Reme only had four pieces ready for his first show at the annual Boneyard Festival. He was taken by surprise with the initial reception to his work at his very first show.

"People showed up and they were like, 'Hey, this is awesome' and 'this is nice'," he said recounting the experience. It was then he learned his style and vision had a name, Afrofuturism.

"All of my characters have a back story and a whole lore with them," Reme said. "None of them are heroes, and none of them are villains. They're just people and creatures doing stuff because they have to."

Many of the festival-goers Reme spoke with at the Boneyard Festival compared his work to that of a University of Illinois professor.

"People kept coming up and asking, do you know Stacey Robinson? And we're like, no."

Robinson, an Associate Professor of Graphic Design at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, is known for his multimedia work through collages, motion graphics, and illustrations featuring Black people in the futuristic, sometimes fantasy world. He eventually met Robinson and said the two exchange tips and discuss their work regularly.

Reme's creative process is simple.

"I just pick up the pen and the table and go at it," he said. "It creates itself. I'm just a vessel it flows through."

Reme plans to release a graphic novel or book by the end of the year. View his artwork and portfolio at www.theicedoutnomadstudios.com. See additional designs at https://www.artstation.com/christopherreme.

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Art in the Park

Bekki Canine creates a new painting
URBANA - Painter Bekki Canine paints a new piece between visitors to her booth at the Crystal Lake Art Fair on Saturday. The two-day event featured 40 artists from around the local area and beyond. Canine earned her BFA at Illinois Wesleyan and holds an MA in Art Education from the University of Illinois. The Villa Grove native has taught art classes from kindergarten to college-level coursework. Her paintings and note cards are available on her website.
Photo: Sentinel/Clark Brooks
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On Stage: Soulja Boy Tell 'Em Big Draco coming to Canopy Club

URBANA - A stop on his The SODMG Tour promoting his latest album release Swag 6, Soulja Boy Tell 'Em Big Draco is set to perform at the Canopy Club on September 27 at 9 pm.

The Urbana show is in the middle of a five-day swing by Soulja Boy that starts in Mechanicsburg, PA, on Tuesday, September 24. The next night he will be in Louisville, followed by a quick stop in Nashville at the Main Stage before his Friday night performance at the Canopy Club. After that, he is on his way to Minneapolis before a two-day schedule break.

Born in Chicago in 1990, DeAndre Cortez Way, July 28, 1990, moved to Atlanta when he was six years old. At the age of 14, he moved to live with his father in Batesville, Mississippi, where he explored and developed his musical chops while building a network of music connections.

The now 34-year-old music veteran performer quickly became a leader, using grassroots social media and digital marketing strategies to grow his popularity. Thanks to several groundbreaking online promotional strategies he pioneered in 2004, Soulja Boy took the next step, moving back to Atlanta, booking live performances, and expanding his network and knowledge of the music business even further.

After hooking up with Atlanta producer Mr. Collipark, also known as DJ Smurf back in the day, he transitioned from a local wunderkind to a hip-hop household name. Under the roof of Interscope and Collipark Music imprint, Soulja Boy Tell Em rose to number one on the pop music charts for seven non-consecutive weeks on the Billboard Hot 100 chart.

“Crank That” is still remembered as a prominent dance song from the 2000s. The cut earned a Grammy nomination for Best Rap Song in 2007. In addition to the Grammy Award nomination, Soulja Boy has earned three BET Awards and four Teen Choice Award nominations.

He also has a platinum album to his credit titled Souljaboytellem.com. Released on March 23, 2007, it peaked at #5 on Billboard 200 and sold 125,000 in the first week. The album was certified Platinum on June 16, 2007, and has sold over 1.5 million copies in the US & over 3.1 million copies worldwide as of May 2008.

Early tickets are on sale now, in advance for $25-29.50. Concertgoers can also buy tickets at the door for $35.


Upcoming Canopy Club shows
K-Squared Presents: CU in the 2000s - Sat, Aug 3 - Canopy Club - More Info

Reign of Z w/ Beautiful Skeletons - Fri, Aug 16 - Canopy Club - More Info

Deeper Purpose - Sat, Sep 7 - Canopy Club - More Info

Slacker University (Fall Fest) - Thu, Sep 12 - Canopy Club - More Info

PYGMALION 2024:
ROYEL OTIS w/ Friko - Thu, Sep 19 - Canopy Club - More Info

PYGMALION 2024
: X AMBASSADORS w/ Rosie Tucker - Fri, Sep 20 - Canopy Club - More Info

PYGMALION 2024
: CupcakKe w/ Queen Key - Sat, Sep 21 - Canopy Club - More Info

Soulja Boy - Fri, Sep 27 - Canopy Club - More Info

Emo Nite - Sat, Sep 28 - Canopy Club - More Info

Andy Frasco & The U.N. - Sun, Oct 6 - Canopy Club - More Info

MARAUDA - Thu, Oct 10 - Canopy Club - More Info

K-Pop Night - Fri, Oct 18 - Canopy Club - More Info

TVBOO - Thu, Nov 14 - Canopy Club - More Info

Riot Ten - Fri, Dec 6 - Canopy Club - More Info

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Crystal Lake Park Art Fair this Saturday and Sunday

URBANA - Over 40 artists are expected to display their artwork and wares at the 6th Annual Crystal Lake Park Art Fair this Saturday and Sunday. The two-day event held at Crystal Lake Park is a collaborative organizational effort between 40 North and the Urbana Park District.

The art fair will be open from 10 am to 4 pm on both days. Vendor booths will be located along the park road adjacent to the Lake House and the large pavilion. Local and regional artists will be offering paintings, textiles, ceramics, photography, jewelry, glass, mixed media, and more for sale.

Featured artists include Champaign native Megan Hinds, an alumna of Illinois State University, where she specialized in printmaking. She graduated with magna cum laude honors in 2016, and her work has been exhibited at the Jan Brandt Gallery, Joe McCauley Gallery, Heartland Community College, 40North Gallery, Spudnik Press Cooperative's Annex Gallery, The Art Center, and Lincoln Land Community College. Recently, her artwork was awarded the Best-Emerging Artist award at the Ann Arbor Art Festival in 2019, the Best 2-D Artist award at the Naperville Fine Art Festival, and the Best Printmaker award at the Deer Park Art Festival.

If you're someone who loves the romantic side of life and is looking for artwork that reflects that passion, you might be interested in the work of Melanie Sartori. She is a self-taught artist and muralist based in Madison, WI, drawing inspiration from vintage items, travel, and adventure. Melanie often uses locally collected vintage and antique frames to create one-of-a-kind paintings, using the frames as a starting point for her creativity and to infuse her work with a sense of history and sustainability. Additionally, she creates unique jewelry collections as part of her commissioned work.

Cammie Meerdink, the artist known for her visionary work at Piper Pottery & Crafts in Mahomet, has been creating stunning and practical clay pieces for more than two decades. Her process involves incorporating natural elements, vintage artifacts, and contemporary influences to produce singular stoneware pieces. Meerdink has gained recognition in artistic communities for her imaginative and utilitarian pottery designed for both home and garden use.


2024 Crystal Lake Park Art Fair Artists

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Sentinel Morning Briefing |
Boneyard Arts Festival, Illinois Spring Sports Fest this weekend

URBANA - If you are an art lover, you don't want to miss the Boneyard Arts Festival this weekend. The festival starts tomorrow evening and features pop-up galleries and displays in Urbana, Champaign, and even Savoy.

"We have over 20 venues that will be within walking distance," says Elsie Hedgspeth, Director of Operations and Outreach at 40 North in a video shot in downtown Urbana. "Any place turn into a gallery or a performance spot for the weekend."

Here is a list of the artists displaying their work at this festival.

Here is a list of locations and the featured artist(s):


Illini Spring Sports Fest
Spend the entire weekend watching college sports at the University of Illinois this weekend. Starting at 3 p.m. tomorrow with the Fighting Illini women's tennis team taking on Indiana University at Atkins Tennis Center, spectators and sports fans can catch the action from four tennis matches, three softball and baseball games, and the Wieneke Memorial Track & Field Meet on Sunday.


Soccer Showcase rescheduled
The C-U Soccer Consortium Girls Soccer Showcase, which was scheduled for today at Demirjian Park on the U of I campus, has been postponed due to a persistent pattern of rain expected to pass through the Champaign-Urbana area. The event, which was supposed to feature six teams, has been rescheduled for Sunday starting at noon.

The previously scheduled match between St. Thomas More and University High has been updated. University High shall now be competing against Danville High School at noon. Following the first competition, the Urbana Tigers will engage in battle with the Monticello Sages at 2 p.m. The showcase's ultimate game will feature Big 12 and crosstown rivals Centennial and Central facing each other at 4 p.m.

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