Prairie Center for the Arts- Thursday, January 22, 2015

Prairie Center of the Arts proves that “Art is Alive” in Peoria.

OLLI’s visit to the Prairie Center of the Arts in downtown Peoria is excellent proof that Peoria has a rapid growing arts scene. Dawn Gettler, Program Manager and Gallery Coordinator, welcomed OLLI for a hands-on arts experience. We were able to tour the studio and see work in progress of the various studio artists.

The Prairie Center of the Arts houses artists from around the world with resources and a creative atmosphere to think and create. Michele Richey, President of the Prairie Center of the Arts has been committed to “engaging our community in artistic pursuits, while being provided opportunities for their own research and development of new works.”

OLLI members had the opportunity not only to learn about their work, but to see what it would be like to be an artist at the Prairie Center. We were able to print letters of love by using the Vandercook Letter Press. For this project, OLLI members were seen using hand-set antique metal type to make their own image for a Valentine’s Day card. We also had the opportunity to work with the local artists to make original print making designs.

We would like to thank Michele Richey, Dawn Getler and all of the volunteers for working hard to make our visit a memorable one!

WEEK/WHOI- Wednesday, January 21, 2015

OLLI Members had a chance to take a behind-the-scenes tour of the WEEK and WHOI production studios. Tim Campbell, Creative Services Manager, guided the tour which included a view of the editing bays, the control room, and recording studio.

Tim started the day by giving a detailed history of the WEEK/WHOI stations. He walked us through the changes that have occurred in the broadcast industry during his time with News25. Additionally, Tim discussed the evolution of technology for WEEK and WHOI, including the transition from studio camera operators to computer driven camera work.

OLLI members were the most thrilled that they were able to witness a live-recording of the morning news. During the news recording, WEEK Anchors Gina Morris and Maddie Heidenreich spoke about the routine of an anchor during a live televised recording. It was impressive how calm both anchors were in the fast-paced news recording, while being graceful in answering our questions.

Thank you to our friends at WEEK and WHOI for this wonderful opportunity!

WMBD- Tuesday, January 20, 2015

OLLI members were seen on set and behind the camera for our visit to WMBD Television.

During the behind-the-scenes tour, we were albe to walk through the control room, where producers and directors receive network satellite feeds, create the newscast graphics (stock reports, etc.) and manage the schedule of each newscast. When news breaks, these staffers are responsible for determining what stories should be cut from the existing script, then make sure the information is placed into the anchors' teleprompters.

Most of our time was spent in the actual studio where WMBD broadcasts its morning, noon, and evening newscasts. OLLI members were very impressed how the anchors were very comfortable in front of the cameras. When you are watching the news at home, you don't realize how fast-paced the action is in the studio. The entire news team must work diligently under pressure to get a story off the ground. The anchors seemed to truly enjoy their jobs. When the cameras weren't rolling, they were seen laughing and were very eager to answer any questions our group had. OLLI at Bradley University would like to thank WMBD for a wonderful tour. We are very fortunate to have strong local news stations in our community. To view WMBD-TV's website, visit http://www.ciproud.com/.

Toraason Glass- Monday, January 19, 2015

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The Winter Learning Trip season was kicked-off this year with a trip to Torrason Glass. Hiram Torrason is a great example of how art is truly alive in Peoria, IL. Hiram led a tour of his gallery and demonstrated the techniques of working with 2,000-degree molten glass to create a one-of-a-kind work of art.

In addition to working with the glass, Hiram also discussed the development of the arts scene in Peoria, and why central Illinois became the home for his glass blowing business. One area that Hiram expanded upon was the First Friday event that takes place once a month throughout Peoria. First Friday is an event in which a variety of artists can display their work for the public. Peoria is very fortunate to have unique talents such as Hiram who truly enrich the arts scene within our community.

OLLI would like to thank Hiram for another great tour. We look forward to our next visit.