McLean County

Arts Center
Summer 2021 Event List

McLean County Arts Center Contact: Travis Ligon

Bloomington, IL Media Relations
Summer 2021 309-776-9803
Press Kit tligon@mcac.org
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Table of Contents

Pitch Letter 2
Tim Cain of The Pantagraph

News Releases 3-5

Karl Smith

Kellie Klein
Jenni Bateman

PSA’s 6
Karl Smith
Kellie Klein
Jenni Bateman

MCAC Background 7

Newsletter 8-9

McLean County Arts Center Contact: Travis Ligon

Bloomington, IL Media Relations
Summer 2021 309-776-9803
Press Kit tligon@mcac.org

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4/30/2021

The Pantagraph
Tim Cain
tcain@herald-review.com

Hello Tim,
My name is Travis Ligon and I'm the media relations manager for the McLean
County Arts Center. I’m contacting you today to inform you of the upcoming exhibits
at the MCAC. We have three exciting exhibits coming up for the summer that we feel
will be very exciting for the public to be a part of.
Three of our exhibits this year are works by Kellie Klein, Jenni Bateman, and
Karl Smith. Each artist brings their own unique perspectives to their exhibits and we
feel this is a very exciting time to get involved with the MCAC.
Karl Smith brings his life story to the forefront with an exhibit showcasing a life
of having to contend with diabetes. Having diabetes since he was a teen, Karl shows
in photos the amounts of insulin bottles and syringes he has gone through. This
shows a unique look into something many Americans have to deal with on a daily
basis.
Kellie Klien shows us the way nature can blur the lines between reality and
fantasy. Simple imaging tricks can make typical views of nature turn into an
unknown wonderland. This image of Lake Michigan shows the way water can be a
force in nature.
Jenni Bateman brings to light the pollution and lack of conservation of the
Illinois River. Showing the way the industrial revolution has changed the horizon and
banks of the river. Views of smokestacks and dark splotches show the changes over
time.
As the Bloomington-Normal entertainment reporter, we feel you can bring a
unique perspective to these upcoming events and get people intrigued and involved
to come to see the talent we have at the arts center. With the steady reopening from
COVID restrictions, we look forward to finally being able to invite the public to see
what we have on display, and were looking for your help in getting them here!

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NEWS RELEASE
Travis Ligon
McLean County Arts Center - Media Relations
309-776-9803
tligon@mcac.org

For Immediate Release

April 30, 2021

Karl Smith Shows Shots of Diabetes Shots

BLOOMINGTON, IL - The McLean County Arts Center would like to welcome
Karl Smith to our exhibit list for summer 2021. Karl was diagnosed with
diabetes when he was a teen but hasn't let that hold him back from his
artistic endeavors. Throughout his life, Karl has used thousands of syringes
and bottles of insulin, and he wants to put into perspective just how much
that is one photo at a time.
Karls photos for his exhibit capture the large amounts of medical
supplies he has used over his lifetime. This unique perspective on a common
disease brings to light some of the struggles and the amount of dedication
having something like diabetes will bring.
The exhibit reception will be Friday, April 30th, from 5-7 PM at the
McLean County Arts Center. The photos will be on display from April 23 - June
4th, 2021, and the general public is invited to attend.
The McLean County Arts Center works to promote the appreciation,
study, cultivation, and practice of the arts in and around McLean County.
MCAC is an independent 501c3 non-profit organization and is proud to be the
arts agency for McLean County.
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NEWS RELEASE
Travis Ligon
McLean County Arts Center - Media Relations
309-776-9803
tligon@mcac.org

For Immediate Release

April 30, 2021

Kellie Klein Wants to Change The Way You See Nature

BLOOMINGTON, IL - The McLean County Arts Center would like to welcome
Kellie Klein to our exhibit list for summer 2021. Kellie is a photographer from
Chicago, Illinois who has been interested in the Earth and the power of water
in nature. She received her BA in Photography from Southern Illinois
University and received her MA in photography from Columbia College. For 30
plus years Kellie has been trying to show the way that nature can blur your
sense of reality with some of the images she captures.
The exhibit on display over the summer is one that tries to connect the
viewer to the power of water and the way it can blur the sense of reality in its
vast size. Nature is an amazing thing and Kellie wants to try to bring that
sense of awe to the masses.
The exhibit will be open from July 23, 2021 - to August 27, 2021, with the
reception being held Friday, July 23, from 5-7 pm. The photo will be on display
at the McLean County Arts Center and will be open to the public.
The McLean County Arts Center works to promote the appreciation,
study, cultivation, and practice of the arts in and around McLean County.
MCAC is an independent 501c3 non-profit organization and is proud to be the
arts agency for McLean County.
###

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NEWS RELEASE
Travis Ligon
McLean County Arts Center - Media Relations
309-776-9803
tligon@mcac.org

For Immediate Release

April 30, 2021

The Illinois River Like You’ve Never Seen It

BLOOMINGTON, IL - The McLean County Arts Center would like to welcome
Jenni Bateman to the summer 2021 exhibit lineup. Jenni is not only a painter
but a storyteller. Through her watercolor paintings, she can tell a book's worth
of a story. Providing a visual representation of things she holds close to her as
well as things she may see in her daily life that she feels are important.
Jenni’s exhibit for 2021 will feature a watercolor portrait of the Illinois
River in a way that most have never thought about it. Her painting captures
the changes that the industrial revolution brought to the river and its shores.
She captures the way in which it has gone from a beautiful host for nature to
a dark and gloomy host for the industry. She manages to tell the story of 100
years in one painting.
The exhibit will run from July 23, 2021 - August 27, 2021, with the
reception being held on Friday, July 23, 2021, from 5-7. The exhibit will be held
in the McLean County Arts Center and is open to the public.
The McLean County Arts Center works to promote the appreciation,
study, cultivation, and practice of the arts in and around McLean County.
MCAC is an independent 501c3 non-profit organization and is proud to be the
arts agency for McLean County.
###

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Public Service Announcements

Use: 4/30/2021
Time: 30 Seconds
Organization: McLean County Arts Center
Title: Karl Smith Exhibit Announcement
KARL SMITH HAS LIVED HIS LIFE SINCE A TEEN AS A DIABETIC. FEW PEOPLE KNOW
OF THE EXTENT DIABETES TRULY AFFECTS YOUR EVERYDAY LIFE. KARL WANTS TO
CHANGE THAT WITH THE NEWEST EXHIBIT AT THE MCLEAN COUNTY ARTS CENTER
WHERE HE SHOWS IMAGES OF THE USED MEDICAL EQUIPMENT HE HAS BUILT UP
OVER THE YEARS. JOIN US FOR THIS UNIQUE OPPORTUNITY TO SEE THE WAY OF
LIFE OF MILLIONS OF AMERICANS IN A WAY THAT WILL TRULY OPEN YOUR EYES.
Use: 4/30/2021 - 6/1/2021
Time: 30 Seconds
Organization: McLean County Arts Center
Title: Jenni Bateman Exhibit Announcement
THE ILLINOIS RIVER IS ONE OF THE STAPLES OF THE NATURAL BEAUTY OF
ILLINOIS. THE WAY THE LANDSCAPE AROUND IT HAS CHANGED IN THE LAST 100
YEARS CANNOT BE UNDERSTATED. THE INDUSTRIAL REVOLUTION HAS LEAD TO A
COMPLETE OVERHAUL OF THE AREA AROUND THE RIVER. JENNI BATEMAN
CAPTURES THIS CHANGE PERFECTLY IN HER NEW EXHIBIT AT THE MCLEAN
COUNTY ARTS CENTER. THE PORTRAIT OF THE RIVER BEING OVERCOME BY
INDUSTRY IS SOMETHING THAT MUST BE APPRECIATED IN PERSON, SO COME JOIN
US TODAY TO SEE THIS UNIQUE WORK!
Use: 4/30/2021 - 6/1/2021
Time: 30 Seconds
Organization: McLean County Arts Center
Title: Kellie Klein Exhibit Announcement
NATURE IS A FORCE THAT IS UNDERESTIMATED A MAJORITY OF THE TIME. THE
VASTNESS OF NATURE CAN TRULY PUT INTO PERSPECTIVE HOW MUCH BIGGER
SOME THINGS ARE THAN OURSELVES. THE SIZE OF NATURE IS A HARD THING TO
PICTURE, SO KELLIE KLEIN HAS TRIED TO SHOW US THE SCOPE OF IT THROUGH
HER WORK ON DISPLAY AT THE MCLEAN COUNTY ARTS CENTER. HER PORTRAIT
OF LAKE MICHIGAN SHOWS THE WAY NATURE CAN CHANGE HOW TO THINK
ABOUT REALITY AND THE PERCEPTIONS OF IT. COME IN TODAY TO TRULY
APPRECIATE THE NATURE ALL AROUND US!

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McLean County Arts Center

Background:

Opening in 1922 as the Bloomington Arts Association, the McLean

County Arts Center has seen wild amounts of growth and community
engagement. Starting off as a 4 member organization, we have grown to be
the largest arts center in McLean County. Originally housed in the former
Bloomington Library from 1922 to 1976, it was later moved to a temporary
building after a roof collapse and demolition of the library. A permanent
home was found in 1979 at 601 N. East St. in Bloomington, IL, where it is still
located today. The center holds around twelve exhibits a year throughout the
building, including an annual holiday exhibit and an annual Amateur
Competition that has run for the last 80 years. The MCAC holds classes for
learning artists to improve their skills and learn from some very talented
instructors. The general public can also come to purchase artworks in our
in-house art shop. Two art festivals are hosted by the MCAC yearly, including
the Spring Bloom Arts Festival at Illinois State University and the Sugar Creek
Arts Festival in Uptown Normal.

McLean County Arts Center Contact: Travis Ligon

Bloomington, IL Media Relations
Summer 2021 309-776-9803
Press Kit tligon@mcac.org