Local artist Mari Yamato will be teaching spring semester introductory painting and ceramics courses at Olney Central College. Students in the painting class will explore and work in several mediums including acrylic, oil, watercolor, and gouache — an opaque version of watercolor. They also will study art styles such as abstract, realism, and impressionism.

The Olney Central College Concert Band has been invited to audition for the Percy Grainger Wind Band Festival in Orchestra Hall at Symphony Center in Chicago. OCC Director of Bands Wade Baker is compiling submission materials which include video from last month’s Fall Concert and audio from the concert and community bands’ combined performance at New York’s Carnegie Hall in 2019. He expects to learn next month if OCC will be among the four bands selected to participate in the March 24-25 event.

Want to personalize your favorite OCC T-shirt or even design your own OCC gear? You can with the Olney Central College Bookstore’s new customization service. Pricing starts as low as $4 and is available for items purchased in the Bookstore or acquired from outside retailers. These can include cotton clothing, cups, mugs and blankets. Examples are currently on display in the Bookstore.

The Arts at Lincoln Trail College announced the plays for the 2023 Children’s Summer Theater program. Once again, there will be two productions: Willy Wonka Kids and Newsies, Jr.   Kids entering 1st-4th grades in the fall of 2023 will perform Willy Wonka Kids on June 22 and 23 at 7 p.m. at the Zwermann Arts Center Theater. They will rehearse Monday through Friday from 9-11 a.m. May 29 through June 23.  

The Olney Central College Music Department will present its Christmas Concert at 7 p.m. on Friday, Dec. 9 at the Dr. John D. Stull Performing Arts Center. This special evening of holiday music will feature Vivaldi’s Gloria performed by the OCC Community Choir under the direction of Dr. Andrew Pittman, OCC Director of Choral Activities. Soloists are Lori Weitkamp, Leia Meredith and Jessica McDonald.

Olney Central College Theater will present three performances of It’s a Wonderful Life: A Live Radio Play December 16-18 at the Dr. John D. Stull Performing Arts Center. This beloved American holiday classic comes to captivating life as a live 1940s radio broadcast. With the help of an ensemble that brings a few dozen characters to the stage, the story of idealistic George Bailey unfolds as he considers ending his life one fateful Christmas Eve.

The Arts at Lincoln Trail College is proud to announce auditions for the 2023 LTC Theater production of Rodgers and Hammerstein’s “South Pacific,” under the direction of Barbara Shimer and Cary Schiller and the musical direction of Yvonne Newlin.  Open auditions will take place Wednesday and Thursday, January 18 & 19 in the LTC Theater beginning at 6 p.m. Central Time.  The performances will be on March 24, 25, 26, 31, and April 1.  

Saving money, gardening, crocheting, and serial killers are among the topics of programs available in early 2023 as a part of Lincoln Trail College’s Community Education series.   

The Arts at Lincoln Trail College will present its Winter Vocal Concert on December 2 at 7:00 in the Zwermann Arts Center Theater. The concert will feature the Statesmen Singers, the Concert Choir, and the Singing Seniors. Tickets for the Winter Vocal Concert at $5 and will be available at the door.   

Lincoln Trail College Associate Professor of Business Administration Amie Mayhall’s latest books about Microsoft Office 365, Microsoft Office 365 in Practice and Microsoft PowerPoint 365 in Practice, were published this fall.    She says it was breathtaking to see the final version. “To open the package with the final version, take it out and hold it in my hands was absolutely breathtaking. There is so much work that goes into the text that many do not understand. To most, it is a resources, to me it is an accomplishment.”