Did you know? The first aquarium opened in Chicago in 1930.
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John G. Shedd Aquarium, currently Shedd Aquarium, is an indoor public aquarium that opened in Chicago Illinois in 1930. The aquarium has up to 1,500 different species of not only aquatic animals but other species such as birds, snakes, amphibians and insects. It had the first inland aquarium with a saltwater fish collection.
Shedd Aquarium was designed by one of Chicago’s most prestigious architectural firms, Graham Anderson, Probst & White. The firm has created buildings such as the iconic Terminal Tower in Cleveland and Federal Reserve Bank in Kansas City. The design of the aquarium was in the Beaux-Arts style, with elements of classical Greek architecture to make it a better structural match with the neighboring Field Museum.
It was the most visited aquarium in the U.S in 2005 and in 2007. It is now a National Historic Landmark because of its expansions and additions. These expansions included exhibits such as vast habitats for marine animals and large sharks and rays.
For More information on this amazing aquarium and its legacy Click Here
Artist of the Month - Kas King
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Kas King of Belleville is the July artist of the month. He’s a painter who mainly uses acrylics and spray paint.
How long have you been an artist or when did you start? Was there a single incident or moment when you realized this was your passion? If so, tell us about it.
I’ve been creating my entire life. I started painting all of three years ago! The moment I knew was when I gave up my love for sports to take on my artistry during high school.
Illinois has been factored into your work in the past. What does being able to live and work in Illinois mean to you?
Up until the age of 27, Illinois is all I’ve ever known. With Chicago and the Metro East being such a major art hubs, the arts are more vibrant than ever.
What opportunities does Illinois present for local artists?
What Illinois offers is a place where artists can find themselves eventually branching out and bringing those influences back.
What do you like about Illinois?
What I like most about Illinois is that it’s literally in the center of the country; we have the opportunity to take influence from either coast.
What is your favorite medium to work in?
My favorite medium would be acrylics and spray paint.
Where can people view and purchase your work?
With my website not being complete, I am available as Kas King on Facebook. You can like my Magnify Art Gallery page for updates with shows and events at my gallery. I am also on Instagram at BlakkBobbRoss.
What artist inspires you and why?
Bob Ross, Jean Michel Basquiat, KAWS, King Saladeen and Alec Monopoly inspire me. Each of these artists single-handedly blazed their own paths into being household names within the art world.
Southern Illinois man plays critical role in Thailand rescue mission
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With the recent rescue of the boys’ soccer team and their coach in Thailand, a new hero from Marion, Illinois emerges. Southern Illinoisan Thanet Natisri was at the center of the rescue operation.
Natisri is a groundwater expert and was called upon by the Thai government while already in the country working to bring people clean drinking water. His part in the operation included maintaining and lowering the water levels inside of the cave the soccer team was trapped in.
With a big storm expected to come in on Wednesday and possibly flood the cave more than it already was, his task was critically important. Natisri had to first search miles through mountains to find and stop the sources of water from getting into the cave, pump water out of the cave and also stop water from getting in.
The boys’ soccer team, the Wild Boars, was trapped in the cave with their soccer coach for 18 days. Although the team and coach were all accounted for and safe on Tuesday, there was one casualty. A former Thai Navy SEAL who volunteered to deliver supplies to the group passed away due to lack of oxygen.
Now that the rescue mission is over, Natisri’s wife, Yaha, is excited for her husband to return next Wednesday. The couple owns and runs a Thai restaurant in Marion together.
Did You Know? Chicago native Lorraine Hansberry won the New York Drama Critics Circle Award
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Did You Know? Chicago native Lorraine Hansberry won the New York Drama Critics Circle Award for “A Raisin in the Sun,” the first play by an African-American woman to be presented on Broadway.
“A Raisin in the Sun” was originally a book that highlights the life of black Americans living through the years of racial segregation in Chicago. Hansberry won the coveted New York Drama Critic's Circle Award for the novel at only 29 years old. The play opened March 11, 1959 at the Ethel Barrymore Theatre, running 530 performances.
In 1961, “A Raisin in the Sun” debuted as a dramatic film, directed by Daniel Petrie. In 2005, the film was selected for preservation in the United States of America National Film Registry by the Library of Congress as being "culturally, historically, or aesthetically significant." The film was later revived for television in 2008, directed by Kenny Leon and starring well-known actors and actresses such Sean Combs (P. Diddy), Phylicia Rashad and Sanaa Lathan.
“A Raisin in the Sun” won three Emmy nominations for its television production, while the play won Tony Awards in 2004 and 2014, including Best Revival of a Play. It is considered one of the hallmarks of American stage and remains a classic, with its themes of dreams and struggle, family and the home, still resonating today.