Artist of the Month: Dijon Barrett

• Arts & Culture
• Chicago

Dijon Barrett is a Chicago artist born and raised in the city that inspires much of his work. Barrett wants to share his imagination with the world, creating a fictitious rock band and lots of creative artwork.  Barrett joined Project Onward in 2017, which he feels is his home.

Project Onward is a nonprofit whose mission is to provide a space for artists with disabilities to tap into their creativity without concern for cost. Founded in 2004, Project Onward seeks to promote artists with disabilities and their work to the broader art community and the general public. Project Onward provides a safe and supportive studio environment with professional guidance to many talented artists with disabilities.

Barrett’s art incorporates striking gradients and strong shapes done in colored pencil. Many of his works feature intriguing landscapes, interesting characters and beautiful coloring. His imagination and skill has produced a unique style that you can peruse and purchase on the Project Onward website. 

Information about Barrett and Project Onward can be found here.

Murphysboro: Barbecue Capital of Illinois

In a small rural community in Southern Illinois, a passion for barbecue stretches back over 100 years and houses two out of 18 total Barbecue Hall of Famers in the nation. In 2015, the Illinois House of Representatives designated this town, Murphysboro, as the “Barbecue Capital of Illinois” in recognition of their rich barbecue history and success.

Murphysboro not only hosted national competition teams and locally produces its own Cairo Bar-B-Q Sauce, but it also is home to two famous barbecue national competitors. The House resolution recognizes both hall of famers, Mike Mills and Pat Burke, as the inspiration for the 17^th Street Barbecue and Pat’s BBQ. Both gained attention for their Apple City Barbecue Team, with Burke competing in over 255 competitions and winning 185 grand championships – “more than any other living person” according to the resolution.

This fall, the town kicked off their 37^th annual Praise the Lard Murphysboro Barbecue Cook-Off, welcoming a record 119 teams from 20 states. This marked the ninth year of 17^th Street BBQ’s successful partnership with the Steak Cook Off Association and expanded the competition to include taco and appetizer cook-off ancillaries.

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Pumpkin Day-Highlighting Pumpkin Patches in Illinois

Oct. 26 celebrates National Pumpkin Day! Throughout the month of October, pumpkins are all around us on porches, at stores, and in patches. A pumpkin serves as a tribute to fall and Halloween. There are numerous ways you can celebrate National Pumpkin Day including baking, carving pumpkins and enjoying pumpkin flavored treats. One of the best ways to celebrate National Pumpkin Day and to get a taste of Illinois’ greatness is to visit an exceptional pumpkin patch.

Illinois has many fun fall pumpkin patches for the whole family. Here are a list of some of the best pumpkin patches across the state:

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Illinois Horror Films

As we get closer to Halloween, many enjoy watching horror movies to set the tone of the holiday. From ghosts, demons and goblins to evil, abandoned and haunted places, a wide range of these scary films were made right here in Illinois.

Here are just a few of the creepiest ghoulish movies filmed in the state:

• The Amityville Horror (2005) – The remake of the 1979 movie was filmed around St. Peter’s Catholic Church and the Sequoit Creek Lodge in Antioch as well as areas around Chicago, Buffalo Grove and Fox Lake.
• Poltergeist III (1988) – The popular film's third installment had filming locations including the Francis W. Parker School, the John Hancock Center and Water Tower Place in Chicago.
• Damien: The Omen II (1978) – This sequel was mostly filmed in downtown Chicago and was so popular it had an additional remake made in the 2000s.
• Child's Play 2 (1990) – The second film in the Chucky franchise was also filmed in Chicago.
• The Grudge 2 (2006) – This sequel to the remake of a Japanese film was also shot around parts of Chicago.
• A Nightmare on Elm Street (2010) – This remake of the original 1984 film was shot at several Illinois locations, including Bluff City Cemetery in Elgin and John Hersey High School in Arlington Heights.
• The Relic (1997) – Noted as one of the best science-fiction horror movies ever made, it had filming locations at Lower Wacker Drive and other downtown Chicago spots as well as in Northbrook.
• The Rite (2011) – The filming of this movie took place in Blue Island, a picturesque city south of Chicago’s Loop.
• The Unborn (2009) – It was filmed in Kankakee, Lake Forest, Chicago and Montrose with many scenes shot at Liberty High School.

Have you watched any of these horror films? It’s thanks to the rich, filming history and locations across the state that flock movie producers here every year.