Professional chorus group Conspirare, conducted by University of Illinois alum Craig Hella Johnson, won a Grammy on Sunday for Best Choral Performance during the show’s 57th annual awards.

While its origins can be traced to the Mississippi Delta in the Deep South, large cities in the North and Midwest played a huge role in the development and evolution of blues music.

Chicago, with its large number of African-American migrants, would become known for its own distinct style of blues called the electric blues.

Madison Keys, a 19 year-old tennis player native to Rock Island, Illinois, advanced to the Grand Slam semifinals at the Australian Open yesterday after beating legendary tennis player Venus Williams.

Balancing society’s need and desire for man-made products with limited natural resources is the regular theme Illinois artist Hannah K. Freeman employs in her work. Freeman, born in Jacksonville, makes time for creating oil paintings while working as an instructor in graphic design at Eastern Illinois University. She disputes any notion that opportunities for artists exist primarily in cities, finding calls for artwork for exhibitions come from Illinois towns of all sizes, statewide.

ILI: 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 and if so, tell us about it?

FREEMAN: Without a doubt, I was born an artist. While other children were into video games and television shows, I spent my childhood drawing on everything in sight – walls, Kleenex boxes, couches; nothing was sacred. I would spend hours locked in my room handcrafting cards for friends and family and posters and signs for holidays and special events. I was the kid who carefully crafted a handmade valentine for each classmate and loved every minute.