University News
"Blues for Greens" Event at Horn July 26
July 9, 2008
MACOMB, IL -- Add a little blues, a dash of a garden tour and a bit of food and you have the perfect recipe for a lovely way to spend a summer day.
Western Illinois University's Horn Field Campus, a unit of the recreation, park and tourism administration department, will hold the inaugural "Blues for Greens" event, featuring renowned blues recording artist Patrick Hazell, Saturday, July 26 at Horn Field Campus, 985 China Rd., Macomb (one mile south on Johnson Street).
The inaugural event kicks off at 10 a.m. with a tour of local, sustainable gardens and landscaping in and around Macomb at eight volunteer host sites. Participants may tour the sites in any order until 4 p.m. A reception will be held at 4 p.m. at Horn Field Campus, followed by a 5:30-7 p.m. performance by Hazell. Refreshments are included in the ticket price.
A local favorite, Hazell's wide repertoire includes rhythm and blues standards, as well as many original compositions. As one reviewer put it, "Don't call Hazell a novelty act... he's a full-blown, throttle-open blues experience." In addition to exposure from his live performances, many of his recordings -- 36 albums -- have had significant airplay, both regionally and nationally, and he has been the subject of numerous news articles and television-radio broadcasts throughout his career. His music has also taken him outside of his Midwestern area with tours in Europe, South America and Russia. He was inducted into the Iowa Blues Hall of Fame in 2000, the Iowa Music Association Rock ‘n' Roll Hall of Fame in 2007, and is listed in the Iowa Arts Council's Arts in Edcuation and the Performing Artist Touring rosters.
According to Mindy Harpman, Horn Field Campus program coordinator, all proceeds from the "Blues for Greens" event will go toward facilities development and sustainable landscaping projects at Horn.
"This event is something we've wanted to do for some time to bring people out to Horn to raise their awareness of all that we do and all that we have to offer," Harpman explained. "It's also an excellent opportunity to provide a fun, yet educational, experience which allows our friends and neighbors to enlighten us to ways they implement sustainable practices into their own backyards."
Sites open for viewing between 10 a.m.-4 p.m. in Macomb include the landscaping projects of Margaret Ovitt, Randy Powell and Jeri Scott, Gordon and Pam Rands, Skip Skripps and Bonnie Smith-Skripps, Chester and Maggie Lien and Vajo Necak and Kelley Quinn. Two sites outside of Macomb city limits include Paul and Sheila Nollen's homestead and Barefoot Gardens, a market garden owned and operated by John and Karen Mauldin-Curtis.
"The tour will showcase everything from the beginnings of a native landscaping project with the Rands property to the mature, lush native plants at the Ovitts," Harpman added. "Our garden tour hosts are excited to talk to tour participants and share information on sustainable landscaping."
Tickets, which are $20 per person (includes a map of local, sustainable gardens and landscaping projects, refreshments and entertainment), may be purchased by contacting Horn Field Campus. Donations of native grass starts or perennials are also encouraged. For more information or to volunteer, contact Horn Field Campus at 309/833-5798 or HF-Campus@wiu.edu.
Posted By: Darcie Shinberger (U-Communications@wiu.edu)
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