Guitarist Ben Gateno will perform a free concert at Lincoln Trail College on February 16 at 7:00 p.m.  A native of southern Minnesota, guitarist Ben Gateno earned Master’s and Doctoral degrees in performance from the Eastman School of Music in Rochester, NY. Following graduate school, Ben studied for one year with renowned teacher and performer Antigoni Goni in Brussels, Belgium. After his return to the US, Ben spent five years performing extensively as a member of the Minneapolis Guitar Quartet.

Lincoln Trail College will host its annual Trivia Night on February 1 at 6 p.m. at the Statesmen Grill. The competition will consist of ten rounds with ten questions in each round. Trivia questions will cover all areas of knowledge, including geography, entertainment, music, history, literature, sports, current events, and politics.  Teams can be made up of three to six people and the cost is $50 per team. The fee includes mulligans and snacks and drinks will be provided. 

Olney Central College’s Phi Theta Kappa chapter held its new member induction ceremony on December 6. Students inducted into the Alpha Theta Eta Chapter of the honor society include: Kevin Hyder of Cisne, Madison Cherry of Cowden, Sara Roark of Dundas, Maxwell Puckett of Fairfield, Jayden Weidner of Ingraham, Chantel Welker of Mt. Carmel, Casey Stallard of Noble, Maggie Payne of Sumner, Stephanie Brinson of Willow Hill, and Tyrus Johnson of Denton, Texas.

The Olney Central College Community Band will begin its 18th season this spring. “This is a great opportunity for people who enjoy playing music to get together and support each other while having fun at the same time,” said OCC Director of Bands Wade Baker. “I definitely want anyone high school age and up that is interested to come and be a part of the OCC music family.” The OCC Community Band will meet from 6 to 7:30 p.m. on Tuesdays in Room 216 of Wattleworth Hall, beginning Jan. 10. The group will present its annual concert in May.

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.