Joel Ryser became passionate about art at a young age and currently teaches at Moline High School. Outside of school, his latest interest is Hot Glass Inc., a non-profit organization he founded to teach art to teenagers. He has touched countless lives through his work as an educator, and you can read on to learn more about his artwork.

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.