In 1897, Russian author Leo Tolstoy published a then-radical treatise titled, “What is Art?” The famous writer of novels such as “Anna Karenina” and “War and Peace” conceptualized art as anything that conveyed emotion. He rejected the aesthetic view of art as simply something beautiful and delved deep into the connections between art and audience:...

For many with an admiration for or an involvement in the arts, the COVID-19 pandemic has posed a challenging, if not heartbreaking, time. Gathering restrictions and health precautions have caused some organizations to remain temporarily shuttered, while others have limited reopenings or pivoted to online offerings, from gallery exhibits to play readings and “live” performances....

GALENA, Ill. — COVID-19 might have put the kibosh on many artistic endeavors in the tri-states, but Galena Center for the Arts isn’t letting the pandemic stop it from continuing to showcase area artists. “Trees … Branching Out,” an exhibit that originally was scheduled to open at the center this summer, has found a home...

Last spring, five local actors were just two weeks in to rehearsals for “Exit Laughing,” a comedy about a weekly bridge night interrupted by the inconvenient death of one of its players — her ashes later borrowed from the funeral home for one final card game. Then, everything came to an abrupt halt with COVID-19....