Vol. 2 , No. 33,  September 18, 2026

Welcome back to The Green Room, friends! 

September is always a busy month for the arts. Queen City Chorale kicks off its fifth season with a concert titled “We Remember Them,” dedicated to loss and healing.

I sat down with Executive Director Kenny Kabak to talk about the program and its partnership with the GYN Cancers Alliance. Presented during Gynecological Cancer Awareness Month, the concert explores grief as a natural part of life while using music to create space for healing, remembrance, and connection. The partnership with GYNCA also gives singers a deeper understanding of the experiences and emotions behind the music. 

With major renovations ongoing at the Springfield Art Museum, the museum has continued to share its artmaking programs and outreach within the community itself. We’ll learn about some new funding to help with those efforts. 

No matter the medium, it’s all about local art here in The Green Room. 

Jimmy Rea

Host, Arts News

KSMU 91.1 FM

Ozarks Public Broadcasting

The Green Room is sponsored by Springfield Community Gardens

Queen City Chorale rehearsing. Photo Credit: Queen City Chorale

Queen City Chorale opens its fifth season September 20 with “We Remember Them,” a concert centered on love, loss and healing. Executive Director Kenny Kabak shares more about the program, featuring Eric Whitacre’s “The Sacred Veil” and Springfield composer Susan LaBarr’s “We Remember Them,” as well as the chorale’s partnership with the GYN Cancers Alliance...read more. 

Kids participate in art activities. Photo Credit: Springfield Art Museum

The new funding will help the Springfield Art Museum continue exhibitions, art activities, and community programs while its main facility is closed for renovation. We learn about contributors, and Museum Director Nick Nelson shares his sentiments on the initiative...read more. 

Arts News on KSMU is your long-standing source for what's happening in the Ozarks arts scene spotlighting local creators, performances, and cultural events every week. Tune in Fridays at 10:00 a.m. on 91.1 FM or stream at KSMU.org or subscribe to the Arts News podcast wherever you get your podcasts. New podcast episodes are released every Friday.

👉Got a story, event, or artist I should know about? Share your arts and music tips with The Green Room, and help us shine a spotlight on the creative pulse of the Ozarks! You can email them to me at jrea@missouristate.edu👈

Sponsored by Sothern Plumbing

Through September 27: Les Misérables at Springfield Little Theatre

September 18: 'Stenciled Book Edges' at Midtown Carnegie Branch Library

September 18-19: I Made U a Mixtape: A Throwback Music Festival at Tie & Timber Beer Co. 

September 18 and 20: Ozarks Lyric Opera presents: Rossini's Cinderella at the Gillioz

September 19: Miss Fancy's Second Annual House Party at Bizarre Bar

September 20: Queen City Chorale: We Remember Them at Immaculate Conception Catholic Church

September 21: Mama Said String Band plus One More Dollar at Mother's Brewing Co.

🎶Friends don't leave friends out of the music and arts scene - they share all the local arts and music happenings. Just forward this email to a friend!🎶 

Roots & Relics: What Treasure Might Be Hiding in Your Home?

What if that painting hanging in your hallway, the watch tucked away in a drawer, or the family heirloom passed down for generations is worth far more than you ever imagined?

On Saturday, October 3, Ozarks Public Television invites you to find out at Roots & Relics, a one-of-a-kind afternoon where history, mystery, and unexpected discoveries come together.

Part treasure hunt, part history lesson, and part live appraisal event, Roots & Relics offers the chance to uncover the stories behind the objects that have traveled through our lives and families. Guests can bring a treasured item for an informal appraisal by experienced specialists in antiques, collectibles, artwork, jewelry, books, memorabilia, and more.

Sometimes the biggest surprise isn't the value. It's the story.

An ordinary-looking object may reveal a fascinating connection to a bygone era. A family keepsake could turn out to be rarer than anyone realized. And yes, there may be a few of those unforgettable moments when an expert delivers the kind of news that leaves everyone asking, "Wait...that's worth how much?"

Even if you don't have an item to bring, Roots & Relics is an event worth experiencing. Watch the discoveries unfold, hear the histories behind unusual artifacts, and enjoy the excitement as experts examine objects whose true significance has been hidden for years.

Whether you're a collector, history enthusiast, PBS fan, or simply curious about what's been sitting in your attic, garage, or family collection, Roots & Relics promises an afternoon filled with surprises.

Every object has a story. Every appraisal has the potential for a revelation.

The only question is: What might you discover?

Roots & Relics Saturday, October 3
Noon to 5:00 p.m.
DoubleTree Hotel Convention Center, Springfield

Bring your curiosity. Bring your treasures. You never know what hidden gem might be waiting to be uncovered.

Missed an episode of Studio Live or Arts News? Can't listen live? Find them both as a podcast on KSMU or listen wherever you get your podcasts.

Studio Live with Jess Balisle and Melissa Rea airs on the 2nd Friday of every month at noon. Tune in at 91.1 FM or stream at KSMU.org for an hour of live music and conversation with talented local artists. 

October 9: Drifters Mile

November 13: Pomfret

December 11: Devlin Pierce

In the mood to stay in? Queue up one of these videos handpicked by our staff at Ozarks Public Broadcasting, perfect for a night in when you're skipping the scene but still craving culture. 

American Masters: Alejandro Jimenez: The Ground I Stand On. See how Jimenez's life experience as a U.S. immigrant farm worker shapes his unique vision of the power of poetry and its connection to a collective past.

Rick Steves Art of Europe: Stone Age to Ancient Greece. As the Ice Age glaciers melted, European civilization was born—and with it, so was art. From the Stone Age came prehistoric art: mysterious tombs, mighty megaliths, and vivid cave paintings.

Be Smart: What Makes Birds, Beetles, and Bubbles Shine So Beautifully? Why is a soap bubble the colors of the rainbow? What makes an oil slick beautiful? Iridescent colors, which transform depending on the angle you look at them, are all over nature. How does physics make these shifting rainbows?

Austin City Limits: ACL Hall of Fame Honors Brandi Carlile.  Eleven-time Grammy winner Brandi Carlile is inducted into the 12th annual ACL Hall of Fame. Bonnie Raitt honors Carlile with a tribute performance before inducting her, and Carlile takes the stage to perform fan favorites and songs from Returning to Myself.

These favorites from KSMU and OPT staff are just the beginning. There's a whole world of storytelling, music, documentaries, and local gems waiting on you to dive in and discover at your local public broadcasting station. 

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The Green Room is a production of Ozarks Public Broadcasting. For more information about our programs and services please visit our website.

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