Each September, Champaign-Urbana transforms as PYGMALION takes over local stages and venues. This year’s festival, set to run this Thursday through Saturday, brings one of the most diverse lineups yet.
Since its start in 2005, PYGMALION has built a reputation for hosting rising artists. Originally launched as the PYGMALION Music Festival, it has since expanded beyond music to include comedy, literature and DJ sets — now known as just PYGMALION.
Seth Fein, founder and creative director of PYGMALION, said the festival’s origins began modestly.
“I just put a bunch of shows together on one weekend and gave it a name,” Fein said. “The first year was successful to a degree, and I felt like I could keep doing it — and I have not stopped.”
From the beginning, PYGMALION has been designed with a younger crowd in mind.
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By booking artists on the rise, PYGMALION gives younger audiences the chance to say they saw a band or comedian before they became a household name.
Both Fein and the co-director of PYGMALION, Patrick Singer, work together with agencies to take on artists who are reaching their peak.
Singer discussed how comprehensive and intricate planning the festival can be.
“I handle things from the beginning stages of negotiating with agents, to settling the shows with paying artists and staff,” Singer said. “There are just a lot of little, tiny pieces that go into the machine that make the machine work.”
Making that happen, however, requires more than just curating a lineup — it depends on strong partnerships with sponsors and venues.
Over the years, Fein and Singer have built lasting relationships with some of C-U’s most intimate spaces, such as Krannert Center for the Performing Arts, The Canopy Club, Gallery Art Bar and Rose Bowl Tavern.
These partnerships not only provide the physical stages for PYGMALION, but also shape the experience of the festival itself.
Kati Turk, director of special events at The Canopy Club, wrote in an email interview just how collaborative her work with Fein and Singer has been.
“I love working with the PYG team,” Turk wrote. “Even though there are changes every year, it’s like getting to work on a class project with your friends once a year. They update us on what is new, some of the details, and we do our best to support the vision and produce the event they envision each year.”
For festivalgoers, that careful coordination translates into a lineup that is both diverse and engaging. This year, PYGMALION features rising comedian Josh Johnson, EDM duo Snow Strippers and even a stand-up performance from Bob The Drag Queen.
This mix of rising talent and programming reflects PYGMALION’s ongoing goal to create a festival that encourages attendees to explore new sounds, ideas and creative experiences.
Fein described the motivation behind putting PYGMALION all together.
“It is really, really inspiring for us as an organization to be able to put on these events and put people together in community and shared experiences,” Fein said. “It is our job, but it is a job worth doing because we really love the work.”
