Lincoln Bicentennial Commission Seeks Artists’ Input
40 North / 88 West to host public intake session for 2008-2009 Lincoln Bicentennial.
Champaign: 40 North | 88 West – Champaign County’s Arts, Culture and Entertainment Council – will host a special public intake session featuring representatives of the Abraham Lincoln Bicentennial Commission, to take place on Thursday, January 3, from 6:30 pm, at the Champaign County Alliance offices (1817 S. Neil Street, Suite 201, Champaign IL 61820).
Artists, arts educators, arts organizations, municipal and park district employees, librarians and members of the general public are invited to this free session to consider arts-related activities for county-wide observances of the Abraham Lincoln Bicentennial, occurring June 2008 through December 2009.
At the intake session, Lincoln Bicentennial Commission representatives Cheryl Kennedy and Barb Wysocki will discuss plans currently being considered for observances of the Lincoln Bicentennial and will solicit ideas from attendees for arts-related activities. The Commission is seeking support for Lincoln Bicentennial activities from the National Endowment for the Humanities (NEH), making the intake session a unique opportunity for local artists, presenters, educators and administrators to brainstorm ideas which might be included in a grant application being filed by the Commission.
The NEH is seeking collaborative proposals for Lincoln-related activities and projects of exceptional scope and quality, or those which hold promise as models for other programs. Activities and programs which take place at schools during regular school hours or as part of a school curriculum are not eligible for the NEH grant, however all suggestions for arts activities are welcome at the session.
40 North | 88 West is hosting the event as part of its effort to bring the Lincoln Bicentennial Commission and Champaign County’s arts community together. Some of the collaborations and activities being considered by the Commission for the Lincoln Bicentennial include special exhibits, educational programming, partnering with existing arts festivals, having local merchants decorate storefront windows in the style of Lincoln’s time, music events, theatrical and cultural events, poetry readings, lectures and more.
Abraham Lincoln Bicentennial Commission
The Champaign County Board and the municipalities of Urbana and Champaign have charged the Lincoln Bicentennial Commission with the responsibility of coordinating and encouraging civic organizations to develop and execute activities and celebrations that are fitting and proper to honor Abraham Lincoln during and around the year 2009. For additional information on the Lincoln Bicentennial Commission, contact Cheryl Kennedy at ckennedy@ccfpd.org.
40 North | 88 West
With a mission of cultivating creativity in Champaign County, 40 North | 88 West is dedicated to fueling the growth and well-being of our creative community by nurturing its arts, culture, and entertainment. Through information, advocacy and collaboration, 40 North empowers artists, arts organizations, businesses and the community at large. For more information on 40 North, visit www.40north.org. This program is partially supported by a grant from the Illinois Arts Council, a state agency.