Bicentennial Commission Grant Updates
In a grant to Ravinia Festival, Highland Park, a nationwide search to commission chamber music compositions each embedded with or framed by words of Lincoln was launched in 2007-2008. Commissioned and other pieces have been performed by Ravinia’s Lincoln Trio at venues free of charge throughout the state of Illinois. The Trio has performed at elementary, high schools, senior centers, historic sites, churches and other venues and participated in Bicentennial birthday week events in Springfield with performances at Lincoln Home, the Abraham Lincoln Presidential Museum and the Bicentennial Birthday Banquet with guest speaker, President Obama.
The Honorable Bruce D. Stewart, Presiding Justice of the Fifth District Appellate Court in Mt. Vernon, assisted with the unveiling of a statue partially funded by the Illinois Abraham Lincoln Bicentennial Commission. The unveiling was during a ceremony on the Appellate Court lawn September 18.
This past year the Illinois Abraham Lincoln Bicentennial Commission awarded a grant to Cairo School District to assist in the development of a reading room at the Junior/Senior High School. As part of their reading room program, students became immersed in history by researching and making clothing of the 19th century. You can see for yourself the results of their efforts in the below pictures of some Cairo students participating in the Lincoln-Douglas Debate Reunion Tour in Jonesboro on September 13.
