The University of Illinois at Springfield will host a variety of programs in observance of the Abraham Lincoln Bicentennial, ranging from lectures to musical events to a contest for high school students across the state.
On Wednesday, October 15, UIS' annual Lincoln Legacy Lecture Series will present "Lincoln and Presidential Campaign Politics." Speakers will be Dr. Jennifer Weber from the University of Kansas, who will examine "How Lincoln Handled the Antiwar Movement," and Dr. Silvana Siddali, from St. Louis University, who will discuss "Lincoln and the Constitution in Civil War Era Presidential Campaigns." Illinois State Historian Dr. Thomas Schwartz will moderate the discussion. The program begins at 7 p.m. in Brookens Auditorium on the UIS campus. Admission is free.
Composer/folklorist duo Jay Ungar and Molly Mason will lead a musical Early Birthday Celebration for A. Lincoln at 8 p.m. on Saturday, January 31, 2009, in UIS' Sangamon Auditorium. Their performance of Ungar's composition "Ashokan Farewell," heard in Ken Burns' The Civil War, earned the couple an Emmy nomination and a Grammy award. Special guests for this program are the 10th Illinois Volunteer Cavalry Regiment Band, directed by R. Todd Cranson, assistant director of co-curricular music at UIS. Ticket information is available from the Auditorium Ticket Office at 206-6160 or 800-207-6960.
In February, public radio WUIS 91.9 will broadcast a number of special programs focusing on Lincoln. More information about "Lincoln the Poet," "Lincoln the Lawmaker," and "Lincoln and Humor," including broadcast times and dates, will be available from the WUIS website.
On Saturday, February 21, UIS faculty and students will present a readers' theater production of Ronald Gow's one-act play The Lawyer of Springfield beginning at 7 p.m. in Brookens Auditorium. A discussion session with the audience will follow the performance.
At 8 p.m. on Saturday, February 28, acclaimed performer/composer Wynton Marsalis will lead the Jazz at Lincoln Center Orchestra in a concert at Sangamon Auditorium. This "extraordinarily versatile" orchestra, which Marsalis serves as musical director, is composed of leading jazz soloists who perform an extensive repertoire that ranges from their own compositions to jazz classics. Ticket information is available from the Auditorium Ticket Office at 206-6160 or 800-207-6960.
Applications are now being accepted for the Lincoln Legacy High School Forum -- a statewide contest for high school juniors and seniors co-sponsored by UIS and the Illinois Abraham Lincoln Bicentennial Commission. The three categories of competition are: Historical Essay, Creative Expression in the Written Word, and Performance/Visual Arts. The first prize in each category is a one-year tuition scholarship to the University of Illinois at Springfield; winners will be invited to UIS to present their work to the public on Saturday, April 4. Entries must be postmarked by January 2, 2009. Get complete information.
From April 2 to 17, a juried "Lincoln Legacy" exhibit, presenting selected artwork from the High School Forum, will be on display in the Access Gallery, located in the lobby of the Visual and Performing Arts Building on the east side of the UIS campus.
For more information about any event in UIS' series of Lincoln Bicentennial events, contact the Office of the Dean, College of Liberal Arts and Sciences, at 217/206-6512.
All three campuses in the U of I system are hosting events in the University's Lincoln Bicentennial Celebration. Get more information.
See information about programs and events sponsored by the Illinois Lincoln Bicentennial Commission.
