The Abraham Lincoln Presidential Library and Museum unveiled its newest addition Wednesday afternoon in Springfield.
The “Beacon of Endurance” celebrates many of the timeless words and phrases uttered by the former president; it was designed by BJ Krivanek and Joel Breaux of the Chicago firm Krivanek+Breaux/Art+Design, and is 24 feet, 10 inches tall.
The Beacon is an obelisk almost 25 feet tall. The bottom section features some of Lincoln’s most powerful quotations. The top two-thirds are emblazoned with words describing Lincoln and his legacy, such as “unity,” “honor” and “hope.” These words will be lit up at night, and some will be projected onto the museum’s east wall.
The $223,000 project is made possible by the Illinois Capital Development Board’s Art-in-Architecture program. The board reserves one-half of one percent of the cost of state-building and renovation projects to purchase public art. Since its inception in 1977, it has purchased or commissioned nearly 1,000 works by Illinois artists.
ALPLM Executive Director Christina Shutt noted that, “We hope this sculpture will serve as a literal beacon, guiding people to Abraham Lincoln and his vision of a better America.”
Meanwhile, Gary Johnson, chairman of the ALPLM Board of Trustees, said: “This sculpture should inspire reflection and discussion about President Lincoln for many years to come. Public art can be a powerful tool for encouraging people to think about shared values and where the nation is headed.
