SPRINGFIELD – A once-in-a-lifetime exhibit on Illinois music at the Abraham Lincoln Presidential Library and Museum is nearing the end of its run. The last day to see “The State of Sound: A World of Music from Illinois” is Jan. 23.
The exhibit was created by the Abraham Lincoln Presidential Library and Museum to explore the state’s impact on music history, from gospel to rock to jazz. When the exhibit closes, the dozens of rare artifacts it features will be returned to owners across the country and never displayed together again.
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A double-necked guitar with a face goes back to Rick Nielsen of Cheap Trick. A red trumpet played by Miles Davis returns to his family. A suit worn to the Oscars by Common, a paisley jumpsuit owned by Curtis Mayfield, a Cubs jacket that belonged to Steve Goodman – all go back to their owners.
“The ALPLM was honored to be entrusted with these incredibly important and personal items from some legendary artists. Tens of thousands of people got to enjoy them and expand their appreciation of music history” said Christina Shutt, the library and museum’s executive director. “But an exhibit with this many treasures cannot go on forever.”
The next temporary exhibit at the museum will be “Stories of Survival: Object. Image. Memory.” It was created by the Illinois Holocaust Museum and Education Center and opens March 23.
In addition to rare artifacts and personal papers, “State of Sound” features 13 mini-documentaries explaining Illinois’ contributions to different music genres. There’s also a working studio where artists performed and radio stations broadcast live. The exhibit was accompanied by special musical events, a podcast and playlists of extraordinary music with Illinois roots.
The exhibit opened April 30 in the Illinois Gallery, a museum space set aside for temporary exhibits, often ones that delve into Illinois history.
More details about the exhibit are available at www.MusicFromIllinois.com. Playlists featuring artists included in the exhibit can be found at bit.ly/ALPLMsongs. The exhibit was made possible by generous support from Shure Inc., The Staley Family Foundation, Comcast-NBC/Universal and Heartland Credit Union.
The upcoming “Stories of Survival: Object. Image. Memory.” showcases more than 60 personal artifacts brought to America by survivors of the Holocaust and other genocides. The objects have traveled the world, silent witnesses to great tragedy, narrow escapes and lost homes, loves and families.
The objects featured in “Stories of Survival” are as everyday as a baby doll and a black suitcase and as symbolic as a young mother’s cookbook and a wedding announcement. They were saved by survivors of genocides around the world, including Armenia, Bosnia, Cambodia, Iraq, Rwanda, South Sudan, and Syria.
“Stories of Survival” opens March 23 and runs through Jan. 22, 2023.
The Abraham Lincoln Presidential Library and Museum uses a combination of rigorous scholarship and high-tech showmanship to immerse visitors in Lincoln’s life and times. The library holds an unparalleled collection of Lincoln books, documents, photographs, artifacts and art, as well as some 12 million items pertaining to all aspects of Illinois history.
For more information, visit www.PresidentLincoln.Illinois.gov or follow the ALPLM on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.
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