New art exhibit focused on Lincoln in Springfield

SPRINGFIELD, Ill. (WAND)- The new, free exhibit is located at the UIS Visual Art Gallery, the Springfield Art Association and The Abraham Lincoln Presidential Library.

The three locations share 38 works of art. Mediums include sculptures, paintings, photography, virtual reality, and more.

The work was created by 20 Illinois artists over the last year. They examined the many titles Lincoln held in his lifetime.

"I don't think any one Lincoln identity predominated among our artists," said Graham Peck, Wepner Distinguished Professor of Lincoln Studies at UIS. "I think the Lincoln that they saw reflected their own identity and their own concerns. So really, there's a great variety "

The artists worked with two UIS professors for a year-long, virtual residency project. Peck says attendees can expect to see the 16th president portrayed in some unique ways.

"There's a space Abe, there is Abraham Lincoln walking with Martin Luther King, there are all these Abes transplanted into the world of the 1960s, via digital photography and collage," said Peck. "They are fascinatingly interesting, because there's this unexpected juxtaposition.

Each artists' work is accompanied by a video that shows their creative process. The exhibit runs from August 11 to September 16.