Abraham Lincoln Presidential Library and Museum News


	For Immediate Release: January 19, 2009	Contact: David Blanchette (217) 558-8970 Chris Killham (312) 259-1690
	A sticky subject Post-It Note artist to create giant portrait for Lincoln's 200^th birthday Springfield, IL — Abraham Lincoln has been immortalized in marble at the Lincoln Memorial in Washington, DC, in bronze at the Lincoln Tomb in Springfield, and in stone and precious metal in numerous other tributes around the world. In the week leading up to his 200^th birthday, you can add small sticky, colored pieces of paper to the list. Post-It Note artist Chris Killham will create giant portraits of our 16th President in the windows of the pedestrian bridge spanning Jefferson Street between the Abraham Lincoln Presidential Library and Museum in downtown Springfield. He and volunteer art students from Springfield area schools will work on the memo-paper masterpieces from 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. starting Sunday, February 8 through Wednesday, February 11. The completed portraits may be seen February 12 in the east and west windows of the bridge by motorists and pedestrians. Killham, a 2008 Illinois Wesleyan University graduate, began working in this unusual medium a year prior to receiving his degree. After being urged to work on a larger scale by his professors, Killham took it upon himself to work on a monumental project, a 14 foot tall by 33 foot wide portrait of Abraham Lincoln. "Deciding on a subject was difficult, since so many cultural figures are already recognized prominently in art. The decision to portray Lincoln had a lot to do with living in Illinois, and going to school in Bloomington. People here are Lincoln crazy especially in towns where he lived, worked, and became the man for which history recognizes him," said Killham. "The choice to work in Post-It Notes was made due to their bright color, availability, and their function. Lincoln himself was a very important marker in history and I wanted to show this, but contemporary society looks upon him with such awe that people forget that they themselves have the same capacity to inspire change and greatness." Killham earned his degree in painting and also works in other art media such as drawing, kiln fused glass, and sculpture. He was born and raised in Chicago, and currently works at the Art Institute of Chicago. The Post-It Notes portraits join a host of other activities being planned at the Abraham Lincoln Presidential Library and Museum to celebrate the Lincoln Bicentennial. For more information, visit www.presidentlincoln.org or www.lincoln200.net. ###