Heart of Lincoln Land

Lincoln Apparel’s display at the 3rd Thursday Art Show in the library of the Hickox Building, a Lincoln-era building at 518 E. Capitol on September 15, 2011.

This past June, I stopped in Andiamo! on 6th Street once while wearing my shiny new "Hair Metal Lincoln" T-shirt. The people working there that day complimented me on my shirt, and I told them that I designed it (and other Lincoln shirts) like I often do when someone says they like my shirt (I make it a point to always wear one of my shirts). They told me that on third Thursdays, there’s an art show at Andiamo! where I might be able to sell them. I handed them my card, had a nice discussion about art, and then left to go find out more about the show (the person in charge of it was not working at that time).

I later went back and Mandy (one of the people that helps run it) told me about the show and about the website, which is at www.thirdthursdayartshow.com. (They also have a Facebook page.) I looked over the website to find out how to get in, what it cost, etc. It turns out that it’s free and anyone of any talent level can bring in their work (not to mention – there’s great live music), so I figured I didn’t have anything to lose by trying it. Since it was past the third Thursday in June, I decided to try going there on the third Thursday in July.

I brought the 4 designs I feel are my best – "Hair Metal Lincoln", "80s Abe", "Young Mr. Lincoln", and "Back to Springfield" (those are my 4 favorites in no particular order). The nice people there helped set me up with a table in the back. I wasn’t getting a whole lot of traffic back there, so about halfway through the show a couple people helped me move the table with my shirts to a more visible spot behind the band. I sold 3 shirts after that. A woman by the name of Mandy (a different Mandy than the one who helps with the show) even put on the "Hair Metal Lincoln" shirt she bought right after she bought it. I asked her if it was OK for me to take a picture for my "Wearing Lincoln Apparel" section on my site and I did.

Mandy wearing Lincoln Apparel’s "Hair Metal Lincoln" shirt at the 3rd Thursday Art Show at Andiamo! on July 21, 2011. She looks great in that shirt, doesn’t she?

Even though it was slow at times (not many people know about this show) I enjoyed the experience. The people there were friendly, the music was great and it was fun talking to the other artists who were there and looking at the other art that was there. It was a much different atmosphere than the Old Capitol Farmer’s Market artisan area, where you more or less just sit in your booth and people come and look and if they want something, they’ll buy it. (Not saying I don’t enjoy being there either, I’ve met some great people at the market, just that Third Thursday is a different experience).

I was happy with the show, so I decided that I’d keep coming back and see how things unfold. Yesterday was my 3rd 3rd Thursday show, this time I was in the Hickox Building (a Lincoln-era home at 518 E. Capitol Avenue in downtown Springfield that contains Norb Andy’s in the basement). They added this location (in addition to Andiamo!) due to the number of artists. There is live music present at both locations.

Even though I only sold 2 shirts this past Thursday, I enjoyed being there. My shirts were in the library – it seemed like the perfect place for them. I got a lot of great comments on the shirts, and it seemed like a lot of people looked at them. It was fun to be in a Lincoln-era building I’ve never been in before. I explored the building and looked at the other art (I also went over to Andiamo! for a bit just to see what was there).

Kenzie looking awesome in her new black "80s Abe" shirt at the 3rd Thursday Art Show in the Hickox Building on September 15, 2011.

One of the highlights of the evening for me was when a girl named Kenzie got one of my "80s Abe" shirts (her mother bought it for her, allowing her to pick which one she liked the best). I asked her if she’d be willing to pose in it for me and she did, and wore it around the rest of the show. She really seemed to love the shirt! I think it looks awesome on her, don’t you? (This picture is also in my "Wearing Lincoln Apparel" section now).

I also had a lot of fun talking to the other artists and people who were there again. I’m slowly getting to know them and maybe I’ll make some new friends there!

In any case, I’ll also likely be at the next Third Thursday on October 20th. I’ll probably be in the Hickox Building again. I’m glad I know about this now, I think it’s a great thing for artists in Springfield.

I’ve added the show to my Lincoln Apparel Local page now. Hope to see you there!

I will also be coming out with another new design – "Awesome Abraham Lincoln" – soon!

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Me, last year at the artisan area at the Old Capitol Farmer’s Market, showing my Lincoln T-shirts. That’s me wearing the blue "Back to Springfield" T-shirt – there’s still a few of those shirts left if you like them!

Last year, I was at the artisan area at the Old Capitol Farmer’s Market and, despite some incredibly hot days, it was a lot of fun, so I’ll be doing it again this year!

This year, I plan to be at the artisan area at the market (which is located at the southeast corner of 4th and Adams Streets in historic downtown Springfield) every Saturday in June, the first, third, and last Saturday of every month from July to September, and the first and third Saturdays in October. Here’s the full schedule (you can find it on the Local page on the Lincoln Apparel website too):

• Saturday, June 4, 2011, from 8 a.m. to 12:30 p.m.
• Saturday, June 11, 2011, from 8 a.m. to 12:30 p.m.
• Saturday, June 18, 2011, from 8 a.m. to 12:30 p.m.
• Saturday, June 25, 2011, from 8 a.m. to 12:30 p.m.
• Saturday, July 2, 2011, from 8 a.m. to 12:30 p.m.
• Saturday, July 16, 2011, from 8 a.m. to 12:30 p.m.
• Saturday, July 30, 2011, from 8 a.m. to 12:30 p.m.
• Saturday, August 6, 2011, from 8 a.m. to 12:30 p.m.
• Saturday, August 20, 2011, from 8 a.m. to 12:30 p.m.
• Saturday, August 27, 2011, from 8 a.m. to 12:30 p.m.
• Saturday, September 3, 2011, from 8 a.m. to 12:30 p.m.
• Saturday, September 17, 2011, from 8 a.m. to 12:30 p.m.
• Saturday, September 24, 2011, from 8 a.m. to 12:30 p.m.
• Saturday, October 1, 2011, from 8 a.m. to 12:30 p.m.
• Saturday, October 15, 2011, from 8 a.m. to 12:30 p.m.

This year, I hope to have a tent so that I’m not sitting out in the sun all the time like last year, and so that I can make a better display with my T-shirts. I’d love to hang some from the sides and/or the roof so that people can truly get a feel for my awesomely huge, colorful, and artistic designs. I plan to make up some neat signs, too, that detail how my shirts are designed locally and are American made, a blog review or two of my shirts, and that have Lincoln Apparel’s new slogan, “T-shirts Lincoln would believe in” (I thought of it myself).

Of course, I plan to have my little CD player and portable speakers set up so I can play some cool 80s tunes again – I love it, it’s lots of fun and goes along well with my shirts – and speaking of shirts, I’ll have some new designs this year, in addition to old favorites like "80s Abe" and "Purpose". I’m working on getting my next design, “Hair Metal Lincoln”, printed as I write this, and hopefully it’ll be done by the end of May. It’s going to be the first Lincoln Apparel shirt to have shiny metallic ink – and it will look awesome! I’ll make a post about them when they’re done.

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Lincoln Apparel’s latest T-shirt, "Young Mr. Lincoln", features bright colors and lines and a vibrant portrait of Abraham Lincoln – perfect for celebrating Lincoln’s Birthday. Copyright © 2010 Lincoln Apparel.

Saturday is Lincoln’s Birthday, so be sure to celebrate it! Here is a list of all of the events I can find in Springfield for Lincoln’s 202nd Birthday. Note that all of these are free, unless otherwise noted. Be sure to check out my Lincoln T-shirts at Springfield Novelties and Gifts, 229 S. 6th St. (near Monroe Street) in historic downtown Springfield while you’re attending, they’d be perfect for this (or any) occasion!

Thursday, February 10th, 2011:

• 7 pm – "Tad Lincoln’s Father", a one-woman performance, will be showing at the Vachel Lindsay Home at 5th and Edwards. A light dessert will precede it at 6:30.

Friday, February 11th, 2011:

• 9 am – "Lincoln’s Emotional Life" discussion with Lincoln author Michael Burlingame at Lincoln Land Community College Trutter Center.
• 9 am – The kickoff to the 150th anniversary of Lincoln’s inaugural trip in 1861 begins at Grace Lutheran Church at 7th and Capitol (near the Lincoln Home Visitor Center); Springfield Lincoln re-enactor Fritz Klein will be portraying Abraham Lincoln.
• 10:30 am – Lincoln (portrayed by Fritz Klein) will depart from his home at 8th and Jackson to head for the Great Western Railroad depot at 10th and Monroe, where he will leave his hometown of Springfield for his inaugural journey to Washington, DC.

• 11 am – A simultaneous reading of Lincoln’s Farewell Address (one of his most beautiful speeches, in my opinion) will occur at the Great Western Depot (now known as the Lincoln Depot). There will be an attempt to break the world record for the most people reading the same document aloud simultaneously, so people across the country are being asked to recite it, too. (The world record is 223,363 participants reading aloud from "Charlotte’s Web" in 2006.) You can participate here: http://www.state.il.us/streaming/hpa/hpa-live.asx or on the Springfield State Journal-Register’s website here: http://extras.sj-r.com/r/depot

  A similar attempt was made in 2009 with the Gettysburg Address, but it fell short. Note that since the Farewell Address is even shorter than the Gettysburg Address, the document will be read multiple times, because the Guinness Book of World Records requires the reading to be at least 5 minutes long.

• 12:00 noon – "Jameson Jenkins: The Man Lincoln Knew", a presentation at the Lincoln Land Community College East Campus near 15th and Cook, will show Abraham Lincoln and Jameson Jenkins, a conductor on the Underground Railroad who lived in Lincoln’s neighborhood, helped slaves escape to freedom. Jason Boyd will be portraying Jameson Jenkins.
• 1 pm – "Women’s 1860s Clothing", a presentation on the clothing styles and fashion of the 1860s, will occur at the Lincoln Home Visitor’s Center at 7th and Jackson.
• 1 pm – "Children’s Toys of the 1860s" – also at the Lincoln Home Visitor’s Center, a presentation and demonstration of toys kids played with in Lincoln’s time (including toys the Lincolns played with).
• 2 pm – Mary Lincoln re-enactor Pam Brown will reminisce about her life in Springfield at the Lincoln Home Visitor’s Center in a program entitled "Mary Lincoln’s Memories".
• 3 pm – "Never Lose Sight of Freedom", a short film about the Civil Rights movement, will be shown at the Lincoln Home Visitor’s Center.
• 6:30 pm – The Abraham Lincoln Association’s keynote speaker, Michael Holt, will discuss "Lincoln’s Mistakes as President Elect" at Brookens Auditorium at UIS.

A few of my colorful "Back to Springfield" Lincoln T-shirts, originally done for the Lincoln Bicentennial, are still left – and they’re perfect for Lincoln’s Birthday. Copyright © 2008 Lincoln Apparel.

Saturday, February 12th, 2011 – Lincoln’s 202nd Birthday:

• 8:30 am – the annual Painter Lectures at the Lincoln Home. This year, Lincoln’s relationship with three central Illinois communities – Bloomington, Pittsfield, and Charleston – will be discussed by Guy Fraker, Wayne Temple, and the staff of the Lincoln Log Cabin State Historic Site, respectively. The Springfield African American History Foundation will be discussed by Douglas King.
• 8:30 to 11:30 – Robert Bray will sign copies of his book "Reading with Lincoln" at the Lincoln Home Visitor’s Center
• 10 am to 3 pm – Abraham Lincoln Birthday Party at the National Museum of Surveying, which opened late last year on the north side of the Old State Capitol square on the 500 block of East Washington Street.
• 11 am – Annual American Legion pilgrimage to the Lincoln Tomb
• 11 am – Annual Abraham Lincoln Association Symposium at the Old State Capitol. This year, "Lincoln and the Election of 1860" will be discussed by Jonathan Earle, and "Lincoln, Civil Liberties and Dissent" will be discussed by Jonathan White.
• 1 pm – Abraham Lincoln Association luncheon. Russell McClintock will discuss "Lincoln and the Coming of the War". This is sold out.
• 2 pm – Valentine Open House at the Vachel Lindsay Home hosted by Mary Lincoln’s sister, Ann (portrayed by Kathy Reed); period refreshments will be served. At 2:45, Ann will reminisce about her relationship with Mary and her family.
• 2:30 pm – Abraham Lincoln Symposium Roundtable at the Abraham Lincoln Presidential Library featuring speakers Jonathan Earle, Michael Holt, Russell McClintock, and Jonathan White (with Brooks Simpson as moderator).
• 2:30 pm – Annual VFW pilgrimage to the Lincoln Tomb
• 5 pm – Reception to benefit the endowment for the Abraham Lincoln Association at the Crowne Plaza Hotel ($75)
• 6:30 pm – The annual Abraham Lincoln Association Banquet at the Crowne Plaza Hotel featuring Allen Guelzo, author of "Lincoln’s Emancipation Proclamation" (a book I have – I believe it won the Lincoln Prize) and "Abraham Lincoln: Redeemer President". The State Journal Register says this costs $85, a few tickets are still available, and I’m not sure if the $85 includes the $75 for the reception or not. The ALA website (via the above link) makes it look as if the $75 is for the whole thing. I’m also not sure why they don’t hold it at the President Abraham Lincoln Hotel downtown like they used to.

Sunday, February 13th, 2011:

• 8:30 am – Lincoln’s Birthday Worship Service at the First Presbyterian Church (the church the Lincolns attended, at 7th and Capitol)

That’s all the events that I know of. I’ll likely be at many of them, including the Painter Lectures, the Symposium and the simultaneous reading of the Farewell Address. In fact, I would’ve come out with a Farewell Address Lincoln T-shirt design but over the holidays I forgot about it and now it’s a little late. I’ll probably still do one anyway because I like that speech. Right now I’m working on getting the "Purpose" design reprinted – there will be new colors added to the design this time – I’ll let you know about that and other plans for Lincoln Apparel this year after the holiday weekend. Have fun on Lincoln’s Birthday this year and be sure to check out – and wear – my Lincoln Apparel T-shirts!

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The new "Wearing Lincoln Apparel" page on lincolnapparel.com allows you to submit a photo of you or your friends wearing a Lincoln Apparel T-shirt!

The past month I’ve been busy selling my Lincoln Apparel T-shirts at the Old Capitol Farmer’s Market, at Springfield Novelties and Gifts, and dealing with website orders (I had an order of 8 T-shirts just a few days ago!). The response to Lincoln Apparel has been overwhelmingly positive, and even though it can be a lot of work at times, it’s a lot of fun and I enjoy doing it – I finally feel like Lincoln Apparel and the message of Lincoln and his legacy is getting out there through my artistic Lincoln T-shirts. And that of course, is what I want to happen – for people to see my colorful Lincoln art on somebody’s T-shirt and get reminded of Lincoln and his legacy.

One of the things I’ve done in the past month is add, and code in, some new features on the Lincoln Apparel website. Much of this was done around late June/early July. I’ve added:

• a newsletter where you can sign up to receive updates on new Lincoln Apparel designs, find shows and retail venues Lincoln Apparel will be at, and more;
• a Wearing Lincoln Apparel page where you can show off your cool new Lincoln Apparel T-shirt, or Lincoln Apparel T-shirts your friends/family/other people you know may be wearing – I’ve got a couple photos on that page already that Lincoln Apparel fans have sent me;
• a Lincoln Apparel Local page, where you can find information on physical retail stores our T-shirts are available in, as well as shows we’re going to be at;
• a Lincoln Apparel product RSS feed, that will get updated whenever I post new shirts.

"80s Abe" has been the most popular Lincoln Apparel T-shirt so far this year.

Be sure to check out the new features on my website! I’ll be at the artisan area in the Old Capitol Farmer’s Market again this Saturday, July 24th, from 8 to 12:30, so be sure to stop by. The artisan area is located at the southeast corner of 4th and Adams, in historic downtown Springfield. I’ll be in the shadow by the building on the east side of the artisan area, where it’s cool in the morning, with some cool 80s music playing on some little portable speakers I got a couple weeks ago, that I can hook up to my portable CD/MP3 player (I’m still working on the tent).

I’ll also be coming out with my new “Wide Awake Club” Campaign 1860 Lincoln T-shirt soon. All I have to do is take pictures of it and put it up on my website. I’ll make another post about about the T-shirt and the story behind it (it involves a lot of Lincoln history) when it’s up!

I’m also going to get "80s Abe" reprinted, since it’s been a very popular design and I’m sold out of a lot of them. In addition, my Lincoln Bicentennial shirts – the poignant, serious "Equality" and the fun, colorful "Back to Springfield" – are beginning to sell out. No more of these designs will be printed – so if you love them, be sure to pick them up soon, as eventually they will be replaced by new designs!

"Equality" (left) and "Back to Springfield" (right) are both starting to sell out. These Lincoln Apparel designs will not be reprinted, so if you like them, be sure to pick them up soon!

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Buck’s Building

Every year since 2000, in early May, Downtown Springfield, Inc. hosts a tour of beautiful downtown spaces you can’t normally see. I feel it is a wonderful way to showcase downtown living and the interiors and exteriors of the many beautiful buildings we have in our downtown. As you may know, I live near downtown, and I believe there is no better place in Springfield to be.

I’ve been on each Upper Story since 2004. Featured buildings and spaces in the past have included the dome of the Old State Capitol, apartments above Augie’s on 5th Street, Lincoln Place Condominiums on 4th Street, and the Shutt and DuBois houses in the Lincoln Home neighborhood. The featured buildings are different each year, and buildings are usually not repeated in subsequent years. Sometimes, featured spaces are “raw” spaces under renovation, and in other cases they are finished spaces. Residential, commercial, and even normally inaccessible areas of public buildings have been featured. Both historic Lincoln-era and modern (and everything in between) spaces have been featured. In most of the years I’ve done the tour, I’ve made it to all of the buildings on the tour. Each year, I’ve thoroughly enjoyed the tour and the views of (and from) the downtown spaces showcased.

St. Nicholas Hotel

This year included two spaces that have been shown before – one of the Lincoln Square Apartments (facing 6th Street), and Buck’s Building on the north side of the square. It also included an 11th floor apartment – and the penthouse – in the St. Nicholas Hotel, an apartment on the 21st floor of the Hilton (I actually didn’t even know there were apartments in the Hilton until this tour), the bishop’s residence at the Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception at 6th and Lawrence, and the Bunn-Sankey House on the 1000 block of South 6th Street (near Clay Street). The tour of Buck’s Building, a Lincoln-era building on the north side of the square, offered a good before-and-after perspective of the building on this tour, since the last time it was featured – in 2004 – it was a raw space under renovation. It’s neat to see it finished.

While I was on the tour, I brought my camera since I know there would be good views. I took 96 pictures, about 40 of which can be seen here in the tour on my blog (the others didn’t turn out well enough). The pictures are of 4 of the 6 buildings on the tour, since you (sadly) couldn’t take pictures inside the Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception, and I ran out of pictures on my memory card before I got to Lincoln Square (the last space I toured). I will tell you that both spaces were very beautiful, though – from the gorgeous 1928 interior of the bishop’s residence, to the more modern, but still fancy, interior of Lincoln Square, which is inside a section of the apartments facing 6th Street that was built in 1868 (the main section of the apartments visible at 5th and Monroe was built in 1984). All in all, it was a great tour, and a great day to walk around and explore downtown.

You can explore four of the buildings, too, via the photographs I took of them. Simply click a link below to take a virtual tour of that specific building. These tours are separate pages on my blog, and you will always be able to access it from the Downtown Springfield Upper Story Tour 2010 link under “Pages” in the sidebar. Have fun!

Tour Buck’s Building on the North Side of the Square>>	Tour the Bunn-Sankey House, 6th Street and Clay Street>>
Tour the Hilton Hotel, 7th Street and Adams Street>>	Tour the St. Nicholas Hotel, 4th Street and Jefferson Street>>

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Abraham Lincoln Presidential Museum (Photo Copyright © 2009 Chris Umhoefer)

Today, the Abraham Lincoln Presidential Museum, my favorite museum in the country, is officially 5 years old. (What other museum would a Lincoln fan have as a favorite?) It opened on April 19, 2005, at the end of a 4-day log celebration, and I was there for much of it. I still remember the light show a couple nights before it opened (it was one of the most awesome things I’ve seen), and the crowd of 25,000 or more people (much of it standing room-only) watching the dedication, where then-President George W. Bush and future president Barack Obama both spoke. I was actually one of the lucky people who got a seat, though I had to sit pretty far back (about in the middle of what is now Union Square Park).

After the dedication, I took my first tour of the museum. It took me over 6 hours to go through it all. (I still find it hard to believe that the Springfield Convention and Visitors Bureau recommends 2 hours – it takes at least 3-4 hours for the average person to go through the museum, based on my observation). I read everything in the Museum that I could, and looked at all of the lifelike exhibits, staring and wondering with awe in many cases. Of course, I visited both of the Museum’s theaters that day (both of which feature incredible special effects), saw the temporary exhibit “Blood on the Moon” (about Lincoln’s assassination), and looked with awe (again) at the actual Lincoln artifacts scattered throughout the Museum and in the Treasures Gallery. (Man, these were the actual things Lincoln wrote and touched, I told myself as I could feel Lincoln’s spirit coming over me.)

Lincoln would be proud!

That day, the museum had its first 3,500 visitors, and today the museum remains by far the most visited Presidential museum in the country – with over 2.2 million visitors thus far, and about 400,000 to 500,000 visitors each year. The visitors come from places far and wide – all 50 states, and every continent – and as a volunteer there for 5 years so far, I’ve met people from England, France, Japan, China, and Brazil.

I feel lucky to live in Mr. Lincoln’s Hometown, within walking distance of his wonderful museum (and many of the other Lincoln sites). It has helped bring additional tourists to Springfield, brought greater vibrancy to our downtown, and most importantly, has introduced additional people to the Lincoln story. I highly recommend visiting it, whether you’re from Springfield and haven’t visited it yet (come on, you know you have to), or you’re from another state or country and you’re looking for something fun and interesting to see. Of course, make sure you see the other Lincoln sites too – like his Home and Tomb, and the Old State Capitol and the Lincoln-Herndon Law Offices – all iconic places that contribute greatly to the Lincoln legacy.

Today, beginning at 10:30, there will be a ceremony at the Museum celebrating its 5th anniversary, and cake will be served. It looks like it will be a wonderful day in Springfield, like the day the museum was dedicated. I hope you come see it soon!

(By the way, if you follow the Abraham Lincoln Presidential Museum on Twitter or fan the ALPLM on Facebook you can win a neat prize! I’m already a fan and a follower, of course.)

Some pictures from the dedication in 2005:

President George W. Bush speaks to a crowd of over 25,000 people during the dedication ceremony for the Abraham Lincoln Presidential Museum on April 19, 2005.

A Lincoln presenter at the Old State Capitol during the dedication of the Abraham Lincoln Presidential Museum, April 18, 2005.

A Lincoln presenter performs a re-enactment of Lincoln's Farewell Address to a crowd of several thousand during the dedication ceremony of the Abraham Lincoln Presidential Museum, April 18, 2005.

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