'Beacon of Endurance' honors legacy of Abraham Lincoln outdoors in downtown Springfield

The words and ideas of former President Abraham Lincoln can now be seen in a new outdoor sculpture at the corner of Seventh and Jefferson Street in Springfield.

Officials gathered at the corner outside of the Abraham Lincoln Presidential Library and Museum on Wednesday to unveil the “Beacon of Endurance," an obelisk that stands at almost 25 feet tall.

“We hope this sculpture will serve as a literal beacon, guiding people to Abraham Lincoln and his vision of a better America,” said Christina Shutt, executive director of the ALPLM.

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.”

The top two-thirds of the Beacon is engraved with words that describe Lincoln’s legacy like "honor" and "hope." The words will light up at night and some will be projected on the museum's east wall.

The bottom half of the Beacon includes quotes by Lincoln and his appeal to “the better angels of our nature,” his condemnation of the secession movement as “the essence of anarchy” and his declaration that, “Those who deny freedom to others, deserve it not for themselves.”

More: Sweet Corn festival, movies in the park, back to school fair on tap in Springfield

Marketing manager for Visit Springfield, Amy Beadle, said the Beacon is a great way to symbolize and celebrate the city's endurance.

"Whether it's the 1908 race riots or a pandemic, endurance is a thing in Springfield," she said. "This is such a great piece for not only our visitors to see but for local residents to be inspired every day."

The Beacon was designed by BJ Krivanek and Joel Breaux of the Chicago firm Krivanek+Breaux/Art+Design. The project amounted to $223,000 and was made possible by the Illinois Capital Development Board’s Art-in-Architecture program.

“This inscribed obelisk form is slightly off kilter, to suggest democratic vulnerabilities. Its materiality bridges from the base of Industrial Age rusted steel rooted in the land, to the space age stainless steel of its upper form reaching skyward,” said Krivanek. “At night, the artform will transform through illumination and the ephemeral projection of societal ideals and issues onto the museum walls, to become the afterlife of Lincoln’s totemic cultural significance.”

The Capital Development board reserves one-half of one percent of the cost of state building and renovation projects to purchase public art. It has purchased or commissioned nearly 1,000 works by Illinois artists since its inception.

This article originally appeared on State Journal-Register: 'Beacon of Endurance' unveiled in honor of Abraham Lincoln