Spoon River Anthology -- September 23, 2010

In another OLLI exclusive, participants took a trip through Fulton County as immortalized by Edgar Lee Mastesr in his 1915 Spoon River Anthology. Joan Johnson, retired English teacher and Masters expert, joined us to present historical commentary about how the book is still relevant, nearly 100 years after its original serialization.

Stops during the day included the Rasmussen Blacksmith Shop and Museum in Lewistown, Ipava Pioneer Museum with Camp Ellis memorabilia, restored Freeman School, Harold Lee Welch Art Studio, a chicken and noodles luncheon at Smithfield Red Brick School, the Canton railroad depot, and historic downtown buildings.

The day culminated in a fascinating reading from Spoon River Anthology amongst the tombstones used by Masters to glean names and stories for his poems.

Peoria's Religious Art and Architecture -- September 22, 2010

In this first-ever local trip, OLLI members visited five downtown Peoria churches to discuss the architecture, stained glass, organ, building history, congregation history, and religious beliefs of each church. Local architect Les Kenyon also accompanied the group to enrich our understanding of the architectural aspects of the places of worship.

Mark Twain's Hannibal -- September 16, 2010

In mid-September, OLLI enjoyed a beautiful day of exploration and education in Hannibal, Missouri.

During our visit, we learned all about the hometown of Mark Twain as Hannibal celebrates the 175th anniversary of Twain’s birth, the 125th anniversary of the publication of The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn, and the 100th anniversary of Twain’s death.

For more information about Hannibal, please visit www.visithannibal.com.

Peoria Production Shop -- September 14, 2010

On our tour of Peoria Production Shop, we discovered how the non-profit agency, initially founded in 1941 to provide employment for recovering tuberculosis patients, has evolved into a comprehensive packaging, manufacturing, assembly, and custom labor business that employs individuals with all types of disabilities.

For more information about Peoria Production Shop, please visit www.peoriapros.com.

Vaughan Manufacturing & Pella Windows -- September 9, 2010

OLLI members enjoyed a beautiful fall day for our tour of Vaughan & Bushnell Manufacturing and Pella Windows in Bushnell and Macomb, Illinois.

On this tour, we learned how Vaughan & Bushnell Manufacturing has grown from a small maker of hand tools to one of the world’s largest producers of hammers, pry bars, hatchets, and more. After lunch in Macomb, we visited Pella Windows, one of the corporation’s 12 window manufacturing facilities in the United States.

For more information about our tours, visit hammernet.com and www.pella.com.

National Center for Agricultural Utilization Research -- September 8, 2010

In early September, we took our first of three tours of the National Center for Agriculture Utilization Research (NCAUR) in Peoria.

During our visit, we had the rare opportunity for a first-hand look at the lab, home to more than 100 Ph.D. research scientists who invent industrial and food products and develop technologies to improve environmental quality. We also had a chance to see the science at work and speak with professionals who conduct the groundbreaking research.

For more information about the NCAUR, visit its website.

Catholic Diocese of Peoria -- September 2, 2010

During our visit to the Spalding Pastoral Center, Patricia Kellogg, Associate Superintendent of the Office of Catholic Schools, explained how the various offices of the Diocese provide services to more than 250,000 people in 26 area counties. Our tour also included the Diocese’s museum, which houses artifacts and displays about the late Archbishop Fulton J. Sheen, whose beatification is underway.

For more information about the Diocese, please visit its website.

Art Institute of Chicago -- September 1, 2010

On the first trip of Fall 2010, OLLI traveled to Chicago to visit the Art Institute.

Participants enjoyed a keynote lecture on Henri Cartier-Bresson by curator Matthew Witkovsky, gallery talks, artist demonstrations, and lunch in the Millennium Park Room. Some of the exhibits visited included “Looking After Louis Sullivan,” “A Case for Wine: From King Tut to Today,” and “Arthur Pope and a New Survey of Persian Art.”

For more information about the exhibits, visit the Art Institute of Chicago website.