OLLI members joined Jim Ludwig, Professor Emeritus of Theatre at Bradley University for a unique adventure exporing the monuments of Peoria. Ranging from Vanna Whitewall to Lydia Bradley; from religious figures to a famous agnostic; from classical to very, very modern; from silly to serious, there is a surprisingly rich and varied collection of public sculpture that we all see (they are in plain sight), but don't really notice.
For the Peoria Monument Tour, members boarded the OLLI shuttle to drive by dozens of sculptures and monuments. Jim Ludwig was a very entertaining narrator as he shared some history and anecdotes about treasures of the community. The final portion of the tour consisted of walking through the Peoria Civic Center inside and out, as well as Peoria City Hall and the plaza area. Today's tour held a special treat, as Byron DeHaan recited his poem Hallowed Ground as the group gathered around Preston Jackson's sculpture Knockin On Freedom's Door. This was the poem he recited at the dedication of the art piece, which honors Peoria's role in the historic Underground Railroad movement.
A big OLLI thank you to Professor Ludwig for sharing his time and talent on the Monument Tour.
No comments:
Post a Comment