Exhibit: Abraham Lincoln: Self-Made in America November 19, 2009

Las Cruces, NM –The Branigan Cultural Center is one of forty institutions nationwide to host “Abraham Lincoln: Self-Made in America.” The world-class traveling exhibit, organized by the Abraham Lincoln Presidential Library and Museum in Springfield, Illinois, will be in Las Cruces November 20 – December 18, 2009. The next nearest stops for the exhibit are in Dallas, Denver, and the Los Angeles area.

“Abraham Lincoln: Self-Made in America” was created to commemorate the 200th anniversary of the birth of one of America’s greatest presidents. The exhibit covers Lincoln’s childhood, his self-education, his careers as a surveyor and lawyer, his family life, the Lincoln-Douglas Debates, the 1860 Presidential election, the Civil War, the 13th Amendment, the Emancipation Proclamation, his assassination, and other important periods and events in his life. The reproduction artifacts on display, all modeled from originals in the Presidential Library and Museum, include: Lincoln’s favorite books; his son Tad’s toy cannon; the nameplate from his Springfield home; his stovepipe hat, which he used like a briefcase to hold important papers; a Presidential campaign banner; an axe that Lincoln used to chop wood; the bloody gloves found in Lincoln’s pocket the night of his assassination; and many other unique and interesting items.

The grand opening of the exhibit is Friday, November 20th from 5:00 to 7:00 pm. It features a New Mexico Humanities Council Chautauqua program with Abraham Lincoln escorted to the exhibit by an1860s Military Honor Guard. Dr. Dwight Picaithley will provide a brief overview of Lincoln’s life. The Las Cruces Friends of Chamber Music will provide musical background.

Many special events have been planned in conjunction with the exhibit. The Mesilla Valley Film Society starts things off on November 14th with Cine Matinee at the Fountain Theater featuring the film “Young Mr. Lincoln.” The 1939 movie stars Henry Fonda as Lincoln in a fictionalized court case and was directed by John Ford.

On Saturday, December 5, 2009, Dr. Picaithley, former Chief Historian for the National Park Service, will speak on Lincoln’s lasting influence on New Mexico. The lecture starts at 1:00 p.m. in the Shannon Gallery at Branigan Cultural Center.

The Las Cruces Friends of Chamber Music will present some of Lincoln’s favorite pieces in a concert of period music on Sunday, December 6th, from 3:00-5:00 p.m. at the Cultural Center.

There are literally hundreds of biographies on Lincoln covering every aspect of his life. A panel discussion on Wednesday, December 9th, from 7:00 to 9:00 p.m. will review several of the more popular biographies.

The “We, the People” program of the National Endowment for the Humanities, a federal agency, provided major financial support for the exhibition and accompanying programs. The Abraham Lincoln Presidential Library Foundation and the History Channel provided additional financial and in-kind support. The American Library Association of Chicago and the Tribeca Film Institute of New York made strong contributions to the exhibit programming.

The Branigan Cultural Center, 501 N. Main Street, is located at the north end of the Downtown Mall in Las Cruces. The exhibit and reception is free and open to the public. Galleries are open Monday through Friday from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. and Saturday from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. For more information about exhibits and programs, contact the Branigan Cultural Center at (575) 541-2154 or visit the Center’s web site at las-cruces.org/museums.