CORE Construction carpenters Brian Selburg, left, and Brian Thomas, unfurl a 30′ x 50′ mural of Abraham Lincoln on the side of the Peoria County Courthouse. The work, titled “Abraham Blue,” was created by local artist Doug Leunig and funded by private donations. The mural, which is part of the the Big Picture Peoria project, will be formally dedicated during a ceremony 11 a.m. Thursday at the Peoria County Courthouse.
The portrait celebrates the historic speech delivered at the Peoria County Courthouse by Lincoln on Oct. 16, 1854. The nearly three-hour speech established Lincoln as a national leader, building his foundational argument against slavery that Lincoln used all the way to the White House. The original Lincoln portrait was created by Leunig as a project on famous Americans that adorn the nation’s currency. Leunig said, “It’s called ‘Abraham Blue’ because it’s tinted blue. That symbolizes the fact that Lincoln suffered from depression but was able to overcome that problem to be a great president.′
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