The McLean County Museum of History, in collaboration with a committee of community members, is hosting a free-for-all-ages coloring contest ahead of installing a new mural later this spring in Downtown Bloomington.
Local artist Troy Freeman of Free Sky Studios designed the 45 ft. tall by 25 ft. wide mural and will paint it on the east wall of Rosie's Pub in Downtown Bloomington, just across from where President Lincoln gave the famous speech 168 years ago.
Free coloring contest sheets are available for download online here, in person at the Children’s Discovery Museum, and at the Museum's Cruisin' with Lincoln on 66 Visitors Center & Gift Shop, located on the ground floor of the Museum at 200 North Main Street, Bloomington, Illinois 61701.
Completed artwork and release forms are due back to the Museum by March 31, 2025. All submissions must be on legal-size paper (8.5" x 14") and include a completed submission form.
VFW Auxiliary members will judge the contest and award 1st, 2nd, and 3rd place honors in four age categories: K-4, 5-8, 9-12, and adult. The Museum will announce the winners during the mural's dedication ceremony, held on the 169th anniversary of the speech, on May 29, 2025, at 5 p.m.
The "Lost Speech" was the closing oration at the Anti-Nebraska Convention on May 29, 1856, which united several political parties in the anti-slavery movement and led to the founding of the Illinois Republican Party. This speech is one of the most pivotal points in Lincoln's political career and ultimately led to his election as president.
To learn more about Lincoln's Lost Speech, check out our digital exhibit Abraham Lincoln in McLean County by clicking here.
For more information, please contact the Museum’s Director of Development, Norris Porter, by clicking here.
