REDLANDS >> A new interactive presentation on the life and legacy of Abraham Lincoln could come to the Lincoln Memorial Shrine next year.
The details for the temporary exhibit — “The Face of Lincoln” — are still in the works. But if approved by the A.K. Smiley Public Library Board of Trustees and the Watchorn Lincoln Memorial Association, which oversees the shrine, the exhibit could be installed and up during what both groups call “Lincoln season.”
Lincoln season is in February, near the birthday of the United States’ 16th president.
The $1 million-plus project is spearheaded by Garner Holt Productions in San Bernardino with help from Redlands native Bill Butler, the company’s director of creative design. The exhibit is similar to one the company created years ago for Howe Caverns in upstate New York and will help change the way shrine visitors learn about Lincoln, he said.
Garner Holt presented the idea to Don McCue, shrine and Smiley Library director, during a dinner weeks ago. The idea, McCue said, “was interesting enough that I wanted the whole board to hear about it.”
Butler gave details about the “Disney-style, eight-minute presentation” to the library and Watchorn association board during a joint meeting Tuesday in the Assembly Room of the Smiley Library. Garner Holt would like the library and shrine to contribute $50,000 to development of the exhibit, and if approved, the library, shrine and Garner Holt are hoping to recoup costs through fundraising and other means.
The $50,000 would come from endowments supporting the library and shrine, McCue said.
“A donor has already agreed to cover $10,000 of that $50,000 expense we would be responsible for,” he added.
Garner Holt representatives hope to get an OK for the project by the end of the month. To accommodate the company’s request, a special meeting for the boards will be scheduled later this month. A tour of the facility for members of both groups is planned for next week, McCue said.
If all goes as Garner Holt proposed, “The Face of Lincoln” would open at the shrine on Feb. 12 — Lincoln’s birthday — and remain open through sometime in June 2017. There will be multiple opportunities to view the show during shrine hours. Each presentation could accommodate between 20 to 30 visitors, but more research on occupancy is needed, Butler said.
While admission to the shrine is free, there would be a small fee to view the new exhibit to help recoup costs for all involved.
Garner Holt also plans to create special merchandise for sale at the exhibit, and could take the self-contained show on the road if successful.
The coming year marks a milestone for both Garner Holt and the shrine.
Garner Holt celebrates its 40th anniversary in 2017, while the shrine celebrates its 85th.