Hodgenville Artists Honor Lincoln Legacy

Students in Cara Howell’s art room at Hodgenville Elementary School are combining creativity with local history as they produce artwork for the Lincoln Days celebration.

The annual project gives students an opportunity to explore Abraham Lincoln’s connection to LaRue County while continuing a tradition shared by generations of local children.

“For years, our students in LaRue County have been drawing Abraham Lincoln as part of the Lincoln Days celebration,” Howell said. “It’s something I remember as a child.”

Howell recalled eagerly participating in the project as a first-grade student in Pendleton’s class — and winning for her class.

Today, Howell sees her own students making connections between their artwork and the Lincoln history that surrounds them. They are familiar with the statues and mural in downtown Hodgenville, as well as the Abraham Lincoln Birthplace and Lincoln’s boyhood home.

“Whenever I ask the students about Abraham Lincoln, they can reflect on places they’ve been throughout the county,” Howell said. “Our students take a lot of pride in being part of Lincoln’s birthplace.”

Principal Victoria Lynn said the project reflects the school’s commitment to being involved in the community while encouraging creativity among its students.

“It’s very important that we’re a part of our community and encouraging art with our students,” Lynn said.

Although academics are often the first thing people associate with school, Lynn said art, music and physical education are also important parts of a student’s development. Art in particular encourages children to express themselves, consider different possibilities and think in abstract ways connecting to the district's Learner Profile focus of becoming resilient problem solvers.

“Art helps our students become creative and think abstractly,” Lynn said. “They have to come up with different ideas on how to express themselves.”

That creativity reaches beyond the art room. Students see their work displayed on paper and throughout the school’s hallways, giving them another reason to feel excited about coming to school.

For Howell, the Lincoln Days project also reminds students that art is present throughout their community and their everyday lives — even when they may not immediately recognize it.

“Art is such an important part of every part of their daily lives,” Howell said. “They don’t even realize it sometimes.”