This Smithsonian exhibition explores the history of America’s musical landscape.

CHICAGO – The Illinois Humanities Council is pleased to announce the opening of “New Harmonies: Celebrating American Roots Music,” a traveling exhibition of the world-renowned Smithsonian Institution at the Lena Area Historical Museum (427 W. Grove, Lena). This exhibit will be in Centralia from September 4 to October 17, 2010. Viewing hours are Thursday-Friday, 1:00 p.m. to 4:00 p.m and Saturday-Sunday, 12:00 p.m. to 5:00 p.m.. Admission to the exhibit is $3.00 for adults; $1.00 for ages 5-12; and free for children under 5.

The Opening Ceremony will be on Saturday, September 4^th,  and will begin at 6:30pm. Chris Vallillo, folk musician and Illinois State Scholar for this project, will be featured in a performance during the ceremony, which will be free and open to the public.  Following the performance, the exhibit will stay open for public viewing until 8:30 p.m..

For more information on the exhibit and other public programs, contact Sharon Welton at the Lena Area Historical Museum at 815.291.7944.

Born in Macomb on February 21, 1910, Al Sears was a premiere American jazz tenor saxophonist and band leader.

A source of hometown pride, the area's annual Al Sears Jazz Festival showcases jazz talent from far and wide and will be featured prominently in the New Harmonies exhibition.

In preparation for the Jazz Festival, and in conjunction with New Harmonies, the Western Illinois Museum will present a series of four programs that explore the cultural and historical forces that helped shape this distinctly American art form and the life of the man from Macomb who embodied these traditions so well.

Today's program: Bill Maakestad, professor emeritus at WIU and founder and director of "Macomb Unplugged," along with Sterling Kernek, also professor emeritus at WIU and expert on the era of World War I, will present an historical overview of the life and influence of Al Sears.