Black Hawk Art Restoration Board announces spring fundraiser

OREGON – The Black Hawk Art Restoration and Development Committee will host a fundraising event from 2 to 6 p.m. Sunday, April 14, at the Northern Illinois University Lorado Taft Field Campus.

The Eagle’s Nest Luncheon and Matinee will include a special buffet luncheon in the Taft Campus dining hall followed by a performance of “The Blind.”

“The Blind” originally was written by French playwright Maurice Maeterlinck and was performed at the Eagle’s Nest Art Colony, inspiring a Lorado Taft sculpture of the same name. This year’s performance will feature BARD members, Oregon Park District staff and NIU Lorado Taft Field Campus staff and is directed by Debbie Dickson of Oregon.

There will be a silent auction and the opportunity to tour the historic Lorado Taft Field Campus to see original Eagle’s Nest Art Colony structures.

This year commemorates the five-year anniversary of the completion of the Black Hawk Restoration Project, for which significant repairs were made to Lorado Taft’s iconic Eternal Indian statue.

Landscaping of the statue pavilion was completed in 2023. This year’s fundraiser aims to ensure the permanent ongoing maintenance of the Eternal Indian statue. Funds raised by BARD from the luncheon will be presented to the Illinois Conservation Foundation and dedicated to ensuring the historic Eternal Indian statue remains beautiful for years to come.

The Eagle’s Nest Luncheon and Matinee is a cooperative effort between the NIU Lorado Taft Field Campus, BARD and the Oregon Park District.

Registration for this event is open to the public until April 7 and can be done in person at the Nash Recreation Center, by phone at 815-732-3101 or online at www.oregonpark.org.

Registration is $70 for Oregon Park District residents and $80 for nonresidents. Proceeds from this event will be donated to the Illinois Conservation Foundation and Oregon Park District Youth Scholarship fund.