By DONNA KENNY KIRWAN

PAWTUCKET — A celebration of all things Lincoln — Abraham Lincoln, that it — will be offered on Thursday, April 23 at the Blackstone Valley Visitors Center.

Called “Abraham Lincoln: Face to Face,” the series of events has been planned to celebrate the 200th birthday of a man who is heralded by many as one the nation's greatest presidents.
The centerpiece of the event is a display of a series of large portraits of Abraham Lincoln that have been created by artist Peter Campbell. There are six paintings currently on display in the lobby of the Blackstone Valley Visitors Center, at 125 Main St., Pawtucket. On Thursday night, Campbell will also unveil a life-sized painting of Lincoln (who was known to be over 6'4” tall).
Campbell (who, coincidentally, lives in Lincoln) is a graduate of Vesper George School of Art in Boston. His paintings have been exhibited in galleries throughout the East Coast and his work is represented in many private collections.
Campbell was selected by NASA in 1989 to become a member of its nationally recognized Space Art program and has designed, written and illustrated three children's books.
The evening's celebration will begin at 6:30 p.m. With music from the Heritage String Band. At 7 p.m., there will be a welcome and unveiling of Campbell's paintings in the lobby.
At 7:25, there will be a presentation in the Visitors Center Theatre entitled “What We Made — Blackstone Valley Industries During the Civil War” delivered by Ranger Chuck Arning of the John H. Chafee Blackstone River Valley National Heritage Corridor.
This will be followed at 7:45 p.m. with a reading from “John Brown's Body” by Ricardo Pitts-Wiley, artistic director of the Mixed Magic Theatre.
At 8:15 p.m., a presentation on “The Life of Abraham Lincoln” will be made by retired Chief Justice Frank J. Williams, who is a renowned Lincoln expert and author.
The evening will conclude with a panel discussion in Abraham Lincoln with the audience featuring Peter Campbell, Frank J. Williams, Ricardo Pitts-Wiley and Chuck Arning.