New midwest cultural landmark, Statue of the Official Guitar of St. Charles, unveiled in ceremony on Sunday, June 12

What: Mayor Raymond Rogina to dedicate a new midwest cultural landmark, Statue of the Official Guitar of St. Charles, Sunday, June 12

When: Sunday, June 12 at 3 PM

Where: Lincoln Park in Downtown St. Charles (450 W Main St, St Charles, IL 60174)

Who: Free and open to the public.

About: The Jank Guitar Store in partnership with the City of St. Charles and the St. Charles Park District is bringing a new award and statue to Lincoln Park in Downtown St. Charles. The statue will be unveiled at a special ceremony on Sunday, June 12 at 3pm in Lincoln Park. The dedication ceremony also marks the beginning a legacy of rewarding and recognizing outstanding achievements in the musical arts by local youth with the announcement of the first ever Guitar of St. Charles Jank Award winner.

The “Official Guitar of St. Charles” statue is a cultural monument in St. Charles made possible by a coalition of local government and business leaders, including the City of St. Charles, St. Charles Park District, The Jank Guitar Store, Arcada Theatre, Blue Goose Market, Colonial Café, Hotel Baker, Kane County Chronicle, The Finery, Zimmerman Ford and Steve Douglas. Each of the coalition members believe in the spirit of St. Charles. They joined together to establish this monument to build awareness of the outstanding quality of life in St. Charles, define the community as a cultural leader for the nation, and foster the continued development of cultural enrichment among the St. Charles’ youth.

The Guitar of St. Charles Jank Award is the first and only one of its kind. The prestigious award celebrates the artistic diversity and achievements of St. Charles’ young people. The recipient of the first annual Guitar of St. Charles Jank Award will be announced during the dedication ceremony Sunday.

The Official Guitar of St. Charles immortalized in the monument is a custom built guitar that began its journey from factory standard to custom constructed in St. Charles. The guitar then took a journey around the world. It traveled to the Ibanez headquarters in Japan for retooling by their artisans, it was reframed with Brazilian Rosewood, and it was tested and adjusted for optimal sonic quality in recording studios from the famed Abbey Road Studios in London, to Quad Studios in Nashville, to Capitol Studios in Los Angeles.

In 2015 the guitar returned home to St. Charles where it was presented to Mayor Rogina. This very special guitar that has been influenced by musicians and artisans around the world started and comes back home to St. Charles. It mirrors the city’s musical legacy that inspired the statue, and will continue building that legacy in the care of the annual Guitar of St. Charles Jank Award winner to tell the story of music, art, culture and global perspective from a hometown vantage.“Music is a common language that brings people together no matter their age or backgrounds,” said St. Charles Mayor Ray Rogina. “Our community has always embraced the arts and the Guitar of St. Charles Jank Award is one more way we can celebrate the creativity that thrives in St. Charles. As a former teacher, I am especially pleased to see involvement of our community’s youth.”

A panel of judges comprised of representatives from the City, Park District and The Jank Guitar Store will select a winner who exemplifies proficiency for performing and/or advocating for greater access to genre-diverse music.

Jank is an amalgamation of everything artistic and represents a generation that hasn't yet been spoken for but whose unprecedented access to the world has granted them a more diverse set of artistic influences than any previous generation. By unifying diverse genres Jank gives an essential sense of unity to today’s young people.

“Although this award is new, it represents 30 years of excellence that my father maintained before me with St. Charles Guitar,” said Scott Corbin, owner of The Jank Guitar Store. “I can only hope to carry on his legacy of excellence and appreciation of the St. Charles community with the Guitar of St. Charles Jank Award. The award is where the past and future meet right here in St. Charles by showing the kids in the community that art appreciates them and their accomplishments, and inspiring them to continue learning, creating and breathing creativity and innovation into our community.”

The Jank Guitar Store is located at 217 W. Main Street in downtown St. Charles. For more information, go to thejankguitarstore.com or call 206-779-2883.