Sarah Goes to Cedarhurst!

Hi! My name is Elisha McDowell. Today, Sarah and I visited the Cedarhurst Center for the Arts in Mt. Vernon, IL. The latitude and longitude for this museum is 38 degrees N and -88 degrees W. Since Sarah lives in Carbondale, this was a fairly lengthy trip for her. The miles she traveled round trip were 118.24 mi. Sarah enjoyed this road trip as we traveled in my car and she was able to look out the window to see all the lovely sights along the way.

John R. and Eleanor R. Mitchell were local philanthropists who created Cedarhurst for education and enjoyment. They collected several pieces of art from the late 19th and early 20th centuries and upon their death, they left their estate to benefit the residents and visitors of Mt. Vernon. The Mitchell Museum opened on November 2, 1973 and it is one of the art display centers. In 1992, the Cedarhurst Sculpture Park was initiated and it displays sculpture in nature's outdoors. Additionally, the Beck Family Center Gallery contains hands-on activities for children to experience art and learning.

Cedarhurst Center for the Arts is full of interesting pieces of art and historical art displays. Currently, the Mitchell Museum is displaying the 24th Biennial Cedarhurst Center for the Arts Southern Illinois Artists Open Competition and Exhibition. The exhibition lasts until October 16 and features various pieces of contemporary art from local and other artists. Sarah enjoyed viewing the interesting artwork, including oil paintings on canvas, forged steel, and photography. After viewing the exhibition, Sarah and I traveled down the hall to view quilts from the Cedarhurst Quilt Exhibit. Then, we saw the permanent collection of John R. and Eleanor R. Mitchell. Sarah and I enjoyed learning about some of these historic art works and artists.

Before we left, Sarah and I had our picture taken in front of a Cedarhurst sign located in the front lobby of the building. We also took some free brochures with us so that we could have a keepsake of our trip and continue to learn more. I enjoyed this trip and I think Sarah did, too!