Mark your calendars for “Art in
the Park/Earth Day,” the annual event at George Washington Carver National
Monument, on Saturday, April 18, 2020 from 10:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. Presented in
conjunction with National Park Week, Art in the Park/Earth Day is a free event
showcasing the artwork of George Washington Carver and an opportunity to
celebrate Earth Day early.
George Washington Carver was
inspired by the natural environment and gained a sense of serenity and personal
rejuvenation from his artistic work. Plein air artists will set up along the
trail, capturing the beauty of the woodlands, prairie, and streams. Artists
will conduct art workshops throughout the day and visitors are encouraged to
participate. A “budding artists” area will feature natural dyes, painting color
swatches, and other children’s art activities.
At 11:00 a.m., a park ranger will
share the program “Expressions of the Soul,” featuring Carver’s artistic
creations including some of his original artwork on display in the museum.
At 1:00 p.m., Featured
artist/guest speaker Linda Teeter. She is a photographer and owner of the Urban
Art Gallery in Joplin, Missouri. Teeter is active and a longtime leader in the
Joplin arts community. In 2008, she initiated Joplin’s Third Thursdays Art Walk
and is a founding member of the Joplin Regional Artists Coalition.
The Earth Day celebration will
include a special film, Earth, The Inside Story, (12:00 p.m.,
Length: 56 minutes) and crafts from recycled materials throughout the day.
At 2:00 p.m., visitors are
invited to view the film, Against the Odds, the Artists of the Harlem
Renaissance. This 60-minute documentary features rich archival footage
and more than 130 rarely seen paintings, prints, photographs, and sculptures by
black artists.
This “Find Your Park” event invites the public
to see that a national park can be more than a place -- it can be a feeling, a
state of mind, or a sense of American pride. Beyond vast landscapes, the
campaign highlights historical, urban, and cultural parks, as well as the
National Park Service programs that protect, preserve and share nature,
culture, and history in communities nationwide.
Administered by the National Park Service, an agency of the Department of the Interior, George Washington Carver National Monument preserves the birthplace and childhood home of George Washington Carver, scientist, educator, and humanitarian. The park is located two miles west of Diamond, Missouri on Highway V, then ¼ mile south on Carver Road. For more information, please call the park at 417-325-4151 between 9:00 a.m. and 4:30 p.m., visit the park website at www.nps.gov/gwca, or visit the
park Facebook page.
