DIAMOND, Mo. – You are invited to celebrate National Park Week, April 22nd-30th by attending Art in the Park/Earth Day at George Washington Carver National Monument on Saturday, April 22nd from 10:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. Art in the Park is a free event showcasing the artwork of George Washington Carver and is an opportunity to celebrate Earth Day. George Washington Carver was inspired by the natural environment and gained a sense of serenity and personal rejuvenation from his artistic work.
Talk with plein air artists who will set up along the trail to capture the beauty of the woodlands, prairie, and streams. Try one of the art activities such as natural dye and acrylic pours, presented by local artists and Spiva Center for the Arts. Kids will want to stop by the “budding artists” tent and try their hand at rock painting, fish prints, flower pressing, and drawing. Earth Day activities include making a craft using upcycled materials. Kids will earn a special Junior Ranger badge!
View a fifteen-foot model of Thomas Hart Benton’s famed mural in the Missouri Capital, courtesy of the Thomas Hart Benton State Historic Site, and learn more about connections between Benton, Mariah Watkins, and George Washington Carver.
At 11:00 a.m., attend the presentation by featured artist/guest speaker Linda Jarvis Teeter inside the visitor center. Teeter is a photographer/artist and owner of Urban Art Gallery in downtown Joplin, Missouri. She is responsible for initiating Joplin’s Third Thursday Artwalk and is a founding member of the Joplin Regional Artists Coalition. Teeter is incredibly active the local arts community.
At 12:00 p.m., join a park ranger for “Casting A Legacy-An Outdoor Art Walk,” exploring commemorative artwork along the Carver trail. Throughout the day “Expressions of the Soul” will be on display, showing images of George Washington Carver’s artwork. To commemorate Earth Day, Earth, The Inside Story (56 min.), a Public Broadcasting Service film, will begin at 1 p.m.
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.
