NEA CHIEF TO DEDICATE CEDARHURST SCULPTURE PARK

MOUNT VERNON, Ill. -- Jane Alexander, chairman of the National Endowment for the Arts, will speak Saturday at the dedication of the Cedarhurst Sculpture Park.

The 1:30 p.m. ceremony highlights a weekend of activities celebrating the dedication of the open-air gallery of the Mitchell Museum at Cedarhurst in Mount Vernon.

The sculpture park is located in 85 wooded acres and showcases more than 45 large-scale, contemporary pieces by nationally and regionally recognized artists.

Artists represented in the collection include Alexander Liberman, Keith Haring, Fletcher Benton and Martha Enzmann.

Visitors this weekend will have the chance to observe the creation of large outdoor sculptures in a variety of mediums and will be entertained by open-air musical performances, sculpture tours, dance performances and exhibitions.

General admission is free, although some events require an admission fee.

Hours are 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Friday and Saturday, and 1 to 5 p.m. Sunday.

For more information, phone Cedarhurst at (618) 242-1236.