Missouri 2008 Official Vacation Planner - (Page 38) NORTHWEST Muralism on the March 709 Washington St., downtown Chillicothe Chillicothe Discovered It may defeat their purpose to describe murals in words, but the outdoor showpieces in Chillicothe — the energetic seat of Livingston County — are giant postcards from a nostalgic past, brightly colored and magnified to the height and breadth of downtown buildings. “1916 Webster Street Scene,” the people’s favorite at 108 Washington St., recalls Edward Hopper’s paintings and seems real enough to step into. “1900 Locust Street Scene” at 709 Washington St. announces Chillicothe’s rediscovered identity as the Home of Sliced Bread. In all, 14 murals are scattered about downtown, with two more in the works during 2008. Religious Art in Nodaway County Tourists motoring along Route 136 in southeast Nodaway County are often surprised by the sight of twin Romanesque church towers looming over a landscape of rolling cornfields. The Benedictine basilica at rural Conception Abbey has surprises inside as well. Nineteenth century Beuronese frescoes appear above the main altar and along the high walls of the nave. They disCHRIS CAMPBELL play both complex religious iconography and simple scenes from the lives of Jesus, Mary and St. Benedict. Abbey monks executed the murals in the 1890s, inspired by art at the Benedictine monastery in Beuron, Germany. World War I Murals Below Kansas City’s majestic Liberty Memorial Tower, the subterranean National World War I Museum tells its story with state-of-the-art technology flashing across 25,000 square feet of exhibit space. It’s a magnificent and sometimes noisy experience. MIKE WHYE Above: Thomas Hart Benton’s Kansas City studio, 3616 Belleview Left: “1921 Liberty Memorial Dedication,” a Memory Hall mural, Liberty Memorial, Kansas City 38 Missouri Vacation Planner 2008
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