The Ridge Historical Society
The Beverly Art Walk – Final Countdown
By Carol Flynn
We’re in the final countdown – it’s less than two days until the Beverly Art Walk, which will take place on Saturday, September 17, from 12 noon to 5:00 p.m.
At the Ridge Historical Society, the Hetherington Design Dynasty exhibit has been expanded to include a new section on Mildred Lyon Hetherington, the local artist who was very active in the Beverly/Morgan Park arts community from the 1920s through the 1970s.
Mildred married architect Murray Hamilton, and they lived in the beautiful home Murray designed at 8918 S. Hamilton Avenue. Unfortunately, they lost that home during the Great Depression. They moved in with her father at 10153 S. Prospect Street, converting some of the space into studios, and creating an outdoor area for entertainment.
Mildred’s portrait painting was the major source of family income during the Depression. By her own account, she painted or drew over one thousand portraits during her career.
Another major component of Mildred’s career was illustrating children’s books and craft projects. This brings in an important connection between art and education.
Illustrations in children’s books serve many purposes. They delight the eye, they stir the imagination, and they foster an appreciation for art. They are valuable education and child development tools. By visualizing events, children can better understand words and concepts and the world around them, helping them to develop analytical and interpretive skills. Children learn how to model their own behavior – helping others, sharing – more from examples, like illustrations, than from being told what to do.
Mildred Lyon Hetherington created illustrations for dozens of children’s storybooks and textbooks. She also developed posters for craft projects that were fun activities while educating about history and helping children develop their fine motor skills.
All this, and more, is covered in the RHS exhibit. Plus, for the Art Walk, performances by the Weber School of Irish Dance will take place every hour on the half hour on the driveway near the Seeley Avenue entrance. There will be beer tastings from Horse Thief Hollow on the veranda where visitors can experience the great view down to Longwood Drive.
The RHS grounds are entered at 10621 S. Seeley Avenue. Parking is available on the street.