Exploring Art and History: MMA Cadets Visit St. Louis Art Museum and Cathedral Basilica

Missouri Military Academy cadets traveled to St. Louis with art teacher Cheryl Morris and Activities Director Elliot Goodwin to visit the St. Louis Art Museum and the Cathedral Basilica. Morris's Art Fundamentals class and the middle school art class attended the trip. 

The Cathedral Basilica of Saint Louis, also known as the Saint Louis Cathedral, is a Catholic cathedral in the Central West End neighborhood of St. Louis, Missouri. It was completed in 1914. While visiting, the cadets enjoyed a guided tour, in which they were surprised to discover that Missouri has such a beautiful cathedral — perphaps one that rivals the beauty of some European cathedrals. 

Cadets had a great time visiting the Saint Louis Art Museum, which is noted as one of the principal U.S. art museums. It holds paintings, sculptures, cultural objects and ancient masterpieces from all corners of the world. Its three-story building stands in Forest Park in St. Louis, Missouri, where it is visited yearly by up to half a million people.

Cadets enjoyed a sack lunch in Forest Park, a western St. Louis park that is rooted in deep history. The park, which covers 1,326 acres, opened in 1876, and it has hosted several significant events, including the Louisiana Purchase Exposition of 1904 and the 1904 Summer Olympics. 

The Art Fundamentals class will be making a miniature museum with the information they have learned from the field trip experience, as well as their art lessons over the past 10 weeks. Each cadet had to find a favorite piece of art in each of the 18 sections of the art museum. They will use some of the images in their miniature museum.