Rhein Center 25th Anniversary Celebration

The Rhein Center’s 25th Anniversary Celebration will take place Thursday, Aug. 8 at 3:30 p.m. at the arts center. All are invited to enjoy art demonstrations, rock painting, history tours, light refreshments and more.

C. Kirk Rhein, Jr. Center for the Living Arts
On Aug. 8, 1999, the C. Kirk Rhein, Jr. Center for the Living Arts was dedicated. Kirk Rhein, son of Clyde and Sittie Rhein, died when TWA flight 800 exploded over Long Island, New York. The date was chosen because it was his birthday.

The facility provides a variety of arts and crafts for Lakesiders of all ages throughout the summer and select days in the fall and winter. The Rhein Center grew out of the desire of the Rhein family to invest gifts in memory of their son and provide Lakeside with a “living memorial.”

The Rhein family gathered annually in Lakeside for a family reunion. Kirk was a graduate of the College of Wooster and earned his law degree from the Columbia School of Law. He was a prominent lawyer, private equity investment manager and executive of two public companies.

The mission statement for the Rhein Center is: To provide opportunity for persons of all ages to enrich their life experience through the arts. The goals are: To offer art classes to all age groups; to enable artists to share their talents; to enrich their life experience through the arts; to create an atmosphere for pursuing artistic discovery beyond Lakeside.

Celebration Plans

• The Anniversary Celebration will be from 3:30-5 p.m. at the Rhein Center. Past directors, instructors and members of the Rhein family will be present to share their love of the Rhein Center.
• Daniel Dropko will return to guide guests in making origami peace cranes.
• In honor of the Rhein Center’s most iconic craft of all, children of all ages can paint a small rock for free.
• There will be ceramic pottery wheel demonstrations and stained-glass demos, among others.
• View a display of various projects taught at the Rhein Center through the years.
• Historical photos will be on display of both the Rhein Center and what it looked like before it was the arts center.
• A mural by Beth Sage, who painted the mayfly mural, will be unveiled. The mural celebrates all the arts at Lakeside. See details below.
• Artwork from this year’s artists-in-residence will be on display.
• Artisans who teach or have taught at the Rhein Center may have their wares for sale
• Members of the Rhein family will be teaching classes the week of the anniversary.

Mural
A mural promoting the arts at Lakeside will be a new edition to the Rhein Center.
The mural will be created by Beth Sage of Sagebrush Art, who completed the Mayfly mural last summer on Second Street between Miss Mercedes and Gifts That Give Back.

It will be painted on panels that will be installed on the east side of the Rhein Center. The panels will be removed in the winter to help them last longer. The mural will be revealed as part of the Rhein Center’s 25th Anniversary Celebration.