A River Runs To It

If you looked at the word "cairn" on the page and thought, "Hmmm, sounds like an old one -- it's got the tang of the Celtic wellspring about it as well," you'd be right. "Cairn" was first used in the fifteenth century, and indeed it derives from the Scots Gaelic "carn," which in turn was related to the Old Irish and Welsh word of the same spelling. All in the family then for this antique noun, the definition of which is? A pile of stones marking an important place or the direction of a trail. Or, in the case of Watershed Cairns, Joshua Rowan and Libby Reuter's new exhibit at the Missouri History Museum (Lindell Boulevard and DeBaliviere Avenue; 314-746-4599 or www.mohistory.org), the direction of natural waterways. These riverine avenues are the essence of our region; Watershed Cairns uses large-scale photos of sculptural cairns made of glass placed at key watersheds to honor the importance of watercourses in our lives. The free exhibit opens Saturday, August 16, and remains on display daily through Sunday, February 8, 2015.
Mondays, Fridays-Sundays, 10 a.m.-5 p.m.; Tuesdays-Thursdays, 10 a.m.-8 p.m.; Tuesdays-Thursdays, 10 a.m.-8 p.m.; Mondays, Fridays-Sundays, 10 a.m.-5 p.m. Starts: Aug. 16. Continues through Feb. 8, 2014