Six local artists will bring a northeast Gainesville cemetery to life today with their visual interpretations of the historic site.
The free exhibit will feature a multimedia display of the Historic Evergreen Cemetery as part of the “This Wondrous Place” history and art exhibit.
Paintings and photographs of the site, as well as stories of the buried, will be displayed at the Thomas Center Galleries, 302 NE Sixth Ave., starting today through March 23.
The exhibit will celebrate the beauty and history of the 53-acre cemetery.
The site is home to some of Florida’s notable individuals, including Dr. James Robert Cade, who led the team of scientists that invented Gatorade in 1965.
“Evergreen is the oldest cemetery in Gainesville,” said Cemetery Coordinator Gary Smith. “We call our oldest section the Old Yard [because it] holds many of the founding fathers of the city.”
Gainesville Cultural Affairs Programs Coordinator Russell Etling said the artists found more inspiration than he expected when they prepared the exhibit.
“I originally expected to only have six pieces of art and ended up with 21,” he said. “We all rediscovered what the cemetery truly means to the city.”
Smith said the exhibit will help residents better appreciate the historic site.
“The cemetery is still active, so it is a kind of living museum, allowing us to remember our past, but also recognize the present,” he said.
Joshua Voorhees, a 27-year-old supervisor for Neighborhood Storage in Ocala, visits his grandfather’s grave Thursday evening. Gary Voorhees died from cancer at age 75.
