southern illinois art and artisans center

jkhw

The rest stop at Exit 77 was closed, so I decided to stop in at the Southern Illinois Art and Artisans Center right at the same exit. OH, WOW! First of all, there were large, clean restrooms, and the staff said they had tourist information. And oh boy, there were SO MANY beautiful artworks!!! I even bought some art. I drive that way fairly often, and I figure I'll never stop at the rest stop again. Wonderful place!

lindak07

What a gem in the middle of nowhere. We spent over an hour in the center. The art pieces and pottery were outstanding. Highly recommend spending time here.

makimer

Traveling from Chicago to Dallas and saw the signs on I-57. Was able to entice my husband to stop because of the golf course behind the center. The shop is full of beautiful art of all types - I bought a beautiful stained glass bi-plane kaleidoscope made by Ruth Green for my birthday. The staff is friendly and I am so happy we stopped in. Highly, highly recommended.

minn_traveler612

I've only been here once, despite the fact I've traveled past it a dozen times. Blame my bad commuting hours between Florida and Minnesota. I would go there again, it's was worth it. I had a hard time narrowing down my purchases to match my budget.

dunaven

What a wonderful treat! I always make a point to stop in at the Center when traveling along I-57 south of Mt. Vernon. The shop----the largest of the three Illinois State Museum locations----is brimming with the handiwork of countless Illinois artisans. The inventory includes paintings, glassware, pottery, metal work, wood pieces, Christmas ornaments, photography, etc.. And the museum gallery never disappoints. I was particularly impressed with the current exhibit----"Urge to Embellish"! What a feast for the eyes and a snapshot of American history to boot! I'm sure you'll find a stop at the Center to be a most enjoyable experience.

owowoo

This is a pleasant stop along the way (14 miles or so south of Mt Vernon Illinois at exit 77, Highway 57. The facility features traveling exhibits of Illinois art, works of many Illinois Artisans (displayed and for sale), a small gift shop, and restrooms. The works of Illinois Artisans are of the finest quality and range from pottery, glass, paintings, montages, wood, fiber, jewelry, metal, and much more. We always pick up something on each visit. Open 9 to 5 daily...Free. An hour of pleasant viewing and shopping. Well worth the stop.

JimG283

The Southern Illinois Art & Artisans Center is the Southern Illinois location of the Illinois State Museum. It contains a room for exhibits that travel through the Museum locations. The Museum website lists what is showing. The changing shows appeal to a variety of interests. The larger portion of the Center is the Artisans’ store featuring works by artisans from throughout Illinois. Most of them are glass works and pottery although clothes are also offered. In addition there is a book shop featuring local histories.The Center provides a pleasant stop for travelers along I-57. It is just west of the highway at the Sesser exit, #77.

Giuseppes1933

High end ceramics and artwork. The facility is right off the interstate and spotlesly clean. Very friendly staff that know their wares. Reminds me of visiting a museum.

JC-Puebla

My 14 year old and I were staying in Mt. Vernon, and went for an excision. It's an easy drive, 20 minutes, and easy to find. We both enjoyed the Artisans shop and the exhibit they had as well. It's worth the drive and a great selection of quality Artisan crafts, all from the state.

bruceh561

A great variety of high-quality Illinois arts and crafts. Usually has a museum-quality exhibit worth seeing. Staff are helpful but not intrusive.

BSU-ISU

The Artisan Center was recommended to us by several people during our visit to Mt. Vernon, IL. The present gallery exhibition is a sampling of new acquisition items by the Illinois State Museum. I believe that this gallery rotates exhibits. Even more notable, however, is the breadth of variety and the high quality of the items displayed in the gift shop. The quality of the items is very good, and the talent of the displayed artisans is astounding. Congratulations to the state of Illinois in promoting your state artisans through this venue. If you appreciate browsing high quality, hand crafted art items, you should spend an hour or so here. The center is located right off the interstate and quite easily accessible.

ChrissyHny

Thank you for taking the time to share your experience and thoughts with us. Glad you found the work well made, our location a great place for unique souvenirs and the staff friendly.We are constantly rotating the work with the Artisans, in an effort to provide visitors an exciting selection of one-of-a-kind work. We just opened a contemporary fiber art and sculpture exhibition and shop feature! I hope you drop in to see the newest selection of work, and let us know if we hit the mark.

Quiltingangler

Thank you for taking the time to share your visit with us. It is helpful to hear your reactions to the selection and prices. We always try to balance finding well crafted works in a range of prices, while also representing the wide variety of fine craft in Illinois. Since you enjoyed the quilts on your last visit, I should mention that a "Contemporary Fiber Art & Sculpture" exhibition opened in March (through July 2013) in the Artisans Gallery. And in conjunction is a large display of fashion fibers and home decor in the Artisans shop.

bftlspk43

The artists have been chosen carefully, prices are fair. Sales persons are helpful and personable. Located close to I-57,

RichH60

Thank you for giving us feedback on your visit. In an effort to provide visitors new selections from the over 750 Illinois artisans we represent, we are constantly rotating the work. This keeps staff busy, but we truly value customer interactions. I am sorry to hear that staff seemed sparse. I hope you find the right gift or souvenir on your next visit.