center for lost arts in beautiful southern Illinois
Southernmost Illinois is a place with endless adventures and activities to enjoy - hiking, biking, kayaking, canoeing, swimming, rock climbing, music festivals, farms, vineyards, breweries, neat little shops, artist and artisan markets, tours and more. Giant City State Park and Trail of Tears State Park are a 15 minute drive in either direction from Center For Lost Arts. The Shawnee National Forest takes up close to 300,000 acres of land federally managed by the USDA Forest Service.
The land that Center For Lost Arts inhabits, was part of an over 440 acre tract of land, originally given to a settler family in the late 1800's, eventually becoming a well-know daffodil and peony farm. Over time, the land was divided and in 1985, at the age of 26, Paul purchased a parcel of 20 acres of mostly farmland and daffodil fields with a barn and a pond. He proceeded to plant 4500 trees and began designing and building furniture. He established a large garden and began collecting the rocks that would become integrated into the structures on the property for years to come. In 2015, Paul and Bonnie met. In 2016, they officially founded Center For Lost Arts which currently includes: Eva's Roost Retreat Cabin, Tiny House of Paul, House of Paul(main house) Paul's woodshop, the greenhouse, the gardens, forest and pond, the cob house(yet to be named) and Cobden Village Shops & Galleries in downtown Cobden. Paul and Bonnie consider themselves stewards of this land now and for the future. Over the years several apprentices have lived, learned and contributed to the evolution of Center For Lost Arts. The first guests at Eva's Roost Retreat Cabin were welcomed in August of 2017, for the Solar Eclipse weekend. Over 700 guests have stayed at Eva's Roost and Tiny House of Paul since then.
We would be remiss if we did not acknowledge the indigenous people who lived on and traveled through the land of Southern Illinois for 12,000 years before being forced to leave or who were killed during colonization began in the 1600's. The "Inoca"(or Illinois as the French explorers and missionaries called them)may have consisted of as many as 12 different Illinois tribes at one time, but by the end of the century, seven of the tribes had disappeared: the Chepoussa, Chinkoa, Coiracoentanon, Espeminkia, Maroa, Moingwena, and Tapouaro. Five principal tribes survived into the 1700s: the Cahokia, Kaskaskia, Michigamea, Peoria, and Tamaroa with the latter two continuing into the early 1800's. As you travel through the area, you'll see location names honoring these tribes. Giant City Visitors Center or Crab Orchard Refuge is a great place to learn more the land, it's people, the animals and the history.
House of Paul
A beautifully handcrafted home created by local artist, furniture builder, architect and home designer Paul J. Frank. It is the main space as well as the residence for the owners and family of Center For Lost Arts. There is a large multi-purpose room, an indoor sunroom for seedlings, a library with a wide selection of books, a large kitchen and a the most recent addition - a dining/event room holding Paul's collection of steins.
Tiny House of Paul: The plan for this tiny house originally started as a conversation between Bonnie and Paul in front of the main window in the living room of House of Paul. Tiny House of Paul is unique in it's design, giving one the feeling of having four rooms to move throughout. The design incorporates over ten kinds of wood including reclaimed Redwood stump slabs from California(a gift from a former guest) and live edge oak from the property. An added screened in porch gives the tiny house the feel of being even more spacious.
Eva's Roost Retreat Cabin is a beautifully designed space created and built by Paul. This rustic zen-style cottage, overlooking the pond and forest, serves as a space for personal retreats as well as a cabin for guests. During retreat days, the roost is sometimes used for meditation, massage or other healing modalities.
Gardens & Forest: We aspire to grow & produce much of what we eat & share, whether it be in our traditional garden, the greenhouse or in the forest. We can't do this alone, so have depended on others over the years for their assistance and labor in return for whatever needs to be bartered. We make some of our own healing oil blends & dried herbs, tap our maple trees, pick seasonal fruit & berries, dry or can what we can and share with others. There's always more to learn!
Cobden Village Shops & Galleries: Formerly Packrats Paradise Antique Mall, Bonnie took over this business in Cobden during the pandemic. With the support of the vendors and the community, Cobden Village Shops & Galleries was born, and seemed a natural fit under Center For Lost Arts. You will find a gallery with local art, artisan wares and a small market area with zero waste products, Fair Trade teas and dark chocolate, local honey, locally roasted coffee, free range eggs and soaps. Many of the vendors have taken on the challenge of creating upcycled art and repurposing items. Our dream would be to have seasonal produce available as well as places to sit and enjoy coffee and baked goods. Stay tuned. The shops are a drop-off location for Leaf Food Hub - a collective of local growers and producers who follow chemical-free practices. Ordering is done online by 10pm Tuesdays and pick up at the shops is Thursdays between 3:30 and 5pm. Bonnie picks up orders made by overnight guests who are arriving Friday or Saturday. There are several vendors who practice "lost arts" and sell their artisan goods at Cobden Village Shops & Galleries. The hope is to expand offerings to include more. The possibilities are endless!
The land that Center For Lost Arts inhabits, was part of an over 440 acre tract of land, originally given to a settler family in the late 1800's, eventually becoming a well-know daffodil and peony farm. Over time, the land was divided and in 1985, at the age of 26, Paul purchased a parcel of 20 acres of mostly farmland and daffodil fields with a barn and a pond. He proceeded to plant 4500 trees and began designing and building furniture. He established a large garden and began collecting the rocks that would become integrated into the structures on the property for years to come. In 2015, Paul and Bonnie met. In 2016, they officially founded Center For Lost Arts which currently includes: Eva's Roost Retreat Cabin, Tiny House of Paul, House of Paul(main house) Paul's woodshop, the greenhouse, the gardens, forest and pond, the cob house(yet to be named) and Cobden Village Shops & Galleries in downtown Cobden. Paul and Bonnie consider themselves stewards of this land now and for the future. Over the years several apprentices have lived, learned and contributed to the evolution of Center For Lost Arts. The first guests at Eva's Roost Retreat Cabin were welcomed in August of 2017, for the Solar Eclipse weekend. Over 700 guests have stayed at Eva's Roost and Tiny House of Paul since then.
We would be remiss if we did not acknowledge the indigenous people who lived on and traveled through the land of Southern Illinois for 12,000 years before being forced to leave or who were killed during colonization began in the 1600's. The "Inoca"(or Illinois as the French explorers and missionaries called them)may have consisted of as many as 12 different Illinois tribes at one time, but by the end of the century, seven of the tribes had disappeared: the Chepoussa, Chinkoa, Coiracoentanon, Espeminkia, Maroa, Moingwena, and Tapouaro. Five principal tribes survived into the 1700s: the Cahokia, Kaskaskia, Michigamea, Peoria, and Tamaroa with the latter two continuing into the early 1800's. As you travel through the area, you'll see location names honoring these tribes. Giant City Visitors Center or Crab Orchard Refuge is a great place to learn more the land, it's people, the animals and the history.
House of Paul
A beautifully handcrafted home created by local artist, furniture builder, architect and home designer Paul J. Frank. It is the main space as well as the residence for the owners and family of Center For Lost Arts. There is a large multi-purpose room, an indoor sunroom for seedlings, a library with a wide selection of books, a large kitchen and a the most recent addition - a dining/event room holding Paul's collection of steins.
Tiny House of Paul: The plan for this tiny house originally started as a conversation between Bonnie and Paul in front of the main window in the living room of House of Paul. Tiny House of Paul is unique in it's design, giving one the feeling of having four rooms to move throughout. The design incorporates over ten kinds of wood including reclaimed Redwood stump slabs from California(a gift from a former guest) and live edge oak from the property. An added screened in porch gives the tiny house the feel of being even more spacious.
Eva's Roost Retreat Cabin is a beautifully designed space created and built by Paul. This rustic zen-style cottage, overlooking the pond and forest, serves as a space for personal retreats as well as a cabin for guests. During retreat days, the roost is sometimes used for meditation, massage or other healing modalities.
Gardens & Forest: We aspire to grow & produce much of what we eat & share, whether it be in our traditional garden, the greenhouse or in the forest. We can't do this alone, so have depended on others over the years for their assistance and labor in return for whatever needs to be bartered. We make some of our own healing oil blends & dried herbs, tap our maple trees, pick seasonal fruit & berries, dry or can what we can and share with others. There's always more to learn!
Cobden Village Shops & Galleries: Formerly Packrats Paradise Antique Mall, Bonnie took over this business in Cobden during the pandemic. With the support of the vendors and the community, Cobden Village Shops & Galleries was born, and seemed a natural fit under Center For Lost Arts. You will find a gallery with local art, artisan wares and a small market area with zero waste products, Fair Trade teas and dark chocolate, local honey, locally roasted coffee, free range eggs and soaps. Many of the vendors have taken on the challenge of creating upcycled art and repurposing items. Our dream would be to have seasonal produce available as well as places to sit and enjoy coffee and baked goods. Stay tuned. The shops are a drop-off location for Leaf Food Hub - a collective of local growers and producers who follow chemical-free practices. Ordering is done online by 10pm Tuesdays and pick up at the shops is Thursdays between 3:30 and 5pm. Bonnie picks up orders made by overnight guests who are arriving Friday or Saturday. There are several vendors who practice "lost arts" and sell their artisan goods at Cobden Village Shops & Galleries. The hope is to expand offerings to include more. The possibilities are endless!
