The dome within the Cumberland Inn sits above our lobby. It was painted by artist Wayne Taylor, a Cumberland College Alumnus, class of 1972. It was commissioned by Luther and Rosemary Smith and dedicated on June 11, 1994 in the loving memory of Drew and Jeremiah Smith and all the children who have passed through our lives.

Visit the JIM (Joining In Memory) website here
 

"The beautiful music we have heard was presented by Jim and Judy Rose. It was they who presented us with the beautiful piano in the Athenaeum. It was given in memory of their son, Scott, who died on July 4, 2993, and in memory of Jim Taylor II, who died May 20, 1991. Thank you Jim and Judy. That instrument has given many hours of pleasure to those of us who frequent the Athenaeum.

"The artistry in this memorial dome was commissioned by Luther, rosemary and Jordan Smith in memory of their sons and brothers, Drew and Jeremiah, who dies on July 23, 1992. I can't think of anything that would graced this lobby more beautifully or appropriately than a memorial to children loved and lost.

"The artist who made this dream become a reality is Wayne Taylor, an alumnus of Cumberland College, class of 1972. Wayne prayed over this work of art, asking God to inspire his vision and guide his hand as he interpreted grief, the hope and the assurance felt by all who have lost children. Thank you Wayne, for expressing the inexpressible.

"The symbols contained in the painting were suggested by many of you; and each symbol has individual and special meaning. As I gaze upon this heavenly portrait I see things that you have not. I would like to tell you what I see.

"The background of blue in the impenetrable sky which forms a boundary between this world and the world beyond. It is a filter through which the rays of heavenly light are refracted in such a way that in this life we see (as through a glass darkly) only the one color, blue, but we know by faith that beyond this limiting canopy are all the other colors of the spectrum, which we see now only in reflection, but one day we will see them and their creator face to face.

"The cherubs are our children who are a little less than the angels, but nevertheless immortal.

"The clouds are billows of emotion which bear the myriad symbols of our emotions as they change from day to day as the tide of grief ebbs and flows.

"The hearts are our hearts, and some have been pierced by the pain of loss.

"The bird is the symbol of freedom which we long for to soar beyond doubt to faith.

"The lightning bolt is the power that God has loosed in us to overcome and strike down the temptation to give in to faithlessness and hopelessness.

"The balloons symbolize the joy which the children surely share.

"The daises are for endurance. They live and grow all through the spring and summer, and bloom in the fall as though they are saying to the chill of winter, "We will overcome.....

"The musical notes are for the new song He puts within our hearts.

"The doves are for peace.

"The star is for guidance.

"And the roses are God's gift to us on blue and rainy days.

"The teacher is the Christ who guides us through our pain: the apple is our gift to Him: and the horn is there to announce His coming - the Day of the Lord - when the gates will open for us too.

"The horse, Pegasus, is our transport.

"The rainbow is the promise that pain shall cease.

"And the smiley face reminds us to celebrate life and seek joy in every moment: for our joy is God's way of lighting the world for other pilgrims.

"The butterflies. Oh, the butterflies! They tell us of metamorphosis, the way life changes through time and eternity. They show us the stages we must go through, the stages of life and the stages of grief. We start as eggs in mother's womb: we emerge as pupae in need of mother's milk and the humanizing care of our parents. In the larval stage we wrap the cocoon of life's threads around us, threads of faith, threads of fulfillment. Then, when that day comes, we emerge victorious over death, and enter that final, eternal stage which is more beautiful than all the others."

"Children of the Dome, 28 True Stories of Survival and Hope After the Loss of a Child", by Rosemary Smith, is available for sale in our Gift Shop for $27.00 plus tax. For more information, contact us or call the Gift Shop directly at (800) 315-0286 or (606) 539-3100.