Behind the costumes and crime-solving of the Excelsior Springs Area Cultural Guild’s annual murder mystery is a serious mission to invest in young area artists.Each year, the Cultural Guild uses its Murder Mystery Dinner Theater and Sunday matinee to raise money for scholarships aimed at graduating seniors continuing their education in the arts. The eventfunded scholarships are awarded to graduating high school seniors pursuing arts education. The fundraiser supports students from Excelsior Springs, Richmond, Lawson and Orrick, with eligibility also extending to home-schooled students and some vocational students pursuing areas such as film and camera work or theater set design.Eligible areas of study include teaching, acting, directing, sculpting, painting, drawing, singing, performing in many areas and graphic arts at both the vocational and college level.Excelsior Springs Area Cultural Guild member Denise Siegel noted the group begins plann...