Category Archives: Displays

Updates about decorative or temporary displays.

Clark Memorial Library is proud to host the works of the Bethany “Art Gang”, a group of friends who meet each Thursday at the Town Hall to create and experiment with artistic techniques. The “Art Gang” is sponsored by Bethany Senior Services and led by local artist Mary Lou Narowski; it began as a weekly hour-long watercolor class, but soon branched out into a wide variety of techniques and now normally runs for at least two hours. For more information, contact Robin Glowa, Director of Bethany Senior Services, at 203-393-2100 x1124. The Gang’s art is being displayed upstairs, on the table to the left of the checkout desk and the shelves across from it. Be sure to stop by during Library hours to take a look!

Some of the Gang’s work will also be part of our 5th Annual Public Art Exhibit, which will take place on July 28th, 1:00-5:00 PM. Save the date!

The Arts@Clark! Fifth Annual Public Art Exhibit will take place on Sunday, July 28, from 1:00 – 5:00 PM!

Parking will be available at the Bethany Historical Society (512 Amity Road) and the First Church of Christ Congregational Church (511 Amity Road).
 
This event is our gift to the community: it is free to all participants – artists, would-be artists, and those who are simply looking to enjoy, renew, and relax on a beautiful summer afternoon. Twenty-six local artists will have their artwork on display on the library grounds – with a wide variety of styles and mediums, ranging from paintings and drawings to needlework and sculpture! There will be live music provided by local musicians, a bake sale sponsored by the Friends of the Library, a display showcasing our newly expanded collection of art books, and even “plein air” art activities for visitors to try out the creative process for themselves!

In celebration of the upcoming Arts@Clark Fifth Annual Outdoor Art Exhibit – which will take place on July 28th, 1:00 to 5:00 PM – our displays for this month will feature books about artists of all kinds, their works, and the process of making art in general. Take the chance to learn about the people who bring so much wonder and color into all of our lives, and make sure to mark the Outdoor Art Exhibit on your calendar so you can meet the artists in our community in person!

An artist reception will be held on June 15th, 2:00 – 3:30 PM for the local artists featured in our Arts@Clark! exhibits for June and July, Karen & Tom Cebula.

Karen, a Northford artist, studied art at Southern CT State University and taught art at public schools for 25 years. Now retired, she focuses on painting with acrylics and is inspired by nature: “I am moved by the light, the color and the texture – the feel of the place.” Her work will be on display in the Community Room.

Wooden carvings made by Karen’s husband Tom will be on display in the downstairs display cabinets. Early in life, Tom chanced upon a display of decoys carved by famous carvers. He was inspired to try his hand at carving and enrolled in workshops with Connecticut woodcarvers Joe Cieslowski and Frank Swiatek to develop skills from knowledgeable instructors. Tom has focused on letter carving signs, as well as three dimensional animals such as fish, birds, and decoys.

Be sure to stop by during Library hours and take a look at both of their work!

Our book displays have metamorphosed to match the theme of our Summer Reading Kickoff for June! Read about bees, butterflies, hummingbirds, and other pollinators, learn more about insects and their relationships with humans and the environment, or enjoy some fiction featuring not-so-creepy-crawlies in starring and supporting roles. Stop in and pick up a book today… and don’t forget to attend our special What’s the Buzz? Presentation on June 8th, 2:00–3:30 PM!

The growing season is in full swing! Garden Tomes are sprouting on the Library’s displays, featuring guides for gardeners and aspiring botanists, stories set in gardens and on farms, and protagonists who care for their local natural and green spaces.
Stop by and pick a few!

Don’t forget, there’s a permanent Horticulture and Gardening display upstairs, just outside of the Teens & Tweens area – and our nonfiction collection also includes a selection of books recommended by Sustainable Bethany.

Our book displays this month feature poetry collections, books written in verse, and the biographies of famous poets, and out on the front lawn our storywalk showcases a selection of spring-themed poems and rhymes!

It’s all in honor of National Poetry Month, a celebration of poetry’s important place in our lives and poets’ integral role in our culture. Launched by a nonprofit charitable organization called the Academy of American Poets in April 1996, it has become the largest literary celebration in the world! This year’s National Poetry Month poster features a line of poetry by a former Chancellor of the Academy of American Poets, Lucille Clifton, and artwork by children’s author and illustrator Jack Wong.

A reception will be held on April 20th, 2:00 – 4:00 PM for the local artist featured in our Arts@Clark! exhibit for May and April, Daniel Eugene Kaminski.

Eugene is a visual artist, poet, musician, performer and photographer from Bethany. He concerns himself with creative expression as a catalyst for the evolution of human consciousness, exploring how the individual relates to our shared humanity and how this shared humanity exists in relationship to the greater reality of an infinite cosmos.

His work will be on display in the Community Room from Saturday, April 6 to Friday, June 7 as part of an exhibition titled Bethany Photographs that will feature images of the town of Bethany going back to 2016.

The Library’s March book displays feature stories about collecting clues and navigating mazes, as well as books of wordplay, whodunnits, and hidden object puzzles.
Stop by during your next visit and find something to stump you!

Black History Month (or African American History Month) is an annual celebration of Black history and culture originally proposed as a week-long event in 1925 by historian Carter G. Woodson. Since then it has grown into a nationally recognized event that lasts a full month! Our book displays for February feature both fiction and nonfiction books with Black authors, illustrators, and protagonists. Take a look next time you visit!