Westerly Sun Column | Experience Art at the Library

I think it’s a shame that more adults don’t flex their artistic muscles. As kids, we were constantly creating – whether that be with crayons, finger paint, markers, or craft supplies – and these pursuits were generally encouraged by adults around us (provided the finger paint didn’t end up on the wall, the couch, or the cat). As adults, we can be hesitant to explore our artistic side for fear that it won’t be “good”; children, on the other hand, rarely experience this apprehension, and that freedom from worry is part of what makes their art so charming! If you’re at all interested in exploring your creative side, perhaps a trip to the library is all you need to get started.

Every month, the library displays the work of a local artist in our Hoxie Gallery. This September, we’re excited to present our 2nd Annual Community Art Show, which is an exhibit featuring art created by locals of all ages. Last year’s show included acrylics and oils, watercolors, photographs, mixed media, yarn art, and more mediums. All of the submissions were beautiful and unique, and the children’s work in particular was fascinating to see. The exhibit will be open for viewing during normal library hours, but we hope you’ll join us for the opening reception on September 4th from 5-7 p.m., to meet and celebrate some of the artists. It will surely inspire you to break out the paint and paper, as well!

Speaking of inspiration, there are countless books available to check out that are sure to spark your creativity. I personally love “Art Matters”, a short and stunning compilation of writings by Neil Gaiman on the subject of art, which are accompanied by illustrations done by his long-time collaborator Chris Riddell. The book includes “Make Good Art”, Gaiman’s famous commencement speech delivered at the Philadelphia University of the Arts in 2012, which was also published on its own in 2013. You can read both in the span of an hour, and I all but guarantee you’ll want to head straight for the nearest craft store for supplies.

You may also be inspired by looking at some of the great art others have created. We have a large collection of art-related books in our general nonfiction section, but I always encourage folks looking for art books to look at the Oversize collection, which include coffee table style books full of large, gorgeous, high-quality photographs. It’s the next best thing to seeing the work in person. And, SPEAKING OF…I hope you know that we have a variety of passes for discounted admission to various museums, including the RISD Museum, Florence Griswold Museum, and Slater Memorial Museum.

A quick search through our online catalog will bring up tons of other books about art to get you started. “The Art of Photography”, “The Art of Calligraphy”, “The Art of Papermaking”, “The Art of Tattoo”, and “Mastering the Art of French Murder”, just to name a few. Really, we have it all.

By Cassie Skobrak, Adult Services Librarian