Art comes to life at Marysville Library
Published on Thu, Dec 18, 2008 by Beckye RandallRead More Local News
Playful bronze cats and a dynamic expanse of stained glass artistry were among the works on display at the Marysville Public Library for an artists' reception held December 11. The event, recognizing several local artists, was attended by civic leaders, library staff and patrons, and volunteers from Friends of the Marysville Library.
Jack Archibald, a glass artist from Camano Island, received accolades for his stained glass installation that now graces the library's entrance. Entitled "Dewey Decimal," Archibald created a design that's meant to be a "portal" into the electronic world of today's library.
"Trying to explain art is like using sign language to describe music," said Archibald. So rather than talk about the piece itself, the local artist used the forum to celebrate the importance of libraries in our society.
"Good libraries are like good art," he said. "They reflect the values of the community and inspire what comes next."
Port Townsend sculptors Sarah Ohman-Ybarra Lopez and Mark Stevenson created a series of seven bronze cat statues in various poses that now grace the local library. Called "Library Cat," the sculptures are strategically placed so that only one cat is visible at any one time, giving the impression of a living feline prowling among the book stacks.
The son of a librarian, Stevenson said the idea of creating art for a library was very appealing to him. The lifelike sculptures capture the movements of the couple's real cat, and both agree that narrowing the many interesting poses down to only seven was difficult.
Managing librarian Eric Spencer explained that the art came to the library in various ways. "The Gellerson family left a generous bequest to the library, and a portion of that contribution funded the two main pieces-the glass installation at the entry and the Library Cat sculptures," he said.
Two watercolor works, "Children at Storytime" by Gene Cyrus and "Rhododendron Diptych" by Joan Grout, both Marysville artists, were purchased by the Friends of the Marysville Library.
The final new piece was donated by artists Chaim Bezalel and Yonnah Ben Levy of Stanwood. "Snowfall on Skykomish" is a mixed-media painting that captures the essence of winter on a picturesque local river.
Spencer, who has worked for the Sno-Isle Library system for 12 years, has been at the Marysville branch for eight months. "This community has shown such great support for the facility," he commented.
Jonalyn Woolf-Ivory, the library director, noted that the art installations were "the culmination of a labor of love that took many months to accomplish."
Expressing gratitude for the Gellerson bequest, Woolf-Ivory continued, "It's not everyday that a public library is presented with a private gift."
In addition to the public art purchases, the $150,000 donation from the Gellerson family will be used to update the library's technology center with new computers and enhanced digital capabilities.
The library's art committee, chaired by Sue Rasmussen, received more than 40 proposals for the public art projects. The two pieces chosen by the committee evoked the most powerful emotional responses from committee members and were deemed most appropriate for the displays' longevity.
Woolf-Ivory was pleased with the public's response to the art as well. "I've watched people petting the cats and enjoying the play of light through the stained glass entry," she said. "It's a good thing."
Jack Archibald, a glass artist from Camano Island, received accolades for his stained glass installation that now graces the library's entrance. Entitled "Dewey Decimal," Archibald created a design that's meant to be a "portal" into the electronic world of today's library.
"Trying to explain art is like using sign language to describe music," said Archibald. So rather than talk about the piece itself, the local artist used the forum to celebrate the importance of libraries in our society.
"Good libraries are like good art," he said. "They reflect the values of the community and inspire what comes next."
Port Townsend sculptors Sarah Ohman-Ybarra Lopez and Mark Stevenson created a series of seven bronze cat statues in various poses that now grace the local library. Called "Library Cat," the sculptures are strategically placed so that only one cat is visible at any one time, giving the impression of a living feline prowling among the book stacks.
The son of a librarian, Stevenson said the idea of creating art for a library was very appealing to him. The lifelike sculptures capture the movements of the couple's real cat, and both agree that narrowing the many interesting poses down to only seven was difficult.
Managing librarian Eric Spencer explained that the art came to the library in various ways. "The Gellerson family left a generous bequest to the library, and a portion of that contribution funded the two main pieces-the glass installation at the entry and the Library Cat sculptures," he said.
Two watercolor works, "Children at Storytime" by Gene Cyrus and "Rhododendron Diptych" by Joan Grout, both Marysville artists, were purchased by the Friends of the Marysville Library.
The final new piece was donated by artists Chaim Bezalel and Yonnah Ben Levy of Stanwood. "Snowfall on Skykomish" is a mixed-media painting that captures the essence of winter on a picturesque local river.
Spencer, who has worked for the Sno-Isle Library system for 12 years, has been at the Marysville branch for eight months. "This community has shown such great support for the facility," he commented.
Jonalyn Woolf-Ivory, the library director, noted that the art installations were "the culmination of a labor of love that took many months to accomplish."
Expressing gratitude for the Gellerson bequest, Woolf-Ivory continued, "It's not everyday that a public library is presented with a private gift."
In addition to the public art purchases, the $150,000 donation from the Gellerson family will be used to update the library's technology center with new computers and enhanced digital capabilities.
The library's art committee, chaired by Sue Rasmussen, received more than 40 proposals for the public art projects. The two pieces chosen by the committee evoked the most powerful emotional responses from committee members and were deemed most appropriate for the displays' longevity.
Woolf-Ivory was pleased with the public's response to the art as well. "I've watched people petting the cats and enjoying the play of light through the stained glass entry," she said. "It's a good thing."
blog comments powered by Disqus
