The Midwest Genealogy Center has many displays of various types, and there is always something new to see there. Right now you can see a sampling of hair wreaths from Leila’s Hair Museum. The museum, which is located on Noland Road in Independence, Missouri, boasts well over 100 hair wreaths, as well as an assortment of jewelry and other artifacts that are made of, or at least contain, human hair.
This June, Lee’s Summit teens submitted over 50 works of art for our first annual Teen Art Show. The winners are on display at our branch for the rest of the summer. Stop by and check them out!
No, your eyes are not playing tricks on you. These teenagers are actually cutting up library books!
It’s just a fact of life in the library that some books become so damaged or outdated that they cannot stay on our shelves. We sell what we can, but some books have just simply reached the end of their lives. These intrepid teens have found a way to recycle those used, stained, battered, and worn books: turn them into art.
This summer, kids ages 7-18 participated in our Young Artist Exhibition. Over 80 works of art were submitted in categories ranging from drawing, painting, photography, graphic art, and mixed media. Local teachers, artists, and professionals judged the submissions. We were amazed at all the talented kids we have in our community!
Life is better with Art! Maybe you’ve seen a poster with this statement on it at a MCPL branch. Did it make you stop and think how dreary the world would be without art? Art can stimulate all the senses as well as calm and rejuvenate you. Have you taken a look at the song, dance, fine arts, and theatre databases MCPL has collected for you? These can be enjoyed at home, at your convenience!
I was walking through an outdoor art fair this weekend and was impressed by the pretty gourd art one of the vendors had for sale. There were dozens of different shapes and sizes for the gourds, and they were made into a number of interesting items. Some of them were birdhouses. Others were wall hangings, candleholders, beautiful containers and necklaces.
Who doesn't love turning a boring piece of paper into a work of art?! Recently, Midori Ito Harbison visited the Smithville Branch to teach us some basic techniques. I've always loved origami paper; it's so colorful and bright. Some of the cool stuff we got to make? A samurai hat, a fish, a cool box, a piano with a bench, and of course - a crane!
Check Out the Artistry In Your Library's Juvenile Easy Section
Are you looking for entertaining, enjoyable, and moving works of art? Are the art books in the library and the books store just too heavy and too content specific? Do you just want to look at pretty pictures and think about life from a new perspective? Try spending fifteen or twenty minutes in the Juvenile Easy Section of your library. Forget about the kid stories and childish themes; just look at the pictures and marvel at the skill, imagination, and dedication involved in illustrating these books. You can find everything from highly realistic to vaguely abstract works of art.
ART MATTERS
