Art at the Library

January 2020 Art Walk

Happy New Year!!!  Take a deep breath and think about.......Trees!

Our January artist, Pipper Watkins presented her exhibit titled "Trees", opening January 3, 5-7PM for First Friday Art Walk.  Here is Pipper's description of her work:

TREES.  Here in the Northwest we are surrounded by green. Tall trees and the understory.  A diverse ecology ranging from dry to very, very wet. We who live here become oblivious to it all, not aware of the diversity of plant and animal life surrounding us. 
 
My goal with this series is to show trees in a way that can't be ignored. One must look, and look again.  Thoughts may lead to questions. Will questions lead to answers?
 
The works are done on 24 x 30 professional grade canvases. Acrylics and modeling gel is utilized as the medium.  Indigenous species with unusual textures and character will be in the series. Many of the works will be done with the intent of showing these features at very close range.
 
Having lived on Guam as a child, the Asian aesthetic has influenced my life in many ways, including my artwork. A graduate of Oregon State University, I have taught elementary school as well as art at the community college level. Having worked for years as a botanical illustrator in watercolor, my works are in collections including the Corning Glass family, a relative of Karen von Blixen-Finecke (aka. Isak Dinesen), and a vice-president of BBC television.  Pen and ink illustrations were also done for a book on heathers. These watercolors follow the Japanese aesthetic rather than the European.
 
As president of the Corvallis Art Guild I was also a member of the Corvallis Art Center jury deciding the artists who would be showing each year in the main gallery. I studied under Portland artist Ted Katz where I finally learned how to loosen up! It was a great discovery. (He said I graduated "Suma cum Laude" - I think he might have been concerned I was a lost cause!)
 
For 40 odd years I helped my husband with his business of landscape/grounds maintenance. I have written romance novels and am currently involved in my own business as a full-service florist here on the island. My husband, having a masters in wildlife management, spent his life outdoors. We spent many, many hours observing and documenting Washington bird life. Because of circumstances, I am now able to return to my artwork as well as continue my floral business. I am extremely fortunate to be able to do both! You can view this Pipper's exhibit during the entire month of January and on the library website, www.bainbridgepubliclibrary.org.  

As always, thank you for supporting local artists and your Bainbridge Public Library. 
A portion of sales proceeds is donated back to the library.

~ Linda Meier, art coordinator
Great Decisions Series is Coming!



Following is the tentative schedule - please note that dates are subject to change. If you'd like to be added to the list for alerts about date changes, please send an email to: [email protected]

January 18: The Philippines and the U.S. Moderator: Vincent Rafael, Professor of History, Southeast Asia Center, Jackson School of International Studies. 

January 25: Artificial Intelligence and Data. Moderator: TBA

February 1: Red Sea Security. Moderator: David Fenner, Affiliate Lecturer, Middle East Center, Jackson School of International Studies.

February 8: Climate Change and the Global Order. Moderator: Derik Broekhoff, Senior Scientist, Stockholm Environment Institute.

February 15: Modern Slavery and Human Trafficking Moderator: Suamhirs Piraino-Guzman, Washington Anti-Trafficking Response Network, International Rescue Committee

February 22: U.S. Relations with the Northern Triangle. Moderator: Seattle International Foundation - Central America.

February 29: China's Road into Latin America. Moderator: Jonathan Warren, Professor, Latin American and Caribbean Studies Center, Jackson School of International Studies.

March 7: India and Pakistan. Moderator: Sunila S. Kale, Associate Professor, South Asia Center, Jackson School of International Studies
New Leaves for the Legacy Tree



It's that time when many of us are making resolutions for the new year. Perhaps reviewing your estate plan is on your list for 2020. We encourage you to let us know if you've chosen Bainbridge Public Library as one of your beneficiaries so that we may invite you to join the BPL Legacy Circle. We will be proud to hang your leaf on the Legacy Tree in our beautiful library gardens to signify your support into the future for this community treasure.

For more information, contact [email protected]
What's Up With Facilities?

Generic tools for Facilities work

The BPL facilities committee continues to be hard at work maintaining the library building and grounds. Three multi-month 2020 projects will begin in January: design of new HVAC and trash enclosure fencing, a redesign of the parking lots to increase both safety and capacity, and replacement of the Japanese Garden entry gates and fencing.
More noticeably, problem trees are scheduled to be removed and replaced to prevent future damage to buildings and/or infrastructure. And, as always, numerous small electrical and plumbing repairs and/or upgrades are in the queue.
Books Worth Sharing



I'll Keep You Safe
by Peter May

Niamh and Ruairidh Macfarlane are the owners of Ranish Tweed, a successful Scottish cloth manufacturer. They've worked hard to bring their version of the historic tweed industry to the attention of the fashion trade and are thrilled to receive an order by a flashy British designer to showcase their tweeds at a Paris show. While in Paris, Ruairdh seems to be spending a lot of time with a sexy Russian designer and Niamh fears an affair. After confronting her husband, he storms out of their hotel room and goes straight into the arms of Irina and into her car that is promptly blown to smithereens. Is it a Russian plot? An angry Russian husband? A random terrorist act? A jealous fashionista? The Parisian police and French intelligence seem stumped, and once they release Niamh she returns to the Isle of Lewis to mourn her loss and reconstruct her life. But her family and Ruairidh's are consumed with long-held grudges and small-town secrets that they cannot put aside to help poor Niamh. Could the key to Ruairidh's murder lie in their long smoldering secrets? This Peter May stand alone is a deliciously atmospheric story with marvelous twists and turns. Full of texture and color and rich Scottish language it is as rich as the tweed that is at the heart of the story. Peter May is Scotland's top thriller writer and readers will not be disappointed by this story and will wish for the sequel that is likely never to be.

~ Susan Braun
Have You Seen This Library?

 
I simply must share this lovely library with you. It is the Alamitos Heights branch of Long Beach Public Library in California. It is the first public library in which I worked as a librarian after graduating from USC Library School. In 1895 a group of women formed the Alamitos Library Association. Jotham Bixby Sr. donated this land in 1897 and funds were raised to construct the first library building. The current building, a 7,475 sq ft replica of a castle in Spain with wrought iron railings, decorated beams, and a patio with an art tile fountain, opened in January 1929. In 1997, the Alamitos Neighborhood Library celebrated 100 years of service to the community. The library is named after the community it serves, Alamitos Heights. It was a fabulous building in which to work and the neighborhood, mostly retirees at that time, was filled with avid readers. It is where I fell in love with readers' advisory and collection development.

~ Susan Braun
Friends of the Library Book Sales

The Bainbridge Island Friends of the Library book sales offer gently used books, CDs, DVDs, audiobooks and magazines to support the Friends, who in turn reinvest in the library through endowment gifts, programming and special events, magazine subscriptions, the aquarium in the Children's Library and much more. Daily, scores of donated books, magazines, CDs, DVDs, and other items arrive in our book room.  A crew of volunteers work three days a week to sort, price, organize, and shelve these donations for our sales.  As a result, our stock of books and other items on display for sale is constantly renewed. Over a year's period, we receive several hundred thousand books and we are proud that we have only gently used, often new appearing books on our shelves.

Mark your calendar for book sales at Bainbridge Public Library:

Saturday, January 11th 10:00am - 4:00pm
Tuesday, January 28th 10:00am - 4:00pm

Did You Know?

 

  • Bainbridge Public Library, a separate nonprofit organization, owns, operates, and maintains the Library building and grounds through community donations and grants. 
  • Kitsap Regional Library provides the library staff, collection, classes, and a virtual library at KRL.org with funding from property tax revenues.  
  • Together we provide the quality library our community wants and has come to expect.  
Thank you for your support.