The kick-off event to celebrate the installation of the library’s grant-funded Community Art Boxes project will take the form of a winter solstice evening parade around Town Center to visit the five Community Art Box locations: 

• The entrance to the library
• Town Hall
• The Village Green
• The Police Department
• The Community Center

If you mhave attended one of our lantern-making workshops in recent months, please bring your lantern to the parade. If not, we will offer an opportunity before the event for you to to construct lanterns to carry during the parade:

5:00 Make a simple lantern from everyday objects–no registration necessary!
6:00 Parade around Town Center
6:30 Return to the library for hot cocoa & cookies!

Our inaugural exhibit will feature a variety of artwork made by community members at our workshops this past year. If you made artwork with us, or were inspired to do so after a workshop, please drop it by the library before December 20 so we can add it our first Community Art Box displays. Please include this form with your submission. In addition to your artwork, we would love to have the following:

• An object or objects that relate to your artwork (something that inspired you, relates to the work you created in any way, etc.)
• A short piece of writing about your artwork or what it means to you
• Any printed photographs that you might like to accompany your artwork
• An audio clip or short video that relates to your work that we can post on our website and link to with a QR code in the display
• Any other interesting thing you can think of that might enhance a viewer’s experience of your work!

About the Community Art Box Project

The project was the result of a national grant the library received from the American Library Association, funded by the Estee Lauder Foundation’s “Writing Change” initiative. The grant was intended to support community art projects that inspire civic engagement. Local artist Marie Ahearn and TML Director, Rachel Davis, developed the concept through training sessions with the other 11 libraries nationwide that were chosen to receive the grant. Five mini-galleries are being installed at locations around Town Center, which will feature monthly displays of artwork by community members. The library has offered several lantern-making workshops in recent months, and will offer an opportunity before the event for the public to construct lanterns to carry during the parade around Town Center. Find out more here!