The following article was written by Lynn Christiansen, a Youth Services Associate at the Manitowoc Public Library.
Are you looking for the opportunity to unleash your creativity? Look no further than Manitowoc Public Library during the month of September! We will be offering two awesome opportunities to express your artistic imagination.
The first program, Family Activity Night: Lots of Dots, will take place on Tuesday, September 10, at 6:30 PM in the Balkansky Community Room. We will begin by reading The Dot, by Peter H. Reynolds. In this story, a young girl named Vashti is frustrated by what she perceives to be a lack of artistic ability that she needs to complete an assignment in art class. Her supportive teacher encourages Vashti to “make her mark,” which inspires Vashti to find her creative spirit. We will follow that up with the opportunity to create dot-themed works of art, some of which will be displayed in the Library as part of International Dot Day, a day which “celebrates creativity, courage, and collaboration,” according to their website. Learn more about this global celebration at www.internationaldotday.org/. This program is open to children ages 5-11, and no registration is required.
Our second artistic endeavor of the month sees the return of the highly-successful Mini Masterpieces Art Workshop. Our inaugural program saw all 100 canvases distributed, and 73 unique creations returned for display in the Art Show. The workshop is open to those ages five and up and will take place on Tuesday, September 24, at 6 PM in the Balkansky Community Room. We welcome back Glaze & Paint LLC’s owner and operator, Katie Schamburek-Reinboldt, to share information about different styles of painting, as well as simple color theory. Each program attendee will receive a kit that contains a 4” x 4” canvas, paint, brushes, and instructions. If time allows, artists may begin creating their artwork that evening. No registration is required for this event. For those who cannot attend the workshop, any remaining kits will be available for pickup at Library Service Desks starting on Wednesday, September 25.
We will showcase all returned artwork during the Mini Masterpieces Art Show Reception, which will take place on Monday, November 3, at 6 PM in the Balkansky Community Room. In addition to the artwork display, we will have live music provided by Larry Tollefson, drinks and snacks, and photo-ops courtesy of Glaze & Paint. The reception is open to all ages and no registration is required. Once the reception is over, this artwork will remain on public display on the main floor of the Library until Sunday, November 17. Artists may claim their artwork at the Youth Services Desk from November 18-December 2.
If you would like more information about these fantastic and FREE programs, please stop in or call the Youth Department at 920-686-3030, or visit our website: https://www.manitowoclibrary.org/events/month/2024/09.