Librarians On the Wall...
Librarians On the Wall...
... a review of the Art Libraries Society of North America: Members' Exhibition, Queens College Art Center, April 15 - July 15, 2004 Many art librarians and visual resource specialists are also artists. This may not be obvious to our colleagues, faculty, students, museum staff, and other patrons that we serve. We are known for the reference service we provide, the library workshops we teach, and the library collections we build. If we manage to carve out the time to create art, it is often a private or personal endeavor. We may show our work to family and friends, and may even show or sell our art on a local or national level, but we have few opportunities to share our creative endeavors with other art information professionals. In 1998, ARLIS/NA members had the opportunity to show their art in Philadelphia during the annual meeting. Inspired by that exhibition, Suzanna Simor, Alexandra de Luise and Mollie Moskowitz of Queens College decided to curate another ARLIS/NA show to coincide with this year's annual meeting in New York. Artists submitted images of their art well before the exhibition. The show's curators selected artworks created by 23 artists. The Queens College Art Library is fortunate to have a beautiful gallery on the sixth floor of the Benjamin S. Rosenthal Library. This is where the exhibition was installed. An opening reception was held during the annual meeting on Sunday, April 18, during which the artists spoke about their art during an organized gallery talk. Others in attendance included members of the artists' families, ARLIS colleagues, and students and other individuals from Queens College. The show will remain up through July 15, 2004. The exhibition embraces an impressive range of media, including paintings, drawings, prints, photographs, artists' books, collages, glass, and fiber arts. The ARLIS/Mountain West chapter is well represented in this show. Two sparkling watercolor paintings by Tom Greives (Arizona State University) give the impression of having been spontaneously created roadside while touring some remote southwestern highway. The snapshot of two men clad in black leather done by Miguel Juarez (University of Arizona) provides a candid glimpse into the Leather and BDSM community of Phoenix. The watercolor painting and mixed media collage done by Marilyn Russell (Institute of American Indian Arts) present a colorful evocation of spirituality and Native American heritage. It was a treat for me to view these and all the other artworks on display, and to hear what my librarian colleagues had to say about the role of creativity and artistic expression in their personal and professional lives. Before the exhibition, the curators announced that there were many "surprises" in the exhibition. I am sure they were referring to the range of art in the show, but a big "surprise" for me was the talk that I gave during the opening reception. My artist's book, For Maya, was inspired by very private feelings about my daughter, whom I adopted in China in 1998. I had no idea what I would say in such a public forum until the words were literally coming out of my mouth. I was touched by the genuine response I received, which, in turn, has inspired me to continue exploring this and similar themes in my art. And here's another surprise. Who could have anticipated that someone would want to purchase my diminutive and very personal artist's book? (Sorry, Miguel, it's not for sale, but I AM flattered.) For the web-based version of the exhibition, visit
http://qcpages.qc.edu/Library/art/041504.html
Submitted by Nina Stephenson
... a review of the Art Libraries Society of North America: Members' Exhibition, Queens College Art Center, April 15 - July 15, 2004 Many art librarians and visual resource specialists are also artists. This may not be obvious to our colleagues, faculty, students, museum staff, and other patrons that we serve. We are known for the reference service we provide, the library workshops we teach, and the library collections we build. If we manage to carve out the time to create art, it is often a private or personal endeavor. We may show our work to family and friends, and may even show or sell our art on a local or national level, but we have few opportunities to share our creative endeavors with other art information professionals. In 1998, ARLIS/NA members had the opportunity to show their art in Philadelphia during the annual meeting. Inspired by that exhibition, Suzanna Simor, Alexandra de Luise and Mollie Moskowitz of Queens College decided to curate another ARLIS/NA show to coincide with this year's annual meeting in New York. Artists submitted images of their art well before the exhibition. The show's curators selected artworks created by 23 artists. The Queens College Art Library is fortunate to have a beautiful gallery on the sixth floor of the Benjamin S. Rosenthal Library. This is where the exhibition was installed. An opening reception was held during the annual meeting on Sunday, April 18, during which the artists spoke about their art during an organized gallery talk. Others in attendance included members of the artists' families, ARLIS colleagues, and students and other individuals from Queens College. The show will remain up through July 15, 2004. The exhibition embraces an impressive range of media, including paintings, drawings, prints, photographs, artists' books, collages, glass, and fiber arts. The ARLIS/Mountain West chapter is well represented in this show. Two sparkling watercolor paintings by Tom Greives (Arizona State University) give the impression of having been spontaneously created roadside while touring some remote southwestern highway. The snapshot of two men clad in black leather done by Miguel Juarez (University of Arizona) provides a candid glimpse into the Leather and BDSM community of Phoenix. The watercolor painting and mixed media collage done by Marilyn Russell (Institute of American Indian Arts) present a colorful evocation of spirituality and Native American heritage. It was a treat for me to view these and all the other artworks on display, and to hear what my librarian colleagues had to say about the role of creativity and artistic expression in their personal and professional lives. Before the exhibition, the curators announced that there were many "surprises" in the exhibition. I am sure they were referring to the range of art in the show, but a big "surprise" for me was the talk that I gave during the opening reception. My artist's book, For Maya, was inspired by very private feelings about my daughter, whom I adopted in China in 1998. I had no idea what I would say in such a public forum until the words were literally coming out of my mouth. I was touched by the genuine response I received, which, in turn, has inspired me to continue exploring this and similar themes in my art. And here's another surprise. Who could have anticipated that someone would want to purchase my diminutive and very personal artist's book? (Sorry, Miguel, it's not for sale, but I AM flattered.) For the web-based version of the exhibition, visit
http://qcpages.qc.edu/Library/art/041504.html
Submitted by Nina Stephenson
posted by miguel at 9:41 AM
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