In February, the New Westminster Public Library launched a call for art submissions in the library.
We also engaged a community art selection committee, which included: Rick Carswell, past president at Arts Council of New Westminster; Biliana Velkova, arts coordinator at the City of New Westminster; Erin Watkins, manager, programs and community development at the library; Peter McConville, library board trustee and myself Kate Sloan, public services librarian.
It was not easy to choose from the 27 varied submissions from individual artists and groups from New Westminster and the greater Metro Vancouver area. After much deliberation, the committee selected nine individual artists and one group to show in the library for one-month shows, until the end of 2016.
During the selection process, it was the goal of the committee to choose artists who practise in a variety of media and come from diverse experiences.
The first selected show was hung this April by illustrator Eleanor Rosenberg.
From May through December 2016, here is the upcoming roster of monthly artists, in order of date: Jessica Berg, multi-media; Jesse Cahill, photography; Carmen Taveras, watercolour; PJ Patten, comics; Mardell Rampton, textiles; Iris Mes-Low, paint; Engelbert Romero, photography and Franci Louann, poetry and drawings.
Currently, our Ramp Gallery is reserved for local schools and organizations. We are lucky to have the Century House Artists present a portraiture exhibit from May through July, entitled Face to Face. You will also find Jessica Berg’s vinyl series in our Upstairs Gallery until the end of May.
Our new art submission process has been a learning experience for all involved, with our continued goal to support the strong cultural community in New Westminster. We look forward to an even better experience for everyone in our 2017 call for submissions, planned for fall 2016.
We welcome your feedback about the art in the library or our new submissions process, at [email protected]. In the meantime, please come see all the wonderful art at the library!
