Posted by Candice on Friday, Jul 27, 2018
Attention all newcomers to Iowa City and new, or soon-to-be, apartment dwellers: do you have the dreaded "bare wall syndrome?" Are you surrounded by unsightly beige expanses? Are your walls freckled with the Spackle from previous tenants and their pictures and posters? Do you long for something to gaze at besides the nondescript shade of white covering the drywall, or the window-view of your neighbors across the street? If so, you need help, now!
Iowa City Public Library has the remedy: our Art-To-Go collection! Take your pick from 400 framed prints and original works of art by local artists! Cardholders can check out two pieces at a time, for two months. All works are framed with wood or metal, and have secure wire hangers ,and covered in Plexi--all you need is a nail, a hammer (or heavy textbook), and a little elbow grease. Transform your walls, brighten up a hallway, turn any room into a very small, private gallery!
Recent acquisitions include:
Edgar Degas' Swaying Dancer (Dancer in Green)
which captures a young ballerina executing a
graceful turn. Painted during the years of 1877-1879,
Degas' masterful use of brisk strokes of paint convey a
sense of movement and transience.
Jean-Michel Basquiat's Trumpet, painted in 1984, using
acrylic and oil-stick. Basquiat was a young artist with Haitian
and Puerto Rican roots, and he went from spray painting on the
streets of New York City to displaying his works alongside
famous artists in a dizzyingly short amount of time. This work
displays his penchant for bold colors, words and poetry, and an
energy that is both demanding and joyful.
William Blake's Jacob's Ladder. This pen and ink drawing was
created in 1799-1806 by artist Blake, who was also a poet; he is
widely considered to be one of the foremost artists of the era
of Romanticism. This work depicts the Biblical subject of Jacob,
and the dream he had of the stairway to Heaven, as he fled from
his brother Esau. I believe it also shows a lady who's sure,
all that glitters is gold.
Do Not Disturb! by Yoshitomo Nara. Nara has a knack for
picturing people and animals that are at once young and maybe
a little petulant, as well as wise and somehow at peace. This
sweet little dog reads a book, and his smile conveys the feeling
we all know of being so absorbed in a story, in the world of a
book, that we want nothing to intrude.
Drop by the Library and take in some art; it's on the first floor, along the red wall between the main room and the Children's Room. And get those walls fixed!
This is the May read for the library's book group, BYOBook, and it's very enlightening and entertaining! I'm going to say upfront that, based on this book, there is a big mess of snark (against each other, against regular ol' wine drinkers, against restaurant-goers) and the icky feel of a boys' club about the world of wine and sommeliers, but if you're willing to get past that there's a lot in here to learn and enjoy. (If you've read Bourdain, that's not anything new, right?) I applaud the author's desire and willingness to dive into this world, and I'm appreciative of the scientific and historical info she serves up. This behind-the-scenes look at wine in our daily lives--from learning about the doings of vendors and sommeliers, to all the ways one might determine what makes wine good--is truly interesting, and while it might make me want to hop on downtown for a glass to test my skills on, it also makes me really glad it's not my job to taste and choose SO. MUCH. WINE. If you like fun schtick-lit, if you like a little science in the vein of Mary Roach, and whether or not you imbibe, this is a really good read. -Candice