The Bradford Area Public Library will highlight youth artists by hanging their works in Childrens’ and Teen art galleries, with a formal reception set 5 to 6 p.m. Jan. 22. to celebrate their opening.
“I think the kids are very excited for this,” said Bonnie Leposa, children and teen coordinator for the library.
“It is a great opportunity for our community to come out, support them and recognize the hard work of these young artists.”
The Childrens’ Art Gallery will feature work from 17 children, ages 2 to 12.
“We had talked about brightening up the childrens’ room because the current pictures of wildlife are nice but they are older and the colors are a bit faded,” said Leposa. “Rather than paying money and buying a bunch of stuff we thought we would hang the childrens’ art.”
The pieces of art were made throughout the last year as children participated in library programs. Leposa has been setting aside exceptional pieces in anticipation of the gallery.
“I hope that featuring the childrens’ art will give the community a sense of ownership,” said Leposa.
The childrens’ art features everything from finger painting, paintings done with squirt guns, pastels and canvas paintings, and paintings where children emulated various styles of art.
“The idea is that I will keep collecting pieces as time goes by and once I have enough we will rotate them out so that other children have a chance to be featured as well,” said Leposa.
In August, local teenagers participated in a photography workshop at Marilla Reservoir. They were given cameras filled with 35mm black and white film to capture their nature walk. Six of the teens’ photos will be featured in the Teen Gallery, in the new teen room.
The reception will feature juice and finger foods. The public is encouraged to come check out the artwork and celebrate the effort of these talented young artists.
Leposa closed the childrens’ room Wednesday to get ready for the big event. She said she wanted to wait until the opening to hang up the art, to help build some excitement.
“We wanted to make it special for the kids,” said Leposa. “We wanted it to feel a bit fancy so it would be memorable for them.”