As the grand reopening of the renovated Jamaica Plain Branch Library nears, the space is being activated in numerous ways, including a Friends of the JP Branch Library fundraiser on Friday night. Plus the Friends announced the artists who will have their art exhibited this year at the library.
The artist gallery is being produced presented by the Friends group in partnership with Uforge Gallery. Four artists were selected from more than 50 proposals, which were reviewed by the 5-member selection committee comprised of both library staff and members of the community.
Fine art photographer Steven Edson, of Belmont, will be the first artist to have his work exhibited. His exhibition Road Paint will be on display from May 5 through June 30, with a public reception on June 8 at 6 pm.
The Friends’ website described Edson’s work:
With a keen eye for detail and fondness for pattern and texture, Edson captures abstract selections of paint found on city streets, boiling them down to an essence of line, shape, and color. His works make the familiar suddenly unfamiliar, reframing the pavement traversed unnoticed by so many pedestrians, cyclists, and drivers every day. Each photograph carries multiple levels of interpretation, whether viewed literally, figuratively, or abstractly.
The next three artists after Edson will be:
July/August: Cristina Rosa Nelson
September/October: Shao Zhang
November/December: Juan Murray
The next call for artist proposals will be announced at the end of the summer.
Friday night’s fundraiser raised money for ongoing programming in the new teen area, art gallery and maker space for the coming year. There was a featured performance by members of ‘A Far Cry,’ the Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum’s resident chamber orchestra.
