Art lives on at the library

Art has always had a home at the University City Public Library. We have several works on display throughout the library, from our literary lion sculpture, “Goldilocks,” (named by the grandchild of one of our generous donors), to our beautiful quilts and tapestries. We are proud to host a wonderful display of ceramics created at the People’s University, which was located just north of the library in what is today the Lewis Center and established by the city’s founder and first mayor, Edward Gardner Lewis.

The ceramics, some owned by the Historical Society of University City and some by the library, are housed in the center of the library’s ground floor, in a custom display case donated to the library by the Historical Society and the Missouri State Questers.

On our second floor, The Gallery regularly features a variety of quality exhibits by emerging and established artists from around St. Louis and across the country. The Gallery frequently hosts shows by community groups and schools in the off-season. Exhibits can be viewed year round during regular library hours. The Gallery even hosts a show of art created by library staff members every other year. That exhibit, Don’t Quit Your Day Job, will make its next appearance in June.

The Gallery is now accepting submissions for its 2013-2014 season. The deadline will be in April, and a jury of local artists will meet in May to choose the exhibitors for the next year. We encourage artists near and far to submit an application for an exhibition. We are not able to accommodate free-standing pieces or works requiring display cases. Applicants should be familiar with the space and have sufficient work to mount a full one- or two-person exhibit.

For further submission details, check the gallery website www.ucitylibrary.org/gallery.asp or contact Lexine Pranschke at 314-727-3150 or lexine@ucpl.lib.mo.us.

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In other library news, we’re happy to announce that UCPL has been selected to receive the Bridging Cultures Bookshelf: Muslim Journeys. The Bookshelf is a collection of twenty-five books, three documentary films, and a one-year subscription to Oxford Islamic Studies Online. According to the project’s website, the Bookshelf was developed to “introduce readers to some new and diverse perspectives on the people, places, histories, beliefs, practices, and cultures of Muslims in the United States and around the world.”

The collection will be rolled out on April 18, when UCPL will collaborate with the Interfaith Partnership of Greater St. Louis to present a facilitated screening and discussion of the film Prince among Slaves at 7 p.m. in the library auditorium. The Bookshelf titles will eventually join UCPL’s already diverse collection of books reflecting faiths from around the world.

The Bridging Cultures Bookshelf: Muslim Journeys is a project of the National Endowment for the Humanities, conducted in cooperation with the American Library Association. Support was provided by a grant from Carnegie Corporation of New York. Additional support for the arts and media components was provided by the Doris Duke Foundation for Islamic Art.

The University City Public Library is open from 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. Monday through Friday, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday, and 1 to 5 p.m. Sunday. Visit our website at www.ucpl.lib.mo.us.