In recognition of American Indian Heritage Month, I want to share the art of Santa Clara Pueblo artist Roxanne Swentzell with you. We’ll take a closer look at her sculpture called “Laughing at the Ducks”, which is part of the library’s permanent art collection. Then we’ll hit the road to see examples of her work in museums in Kansas City and Denver.

Give a discarded book a new life by transforming it into a work of art. Anyone is welcome to bring an altered book to the Gallery before 9pm on Monday, Oct. 29, 2012. The books will be on display in the library from Nov. 6, 2012 – Jan. 2, 2013.

“My job is to tell stories with yarn.” Artist Sarah Swett weaves words from an unfinished novel into her tapestries. The tale is revealed in a series she calls Slow Literature.

Lots of us still make things by hand even though we can buy everything we need in a store or online. I talked with Zan and Heather in the Gallery to find out why.

Pretty madcap Dorothy works in a book-bindery with her friends. Unfortunately, all that work leaves little time for socializing. How is she ever going to find a marriageable fellow? And wait a minute, it’s the 19th century, what are women doing binding books in the first place?

Awkwardness is a universal feeling. Let’s take a closer look at one of the library’s artists’ books that translates these feelings into a 3-dimensional form.

Artists’ books combine text, image, material and structure to tell a story. In honor of National Poetry Month, let’s take a closer look at one of the library’s artists’ books, “Admonition”, by Sara R. Parr.

The votes are in and the prizes have been awarded! Take a look at this year’s Edible Book Festival winners.

Join the fun at the 6th Annual Edible Book Festival. Create an edible masterpiece based on the content or shape of a book, see other edible works of art and vote for your favorites.

Artists’ books encourage us to look outside the binding to see what a book can be. Bottle cap pages, metal covers, and sanded and shaped text blocks are just a few of the possibilities.