It's a Boy!

 

Congrats, Intern William Brogdon

Valdosta State University offers Georgia’s only Library Science degree program.  The Friends of Smyrna library fund Georgia’s only Library Science internship. 

We celebrated our 2013 intern, William Brogdon, recently completing his semester long program at the Smyrna Public Library earlier this week.

Congrats, William, and continued success with your Master’s Degree studies!

New Chapter Books! Come Check Them Out - Literally!

Wheelie Good Books

Come check out this month's display of nonfiction books about transportation!

Teen Time Crafting Workshop: Catching Fire

 

Quarter-Peeled Oranges: A Poet and Illustrator Collaboration

AUTHOR APPEARANCE

Quarter-Peeled Oranges: A Poet and Illustrator Collaboration

Speakers:
Dr. Bruce Gillett, author of Quarter-Peeled Oranges
Bill Needs, illustrator of Quarter-Peeled Oranges

Smyrna Public Library, Meeting Room
Tuesday November 12, 2013
10:30 AM

Mr. Needs will discuss how life events for the author and artist led to the creation of a book by a couple strangers with no practical experience to the process they would undertake. Dr. Gillett will also read a few poems from the collection. Some illustrations from the book will be on display in the Library's Second Floor Gallery.

Questions and Answers will be encouraged throughout the presentation. Books will be available for sale and signing. All proceeds will be donated to Susan G. Komen for the Cure – Atlanta Affiliate.  Six books will pay for one mammogram for a woman who cannot afford to pay for the test; it also funds other services for breast cancer prevention, detection, treatment and research.

Refreshments will be served.

About Quarter-Peeled Oranges by Sally Litchfield (Marietta Daily Journal)

In Quarter-Peeled Oranges, a compilation of love poems, Dr. Bruce Gillett remembers his lovely wife, Dale, who died of breast cancer in 2010. Local artist Bill Needs illustrated the book. Quarter-Peeled Oranges a tribute to wife, a cause for the cure, started as grief writing and eventually took on another purpose. Gillett brings awareness of the need for cancer research and donates all proceeds from the book to Susan G. Komen for the Cure.

First Sunday Lecture Series: Wilbur Kurtz, Artist and Illustrator

Wilbur Kurtz III (Bill) spoke on the life and career of his grandfather and namesake, noted Atlanta area artist, illustrator and historian Wilbur Kurtz.  The artist moved to Atlanta from the Midwest in 1912. His adventures with pen, paintbrush, and sketchbook spanned 55 years and his works are now on display in major American art museums.

Mr. Kurtz became technical adviser for three notable Hollywood films that treated of Georgia themes: “Gone With the Wind” (1938); “Song of the South” (1946); and Walt Disney’s “The Great Locomotive Chase” (1957).  The speaker displayed various items of his grandfather's paintings, sketch books, and memorabilia in this fascinating talk.

The "First Sunday" lecture series is held in the Smyrna Public Library Meeting Room and is sponsored by the Friends of Smyrna Library.

Illustrations In Graphite, Pen & Ink Exhibit by Bill Needs Opens in Art Gallery

A resident of Marietta for nearly 40 years, Bill Needs followed an unusual route into the field of art. A few years after retiring from a career in Vocational Rehabilitation, curiosity prompted him to enroll in a drawing course at Kennesaw State University, (OLLI) Continuing Education. With no prior interest in art, that brief exposure to the creative powers of a pencil and pen revealed a hidden talent! For over five years, Bill has continued to experiment and expand his artistic perceptions with these simple tools. 

His art is eclectic ...

-capturing motion and mood of weather upon landscapes and seascapes;
-reflecting a range of human emotion in faces, postures and interacting cultures,
-sculpting memory-evoking images of and bonds with animals and pets;
-even offering whimsical views of Marietta’s fabled icon, the “Big Chicken”.
Poignant illustrations to supplement love poems authored by Dr. Bruce Gillett in Quarter Peeled Oranges; cover illustration to the historical treatment of letters from civil war soldiers interred at Marietta’s National Cemetery, titled Rest Brave Comrades – Your Work is Done, published by historian Brad Quinlin; and more.
This talent continues to evolve, to his delight and to the surprise of those who know him. His art can also be found in DuPre’s Antique Market – Artist’s Forum”. You are invited to enjoy his art, add your comments, request a commission, or make recommendations for other scenes you’d like to see Bill bring to the sketchbook. -rendering precise architectural lines to describe buildings and monuments;

Bill’s art has been featured in local juried exhibitions at Marietta Art Museum, Acworth’s Gallery 4463, and Kennesaw’s Smith Gilbert Gardens. Bill has donated architectural illustrations for Marietta’s annual “Pilgrimage” holiday tour of homes. Bill has offered drawing classes (titled “Beyond Doodling”) to Marietta’s Enrichment for Life Movement (“ELM”), and other venues around Cobb.

   

Origami, Armor & Jewelry Exhibit by Helen Rule Opens in Display Gallery

Helen Rule lives in Marietta. She holds a degree in anthropology from The Johns Hopkins University of Baltimore and an MBA from Emory University in Atlanta. Her jewelry, armor and origami designs reflect her extensive background in cultural anthropology and archaeology, as well as her passion for East Asian art, history and culture, and her lifelong interest in military history.

Chainmaille refers to the material produced by linking small metal rings together to form a mesh. Helen has been studying and making chainmaille for over ten years. Her chainmaille jewelry pieces have hundreds (sometimes thousands) of hand-made links that are woven into unique works of art. Because of the many types of chain patterns that can be produced and her ability to incorporate other elements (such as semiprecious stones, beads, found objects, etc.), Helen's chainmaille jewelry pieces are complex, beautiful, and unique. Her designs range from the casual to the exquisite.

Helen also designs wearable pieces of clothing and armor that incorporate chainmaille, leather, metals and cloth. She draws much of her inspiration from the techniques used in ancient military garb. Helen's armor pieces are influenced by the traditional shapes and techniques of ancient armor used around the world, but incorporate her own unique designs and materials.

Also drawing upon her interest in Asian culture, Helen creates unique origami ornaments, sculptures, and jewelry, primarily revolving around the iconic crane so prevalent in Japanese society. Origami is the traditional Japanese art of paper folding. It is believed to have started in the 17th century AD and was popularized outside of Japan in the mid-1900s. It has evolved into a modern art form. Helen's origami pieces range from simple ornaments to elaborate sculptures incorporating found objects and other elements, even including chainmaille in some pieces.