Santa Visits Smyrna Public Library

 

Visit by Southern Order of Storytellers

The Smyrna Public Library enjoyed hosting the Southern Order of Storytellers today as they treated the attendees to holiday stories from around the world. Thank you so much for presenting your stories!

First Sunday Lecture Series: Turning Points in the History of Smyrna

Speaker: Dr. William P. Marchione, author of A Brief History of Smyrna, Georgia

Dr. Marchione presented a slideshow presentation entitled “Turning Points in the History of Smyrna” that examined the factors that fostered or retarded growth of the city over the course of its history. A book signing of Dr. Marchione’s book, which offers many new perspectives on Smyrna’s interesting history, followed.

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

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.

   

Friends of Smyrna Library Bookstore

Did you know that the Friends of Smyrna Library operate a bookstore in the Smyrna Public Library? Turn left at the staircase when you enter from the parking lot. 

Magazines are this week’s featured bargain. They are only 10 cents each everyday! We sell all we can get so please recycle your old magazines with us through a donation and get a tax deduction too. Magazines can be dropped off at the circulation desk.

Boo-O-Ween

We had a great time tonight celebrating Boo-O-Ween at the Smyrna Public Library!   

Fall Jonquil Festival Book Sale Proceeds

We raised $1,566 during the Fall Jonquil Festival this weekend.

The weather was a bit chilly and we had a great turnout.  We sold all the old books that have been in the inventory over the past couple of years.

Our inventory now is at at RECORD LOW and we need donations of gently used books.

Thanks again to everyone who volunteered!!!

MONSTER SHORTS at the Smyrna Public Library

Something for the adults....

MONSTER SHORTS

Smyrna Public Library
Wednesday, October 30
8 pm to 9 pm

Feel free to bring your refreshments. Costumes welcome. This event is for adults (18+).

When the Library closes, the monsters are released! Get in the mood for Halloween fun with a series of short films full of vampires, zombies and monsters. 

Films will be streamed from the Library's "IndieFlix" database. If you have a Smyrna Library Card, learn how you can also watch IndieFlix movies from home or mobile devices.

Permanent Civil War Exhibit Installed at Smyrna Public Library

This permanent exhibit showcases a small portion of the generous donation to the City of Smyrna by Gerald Cox. Two other exhibits are on view at City Hall and at Brawner Hall. Pop up to the second floor of the Library to see this one.

First Sunday Lecture Series: Karl Puffe, An Immigrant's Story

Long-time Smyrna resident and former Smyrna City Councilman Foster Puffe presented a slideshow and talk entitled "An Immigrant's Story". It was based on a diary that his German grandfather kept while traveling from the Austro-Hungarian Empire to the United States in 1892. 

The diary provides fascinating insights into a typical immigrant's experience on shipboard and at the Ellis Island Immigration Station in New York City.  The diary is now on permanent exhibit at the Ellis Island Immigration Museum. 

2014 Murder Goes South Presenter Bio: TAMAR MYERS, Special Guest

Tamar Myers was born and raised in the Belgian Congo (now just the Congo). Her parents were missionaries to a tribe which, at that time, were known as headhunters and used human skulls for drinking cups. Hers was the first white family ever to peacefully coexist with the tribe, and Tamar grew up fluent in the local trade language.

In college Tamar began to submit novels for publication, but it took twenty-three years for her to get published. Persistence paid off, however, because Tamar is now the author of two ongoing mystery series. One is set in Pennsylvania and features Magdalena Yoder, an Amish-Mennonite sleuth who runs a bed and breakfast in the mythical town of Hernia. The other is set in the Carolinas and centers around the adventures of Abigail Timberlake, the proud owner of a Charlotte (and later Charleston) antique store, the Den of Antiquity.

Tamar now calls Charlotte, North Carolina, home. She lives with her husband, plus a Basenji dog named Pagan, a Bengal cat named Nkashama, and an orange tabby rescue cat named Dumpster Boy. She and her husband are of the Jewish faith, the animals are not.

Tamar enjoys gardening (she is a Master Gardner), bonsai, travel, painting and, of course, reading. She loves Thai and Indian food, and antique jewelry. She plans to visit Machu Picchu in the near future.
She is currently working on her 32nd novel. MS Myers is a member of Sisters in Crime writers' group.

2014 Murder Goes South Presenter Bio: Debby Giusti

Debby published in magazines when her children were young and her husband was teaching ROTC at Truman State University. As the children grew older, she put her writing on hold and focused on church ministry and community service.
For many years, Debby wrote for SOUTHERN LADY MAGAZINE, a beautiful publication filled with everything a true Southern belle loves . . . elegant tableware, delicate lace and antique linens, special shopping and dining destinations, yummy recipes and stories about women who have made a difference. Pick up a copy and see why SOUTHERN LADY is Debby's favorite magazine!

Now Debby spends most of her time writing inspirational romantic suspense. She's currently working on her Military Investigations Series for STEEPLE HILL Love Inspired Suspense. THE OFFICER'S SECRET launched the series in May 2011. The second book, THE CAPTAIN'S MISSION, followed later that year. THE GENERAL'S SECRETARY was released in January 2013. Ms Guisti is a member of Sisters in Crime Atlanta Chapter.

2014 Murder Goes South Presenter Bio: Deborah Malone

Deborah's work as a freelance writer and photographer has appeared in the historical magazine "Georgia Backroads" since 2001. Her short stories have appeared in "Tales of the Rails" edited by Olin Jackson. She has an established blog, Butterfly Journey, where she reviews Christian Fiction. "Death in Dahlonega" Deborah's debut cozy mystery was released October of 2011. "Death in Dahlonega" won second place in the mystery/suspense category in the American Christian Fiction Writer's Category Five Writer's Contest.

Deborah would love to hear from you. Visit her website at www.deborah-malone.com. Her second novel "A Murder in Marietta" was released in October 2012. 

2014 Murder Goes South Presenter Bio: Pamela V Mason

Pamela V. Mason is a hybrid native of New Orleans and Mobile, AL … two sister cities that are so alike, they polarize each other like the north and south ends of magnets. Much like Pam… and Pamela.

At WriterMason Productions she promotes her clients books on Facebook, Google +, Twitter, Goodreads, and any other appropriate sites that specifically draw romance readers. She offer other avenues of promotion like contests, Tweet chats, Google + Hangouts, and Facebook and Goodread chats, and if her client feels really adventurous, she will brainstorm some other ideas out of the box.
Her idea of romance writing-Drag Queens pitted against Azalea Trail maids with some N'Awlins paranormal and Mobilian southern gentility thrown in. Pamela currently resides outside of Atlanta. If you'd like to make contact her email address is writermason@att.net.

2014 Murder Goes South Presenter Bio: Bryan Powell

Bryan M. Powell is the music pastor at Calvary Baptist Church in Smyrna, GA. His book Stranger in the Pulpit is a faith based mystery novel set in Beaumont, Colorado. Chase Newton, an investigative reporter finds himself caught in an international conspiracy. In his quest for the truth to discover who Pastor T.J. Richards really is, he finds the truth he has been searching for all his life. Bryan other novels include Stranger in the White House, and Sisters of the Veil, which was released in January 2012.

2014 Murder Goes South Presenter Bio: Larissa Reinhart

Larissa considers herself lucky to have taught English in Japan, escaped a ferocious monkey in Thailand, studied archaeology in Egypt, and survived teaching high school history in the US. However, adopting her daughters from China has been her most rewarding experience. After moving around the Midwest, the South and Japan, she now lives in Georgia with her husband, daughters, two frogs, two fish, and Biscuit, a Cairn Terrier.

She loves small town characters with big attitudes, particularly sassy women with a penchant for trouble. Her third Cherry Tucker mystery with Henery Press, HIJACK IN ABSTRACT, releases November 5, 2013, following STILL LIFE IN BRUNSWICK STEW, (May 21, 2013) and PORTRAIT OF A DEAD GUY (August 28, 2012). Portrait is a 2012 Daphne du Maurier finalist, a 2012 The Emily finalist, and a 2011 Dixie Kane Memorial winner. On December 9, 2013, a Cherry Tucker prequel novella, QUICK SKETCH, will launch in the mystery anthology THE HEARTACHE MOTEL.

When she's not writing about Southern fried chicken, she writes about Asian fried chicken at her blog about life as an ex-expat at the Expat Returneth.

2014 Murder Goes South Presenter Bio: Louise B Richardson

Louise B. Richardson is the 2014 president of Sisters in Crime-Atlanta. A veteran writer, with many years in PR and advertising on both the agency and client sides of the desk, she has served as an officer of two companies, as well as president of her own firm. She also taught college composition and business writing for over a decade.

Enthralled by fiction since childhood and hooked on mysteries since her 20's, Louise has recently begun to try her hand at mystery writing, inspired by many of the authors she has met through Sisters In Crime and Murder Goes South. She is excited to be among this year's panel moderators.

2014 Murder Goes South Presenter Bio: Lane Stone

Lane is a native Atlantan and graduate of Georgia State University. She, her husband, Larry Korb, and the real Abby divide their time between Sugar Hill, GA and Alexandria, VA.

She’s a member of both the Chessie Chapter and the Atlanta Chapter of Sisters in Crime. When not writing she’s either raising money for women political candidates for Women’s Action for New Directions, hiking in various countries or playing golf.

She is the author of the Tiara Investigations mystery series. Her novels include Domestic Affairs and Current Affairs.

2014 Murder Goes South Presenter Bio: Tina Whittle

Tina Whittle's Tai Randolph/Trey Seaver series - featuring intrepid gunshop owner Tai and her corporate security agent partner Trey - has garnered starred reviews in Kirkus, Publisher's Weekly, Booklist, and Library Journal.  Published by Poisoned Pen Press, this Atlanta-based series debuted with The Dangerous Edge of Things, followed by Darker Than Any Shadow. The third book - Blood, Ash and Bone- premiered March 2013.

A nominee for Georgia Author of the Year in 2012, Whittle's short fiction has appeared in The Savannah Literary Journal, Alfred Hitchcock's Mystery Magazine, and Gulf Stream, which selected her story "Lost Causes and Other Reasons to Live" as the 2004 winner of their Mystery Fiction contest. 

When not writing or reading, she enjoys golf, sushi, mini-pilgrimages, and spending time with her family (one husband, one daughter, one neurotic Maltese and three chickens).

2014 Murder Goes South Presenters Announced

Friends of Smyrna Library announced the presenters for the 2014 Murder Goes South - a Festival of Readers and Writers of the Southern Mystery. The festival will be held on Saturday January 25, 2014 at the Smyrna Community Center from 9:00 am to 4:30 pm.

TAMAR MYERS, Special Guest, author of 32 novels including thePennsylvania-Dutch Mystery with Recipes and Den of Antiquity mystery series.

Debby Giusti, author of The General’s Secretary, The Soldier’s Sister, The Colonel’s Daughter, MIA, and Countdown to Death.

Deborah Malone, author of Murder in Marietta and Death in Dahlonega.

Pamela V Mason, founder of WriterMason Productions and promoter of writers.

Bryan Powell, author of Stranger in the Pulpit, Stranger in the Whitehouse, and Sisters of the Veil.

Larissa Reinhart, author of Still Life in Brunswick Stew, Portrait of a Dead Guy, and Hijack to Abstract.

Louise B Richardson, 2014 president of Sisters in Crime - Atlanta Chapter.

Lane Stone, author of the Tiara Investigations mystery series.

Tina Whittle, author of The Dangerous Edge of Thins, Blood Ash and Bone, and Darker than Any Shadow.

Jewelry & Fused Glass Art Exhibit by Marselle Harrison-Miles Opens in Display Gallery

Growing up Marselle had always been surrounded by creative people. Her Grandfather and mother both had flourishing singing careers with a "9-5" by day and nights filled with rehearsals and performances at church or at local events. Aside from a passion for musicshe was enamored with dance, drawing and the family glass menagerie. She continuedher love of visual arts through high school by claiming to want to be artist and taking as many art classes as she possibly could. Marselle began Piedmont College with a major in the Arts supported by a basketball scholarship. She completed her studies at Georgia State University with her degree in Drawing and Painting and minoring in African/African Diaspora Arts. Right out of school, Marselle started working at the Atlanta International Museum of Art Design and Culture, now known as MODA, in Atlanta as an intern Docent/Education Coordinator. This is where Marselle's love of glass and beads was reawakened by the Ndebele of South Africa exhibit on display in the museum and the colorful Dale Chihuly vessels on display in the gift shop. It was then she started collecting beads, studying various bead weaving patterns and making beaded jewelry. 

Before long Marselle started working for The Boys & Girls Clubs of Metro Atlanta as an Art Director who often gleaned artistic inspiration from her student programs and other Artists. Later she became the Program Director for Youth Art Connection. Marselle loved the freedom of creation, art lesson development and art instruction that exposed her to local and visiting artists monthly. She then started working as an Arts Specialist for Cobb County and slowly but surely started to learn glass fusing and slumping techniques from Teresa Barnes, a teacher at all three county centers. Though glass instruction focused on small to large platters, dishes and vessels, Marselle concentrated on developing jewelry designs. Her fused glass jewelry consists of opal and transparent glasses with irid and dischroic glass on the surface. Most jewelry designs have fine silver fused into the glass so that after firing, jump rings and other attachment mechanisms can be incorporated into the final creation as either a, ring, bracelet, necklace or pair of earrings. Glass Artists Evette Everette, Kate Rothra Flemming and Patti Cahill are all amazing jewelry artisans Marselle considers mentors.

Marselle is not limited to jewelry design but has also studied alternative photography processes such as polaroid and emulsion transfer techniques. A good friend and talented photographer Michael Reese taught her the basics and inspired her to experiment and find the story. While polaroid is no longer an active company, she is always looking to push the limits of film developing and transfer techniques to unusual surfaces. For the current show "Remembering", she uses special fusible paper for fusible glass that allows her to combine her love of glass fusing and special moments captured on film for moments forever captured in glass. 

Marselle resides in Metro Atlanta and works out of her home studio to create both custom and inspired fused glass art to wear and display.

   
  

Fall 2013 Recommended Reading List

The Friends of Smyrna Library recommend the following books for the fall reading season. This season’s featured book is Handle with Care by Jodi Picoult.

American Gun by Chris Kyle
Anil's Ghost by Michael Ondaatje
Bad Monkey by Carl Hiaasen
Bones Of The Lost by Kathy Reichs
Calculated In Death by J. D. Robb
Death Angel by Linda Fairstein 
Dad Is Fat by Jim Gaffigan
Deadlock by Iris Johansen
Deadly Heat by Richard Castle
Empire and Honor by W.E.B. Griffin
Fatally Flaky by Diane Mott Davidson
First Sight by Danielle Steel 
Gone Girl by Gillian Flynn
Hotshot by Julie Garwood 
Inferno by Dan Brown
Inherent Vice by Thomas Pynchon
Maddaddam by Margaret Atwood
Never Go Back by Lee Child
Night Film by Marisha Pessl
Purple Cane Road by James Lee Burke
Reign Of Error by Diane Ravitch
Rose Harbor In Bloom by Debbie Macomber
Second Honeymoon by James Patterson
Silent Mercy by Linda Fairstein
Songs Of Willow Frost by Jamie Ford
Stolen Prey by John Sandford
Summer on Blossom Street by Debbie Macomber
The Art of Racing in the Rain by Garth Stein
The Bone Season by Samantha Shannon
The Boys In The Boat by Daniel James Brown
The Companions by R.A. Salvatore
The Cuckoo's Calling by Robert Galbraith
The Guns At Last Light by Rick Atkinson
The Husband's Secret by Liane Moriarty
The Namesake by Jhumpa Lahiri
The Ocean At The End Of The Lane by Neil Gaiman
The Panther by Nelson DeMille
The Signature Of All Things by Elizabeth Gilbert 
W Is For Wasted by Sue Grafton
Zero Hour by Clive Cussler

Compiled by FOSL Volunteer

Talk Like a Pirate Day at Smyrna Public Library - Arrrrr!

 

Visit from Luna the Tooth Fairy

Luna the Tooth Fairy brought her magic to the Smyrna Public Library today! 

A Conversation with Mountain Women

Ann Hite, author of The Storycatcher, and Karen Spears Zacharias, author of Mother of Rain, appeared at the Smyrna Public Library today. 

They drew on the wit and wisdom of characters they have created and presented "A Conversation with Mountain Women".

It was an engaging, and not at all serious, discussion of fun things and more such as... If Mee-Maw was the one you loved nearly better than Jesus, if you are familiar with Black Mountain or Sapelo Island, if you’ve ever been pearling on the river, or stood under the shower of a waterfall in the Smokies, or if you’ve ever had an encounter with a ghost or a Melungeon. 

Today's discussion was an amazing opportunity for swapping stories infused with mountain lore.

Refreshments were served, and books were available for sale, courtesy of Book Exchange, Marietta.

First Sunday Lecture Series: The Dispossession of the Cherokee, 1829 to 1838

Smyrna Resident Andrea Searles gave a profusely illustrated slide/talk on the topic, "The Dispossession of the Cherokee, 1829 to 1838."  

Her informative talk focused upon the factors that led to large-scale white penetration of North Georgia following the discovery of gold there in 1828, and the forces, political, economic, and social, that culminated in the forced removal of an estimated 15,000 Cherokee to the Trans-Mississippi west in 1838, in an incident known to history as "The Trail of Tears."

Watercolors Exhibit by Betty Derrick Opens in Art Gallery

Artist Statement

Drawing and painting have been a part of my life for as long as I can remember. I grew up in Greenville SC but moved to Governor's Island at the tip of Manhattan when I was in third grade. To pass the drab winter months so foreign to a Southern child living temporarily in New York, my mother enrolled me in an art class taught by a Pratt Institute graduate student. I still have a picture I painted in the class--a portrait of a bruised and battered prizefighter. I continue to wonder where I (an eight-year old) found my subject and what attracted me. It is the constant wonder of creativity that has kept me painting off and on all these years.

I paint in watercolor. I love the light, the transparency and the serendipities which spring from knowing how to manage the paint and control the brush. Many artists hate the unforgiving nature of watercolor (mistakes cannot be painted over) while I love the risk and adventure. This is a contrast to my normal personality and perhaps that is the appeal. I try to find abstract forms across objects and movement in still life. I paint a variety of subjects from whimsical to traditional.

I graduated from Agnes Scott College where I studied with Ferdinand Warren (AWS). I have also studied with Charles Reid and Atlantans Dolores Kennedy and Ben Smith. My work has been accepted into many juried shows and is held in private and corporate collections.

Pottery Exhibit by Ann Wallin Opens in Display Gallery

Artist Statement

My first experience with clay occurred while attending Radford University in Radford, Virginia from 1960 to 1962. During a class in sculpture, I found that I really enjoyed working with my hands to form the class project -- a bust. Twenty years passed during which I was a wife, mother, homemaker, secretary, bookkeeper and real estate agent. I was living in Charleston, South Carolina, when memories of that long-ago experience prompted me to take a pottery class at the Gibbs School of Art. Once again, I found a real joy in working with clay -- this time on the potters’ wheel. 

Shortly afterward, a career change for my husband brought the family to Marietta, Georgia, near Atlanta. I knew even before leaving South Carolina that I wanted to pursue a career in pottery. I continued taking lessons in the Marietta area. I also worked as a pottery studio assistant and that experience gave me valuable insights into the requirements for setting up my own studio.

In 1986, I entered the market as a functional potter, working in high-fired stoneware. A short while later, I was offered the opportunity to teach at a newly established art center, sponsored by Cobb County, called “The Steeple House.” I began my educational career by teaching creative clay projects to kids, ages 6 through 12. I also taught wheel and hand building techniques to teens and adults. In 1990, Cobb County recognized the need for a larger art center and opened “The Art Place,” where I continued to teach. At the same time, I also taught similar classes at the Marietta – Cobb Museum of Art. Throughout this period, I marketed my personal work through galleries and art festivals. Recently, I have reduced my teaching activity to concentrate on workshops. I have also recently focused my production activity to concentrate on art festivals. 

Early, the products and techniques of the Japanese Raku firing process fascinated me. I took a three-week course with Rick Berman at the Penland School of Arts and Crafts in 1987. By 1990-91, I was confident of my ability with the new process. I used this confidence to shift the central emphasis of my work to the visual and decorative items that result from the Raku process. 

One of the highlights of my career occurred in 1998 when the crew of the “Lynette Jennings Design” television shows visited my studio to film my Raku creation process. This series of television shows showcased artists and craftsmen from around the country and was broadcast nationwide on the Discovery Channel. The show segment that featured my work has been rerun repeatedly after its initial presentation.

I have won many awards, I have participated in juried exhibits, and I have been accepted in major regional and national shows. I always have enjoyed contact with the public and I enjoy the comments that are prompted by my work. I especially like the idea that strangers may enjoy my art enough to decorate their homes or to present my pieces as gifts. I look forward to many more years of forming shapeless lumps of clay into fresh expressions of my imagination.

Annual Frozen Yogurt Social and Book Sale

The Friends of Smyrna Library hosted the Annual Frozen Yogurt Social this afternoon.  150 attendees enjoyed complimentary chocolate and vanilla frozen yogurt from Cowlicks.  Children enjoyed a wide assortment of crafts too.  The mini book sale raised $215.

Check our website and Facebook page in the spring for information on next year’s event.   

Thank You, Volunteers & Sponsors!

Please join us for the annual Frozen Yogurt Social on SUN between 2 and 4 pm at the Smyrna Public Library. 

Free Frozen Yogurt from Cowlicks and a BOOK SALE that was setup today.

Thank you, Volunteers & Sponsors!

Adult fiction hardbacks for $3 and children’s books start at $1. Hope you can make it!!!

Teen Tuesday Summer Party!

Smyrna Library "Teen Tuesday" final summer party (but it was on a Monday)

Summer Reading Program: "Beneath the Surface" Youth Google Nexus Winner

"Beneath the Surface" winner, Carolyn H. with her Google Nexus. Go Carolyn!

Summer Reading Program prizes are sponsored by the Friends of Smyrna Library. 

Summer Reading Program: "Groundbreaking Reads" Adult Google Nexus Winner

Congratulations to Emily M., winner of the Google Nexus in the "Groundbreaking Reads" Adult Summer Reading program.

Summer Reading Program prizes are sponsored by the Friends of Smyrna Library. 

First Sunday Lecture Series: The Lockheed Plant

Marietta Daily Journal editor Joe Kirby spoke on his recently published book, "The Lockheed Plant" (Arcadia Publishing, 2011).  Mr. Kirby has written two books on the rise of the local aeronautics industry, "The Bell Bomber Plant" and "The Lockheed Plant." 

His slide/talk focused on the history of the Lockheed facility and the transformational impact that the Marietta industrial complex, which at its height employed more than 30,000 workers, had upon surrounding communities like Smyrna.

Summer Reading Program: Finale with World-Famous Juggler Adam Boehmer

Our Summer Reading Program Finale was held last night and it featured World-Famous Juggler Adam Boehmer. 

The program was held in the Smyrna Community Center Banquet Hall. We all had a great time! 

Summer Reading Program: Recycled Art Contest

On Display in the Youth Services Department

 

Summer Reading Program: Visit by Peter Rabbit

We were all very excited to meet Peter Rabbit at the Community Center today.  The kids had a great time at Meet & Greet with Peter Rabbit enjoying stories, sing-a-songs, and meeting the big bunny himself.