Tuesday, January 14, 2025

Sculpture~On the Edge of Wild by Kathy Walton

Sculpture~On the Edge of Wild by Kathy Walton is on display in the 2nd floor Display Gallery at the Smyrna Public Library through February 28.

Display Gallery exhibits are organized by the Friends of Smyrna Library.
Artist Statement:
I grew up on a farm in central Illinois making holiday door decorations of evergreen trimmed from the yard and leaves, seedpods and pretty roadside treasures collected throughout the year. My mother always said you can’t have too many rocks, sticks and twigs. You never know when you’ll need just the right piece. After college I spent a couple decades running stores. From lawnmowers to diamonds I was still making arrangements pleasing to the eye with what was at hand.
At 40 my husband and I bought a house, quit our jobs, cut our hair and quit smoking—all on the same weekend!! We started a contracting business working with hotels. I became quite adept with a power drill and a saw. A course on metal sculpture to learn to use welding equipment we’d acquired led me to another new world.
Sculpture~On the Edge of Wild came about and now I sort through stacks of junk and debris for just the right part for a nose or an eye. Recycling while creating sculptures for the garden and home! I have definitely come full circle--From roadside weeds into flower arrangements to roadside junk into sculpture. And I’m still scouting for great finds wherever I go.
I describe my style as an enhanced line drawing. The steel sculptures are light and airy even made of heavy–duty junk. Ceramics have texture and character with rough edges--and great critters.
I work from my home and studio in Marietta, GA. Call to view the collection. I enjoy showing off my critters in their natural habitat. Commissions and special requests welcome. https://www.kathywaltonarts.com/

Monday, January 13, 2025

In Memoriam: Louisa Cohn

In Memoriam: Louisa Cohn

We are very sad to share that former Friends of Smyrna Library Board Member, Louisa Cohn, has passed away. Mrs. Cohn served on the FOSL Board from 2010 to 2022 and she was a VERY active volunteer during her tenure.
She loved the arts and supported over 100 artist exhibit installations in the 2nd floor Art & Display Galleries and she enjoyed working every book sale. She also came in weekly to keep our library bookstore stocked and organized.
Volunteering and helping the library serve the people of Smyrna brought Louisa great joy and satisfaction. She was a lovely lady whose friendship and volunteer service we celebrate and honor.
Thank you, Louisa. ❤

Teacup & Teapot Donations Needed

We are accepting donations of mismatched, colorful teacups and teapots at the Circulation Desk. They will be used during the Afternoon Tea that will be served during Laura F. Keyes’ performance as Mary Todd Lincoln in “The First FIRST LADY!” on Sunday, April 13, 2025 at the Smyrna Community Center. We want to do something special for our ticket buyers with an authentic Afternoon Tea with real china teacups & teapots.

We need 96 teacups and saucers and 24 teapots. We cannot guarantee that they can be returned so we are just requesting donations. After Ms. Keyes' Historic Voices performance, some teacups, saucers, and teapots will be kept for check-out by Smyrna Public Library patrons for Princess Parties for Kids, Bridal Showers, and other Fun Family & Friends Events. The remaining donated items will be sold with the funds used for a historical book purchase.

Thank you for de-cluttering your cupboard for a worthy cause!

Sunday, January 12, 2025

Magical Wand Volunteers Needed in February

CALLING ALL Harry Potter Fans who can volunteer from 5:15 PM to 6:45 PM on Thursdays in February!!! Smyrna Library needs your help to make hundreds of magical wands. At the annual Kid-Con event, children will embellish wands with jewels, stickers, and markers. We need your help creating and painting the wands for the kids to decorate.

Adults & Teens (6th Grade & Up) Sign-Up at https://www.signupgenius.com/.../4090E4DACAD2AA0FC1...
THANK YOU for volunteering!
Kid-Con 2025, a kid’s literature and pop culture festival, will be held on Saturday, March 8 from 10:00 AM – 1:00 PM at the Smyrna Community Center.

Wednesday, January 8, 2025

Oil Paintings by Helen DeRamus

Oil Paintings by Helen DeRamus are on display in the 2nd floor Art Gallery at the Smyrna Public Library through February 28.  

Oil Paintings by Helen DeRamus are on display in the 2nd floor Art Gallery at the Smyrna Public Library through February 28.  

Art Gallery exhibits are organized by the Friends of Smyrna Library.

Artist Statement:

A native of Atlanta, Georgia USA, after college I lived in the New York and New Jersey area during the seventies and eighties, moving back to Georgia in the late ‘80s. I am married and have a daughter and stepson. My husband is a retired musician who is currently working as a fine art photographer. My hobbies are many but among them are photography, journaling, and reading art history, and poetry. Poetry influences my work profoundly. I read and study books and articles about trees and follow a number of writers whose focus is on the environment and the landscape. My library is very diverse and each book is a path to inspiration.

I am lucky to have begun my art career in fabric design, fine art and commercial photography. Studying Asian and medieval art history at Emory University was a catalyst for my current work. The skills I learned during my early years have influenced my work as I often use both design knowledge and photographs as a basis for inspiration. I still enjoy taking and printing photographs for my own pleasure and use them for inspiration for my drawing and painting.

My paintings, work on paper and monotypes investigate memory in both its fragility and power. Exploring my personal history leads me to create abstract landscapes that serve as a metaphor for the passage of time. Inspiration for images comes from working many hours in the studio and in the field: observing, and drawing. I like to use many layers in each painting, using those layers to reveal how memory may be recorded in color, texture and shape. My painting process I think of as aging the surface.

I work in a studio that is housed in an old art deco factory building built in the 1940’s in Metro-Atlanta, the Artisan Resource Center. I give demonstrations and art talks in a variety of venues including schools, art organizations, colleges and universities.

My work is in corporate, private, and public collections throughout the United States. The collections include: Ventyx Corporation, Federal Home Loan Bank of Atlanta, Georgia, Perimeter College, North Georgia College and State University, The ART Station, the Ben Hill-Fitzgerald County Library, the Women’s Center at Kennestone Hospital, the Atlanta Women’s Foundation in Atlanta, Georgia, Jacksonville State University and Livingston College at Rutgers University in New Jersey. I am represented at TEW Galleries in Atlanta, Georgia; Roan and Black Gallery in Saugatuck, Michigan; Art Alley in Birmingham, Alabama and RobertKent Gallery in Marietta, Georgia.

Thursday, January 2, 2025

WINTER BOOK SALE! SAVE THE DATES!


WINTER BOOK SALE! SAVE THE DATES!

Saturday, January 25, 2025
10 am to 4:30 pm
Sunday, January 26, 2025
1 pm to 4:00 pm
Smyrna Public Library
Downstairs Meeting Room
100 Village Green Circle
Smyrna, GA 30080
We will have a large selection of Hardbacks, Paperbacks, Books on CD, Movie DVDs, and Puzzles priced from $1 to $5.
Check our Facebook, Instagram, and Threads feeds for more info leading up to the sale as we organize and price everything.
Cash, Check, PayPal & Venmo Accepted for Payment
Volunteer Book Sale Duties: https://foslga.org/_booksaleduties.htm
Book Donations Accepted: https://foslga.org/_bookdonations.htm