Just in time for the end of school excitement and festivities, easel (Experience Art in Southeastern Libraries) has arrived at the Goodhue Public School in Goodhue, Minnesota.

This installation of the traveling art exhibit will be in the school library media center from April 25 through June 6, 2012.  The second biennial easel display will tour libraries and galleries from January 2012 through June 2013.

For more photos taken while the easel is at the Goodhue Public School, click here.

easel is undertaken in cooperation with SEMVA – Southeastern Minnesota Visual Artists.

easel is funded in part or in whole with money from Minnesota’s Arts and Cultural Heritage fund through a Library Legacy grant to SELCO from the Minnesota Legislature for Library Legacy programs and services.

Gently scattered throughout the library, easel art will delight visitors to the Blooming Prairie Public Library as they roam the stacks. SEMVA representatives installed the 33 items in the new biennial touring art exhibit at the Library on Tuesday, March 13. The exhibit will be in Blooming Prairie until April 14.  Library visitors are encouraged to share their comments in the exhibit journal or complete the easel viewers’ survey.

For more easel photos from SELCO’s Flickr collection while on location at the Blooming Prairie Public Library.

easel is undertaken in cooperation with SEMVA – Southeastern Minnesota Visual Artists.

easel is funded in part or in whole with money from Minnesota’s Arts and Cultural Heritage fund through a Library Legacy grant to SELCO from the Minnesota Legislature for Library Legacy programs and services.

New walls in an old space and the first library location for easel is installed.  The Preston Public Library is the first library stop on an 18-month calendar that will showcase area artists through the easel traveling exhibit.  The Preston Public Library transformed a little used, staff-only storage area from a dingy room into a well light performance stage and gallery space for the public.  The new white walls highlight the 2-D easel art hung on suspended gallery rods for a very professional look.

The before and after photos show the dramatic difference to what is now the perfect library environment for the easel exhibit depicting the artists’ interpretation of books, letters, reading, authors, or the library.  For more photos of easel in Preston, check SELCO’s Flickr collection.

The Rochester Area Foundation will host the first showing of the second biennial easel exhibit tour.  SEMVA artists installed the exhibit on Monday, January 23 and the Foundation offices will participate in Rochester’s quarterly ArtWalk on January 26.

A number of easel artists, will be featured with short video clips on SELCOtv through YouTube.  Check out the first of these episodes with Susan Crane describing Powerful Pastimes.

Viewers of the easel show will be able to view the artists’ video interviews after scanning one of five specially prepared gallery name tags by using a cell phone with a QR Code app.   The easel promotional posters and bookmarks also sport QR Codes which, when scanned, direct the viewer to the general exhibit information on this website.

For an entertaining evening of art and community, enjoy Rochester’s ARTWALK.
The Rochester Downtown Alliance along with downtown merchants and local artists will present an evening ARTWALK on January 26, 2012.  ARTWALK visitors can enjoy the fresh air while experiencing all that downtown Rochester has to offer and, this time around, the city’s artistic tour will include easel.

SEMVA artists will install the second biennial touring art exhibit at the Rochester Area Foundation for a limited showing, January 23 – 27.  The easel exhibit will also be available during the upcoming reception honoring Steve Thornton, the Foundation’s outgoing Executive Director.

For those planning on a brisk winter foray of art and other treats, pick up your passport at the Rochester Art Center or the information kiosk on the Peace Plaza to begin your ARTWALK route.  Visit each participating venue and register for a chance to win a fabulous downtown prize package.

Nearly 50 artists submitted their interpretation of books, letter, authors, reading, or the library for judging and possible inclusion in the second easel traveling art exhibit.  The artwork was juried Monday, December 12 and 33 pieces were selected from artists residing in each of SELCO’s eleven counties.

As SELCO’s first traveling art exhibit, easel, draws to a close, the Kasson Public Library sponsored a Gallery Talk highlighting easel artwork on Monday, December 12, 2011.  MariClaire Flemming, an Olmsted County artist, and Richard Hutton, artist and Past SEMVA President, were featured speakers.  Hutton provided general background information from initial planning to installation of art on location, as well as details on the artists’ interpretation of books, letters, reading, authors, or the library theme.  Flemming shared details about her specific entry in the show, Your Love.

Left to right:  Ann Hutton, SELCO Executive Director, Mariclaire Fleming, Artist, and Richard Hutton, Artist and SEMVA Past President

SELCO’s Flickr collection includes more photos of easel in Kasson.

Just a few hours left for area artists to submit artwork for the next easel tour!

SELCO staff will accept pieces depicting the artist’s interpretation of books, letters, reading, authors, or the library until the end of the business day on Friday, December 9 or by special arrangement of Saturday, December 10.

Judging will take place Monday, December 12 by three independent artists.  The photo below offers a preview of pieces being considered.

Area artists and SELCO staff visited Goodhue Public School, Red Wing Public Library, and Crossroads College, all future easel – Experience Art in Southeastern Libraries, exhibit locations.  The visitors made notes and took measurements, as well as photographed possible display space for later refernece when installing the exhibit. For a complete look at photos from these three locations, check SELCO’s Flickr collection.

Photo credit, left to right:

1. Mari Flemming, Artist; Richard Hutton, Artist and SEMVA Past President; Corrie Westphall, School Library Media Specialist, Goodhue Public School; and Anne Kamin, Artist, while in the Goodhue Public School library
2. Shelving area at the Red Wing Public Library
3. Ann Hutton, SELCO Executive Director; Mike Kilgallen, President of Crossroads College, and Jim Godsey, Library Director at Crossroads College during a visit to the campus