Exhibits
Mongolia: Land of the Blue Sky
Curated by reference librarian, Cailey Biles
Brookline Village Library, First Floor: Emery and Lobby Cases
February 4 through March 4, 2019
“From 2015-2017 I lived and worked in Mongolia as a Peace Corps volunteer. My first year was spent living in a yurt in the Western province of Khovd and my second year was in the central city of Darkhan. Mongolia is a country that is used as inspiration in many stories but not many people know much about it besides the fact that it is the country where Chinggis Khan (Genghis Khan) was born. I hope sharing some memories from my time there will offer library patrons some insight into the vast Land of the Blue Sky.” – Cailey Biles
Renaming the Coolidge Corner School
Presented by Hidden Brookline and the Coolidge Corner School Naming Committees
Coolidge Corner Library: Display Case
February 1-28, 2019
An exhibit addressing the renaming of the Coolidge Corner School is on view at the Coolidge Corner Library through the end of February.
Three Local Artists
Curated by the Brookline Commisssion for the Arts
Brookline Village Library, First Floor: Foundation Case
January 10 through March 4, 2019
The Brookline Commission for the Arts has installed an exhibit in the Foundation Case featuring the work of three local artists: Madeline Fine (jewelry and note cards), Caren Zane Fishman (mosaics: artistry and installation), and Karina Mattei (jewelry and pottery). Their work will be on display through March 4.
To reach Madeline, call 617-335-4326 or e-mail: madeline@finecreations.org; to reach Caren, call 617-967-8140, e-mail: carenzanefishman@gmail.com, or go to: www.carenzanefishman.com; and to reach Karina, call 617-713-4450, e-mail: designer@karinamattei.com or go to: www.karinamattei.com
Books by and about Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.
From the collection of Arthur Wellington Conquest III
Brookline Village Library, First Floor: The Emery Case
January 4 through February 1, 2019
“28 August 1963, the day Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. delivered his famous I Have A Dream speech on the Mall in Washington, DC, I was 17 years old and working as a stock boy in a garment center factory in midtown Manhattan, NYC. One of the (White) garment cutters said to me as we listened on the shop’s radio to Dr. King’s historic presentation, “You don’t want to be down there (in Washington) with those trouble makers”.
“It wasn’t until long after Rev. Dr. King’s untimely assassination, 4 April 1968, that I began reading, studying and collecting books, memorabilia, pictures, and recordings by and about this great man’s unorthodox philosophy of nonviolent protests and demonstrations.
“No voice more clearly delineated the moral issues of the second half of the twentieth century and no vision more profoundly inspired people – from the American South to southern Africa, from the Berlin Wall to the Great Wall of China.
“I’ve learned so much from reading his books and books about this extraordinary man. Here are just a few of those books I have in my collection that have guided me towards liberation and social justice.” – Arthur Wellington Conquest III
Arthur Wellington Conquest III can be reached at AWCIII@Yahoo.com
Watercolors of Birds by Nelson Hammer
Brookline Village Library, Second Floor: The Gallery in Hunneman Hall
January 9 through March 4, 2019
Landscape Architect by trade, Nelson Hammer took up painting in watercolors again in 2014 after a 50-year hiatus, and with a few notable exceptions (i.e.,his three granddaughters), he has painted nothing but birds; 56 of them as of the exhibit here at the Brookline Public Library. All are based on photographs supplied by friends, relatives, professional photographers, and by himself. He strives for ornithological accuracy in his work, desiring to create finished products that are easily recognizable by anyone familiar with the species he has documented. And if someone comments “It looks like a photograph”, so much the better!
He favors birds-of-prey because so many of that ilk have fearsome looking eyes that demand attention when viewed. Eagles, hawks, falcons, and owls have thus all been his subjects, along with many colorful tropical species based on professional photography shot in Central and South America. One of his future goals is to capture many of the very common birds of this area (robins, pigeons, seagulls, and Canada Geese) that even young children will be able to recognize.
Painting as a hobby and not as a profession allows him to enjoy the process and not worry about deadlines.
He hopes you enjoy his work as much as he enjoys creating it!
To contact Nelson Hammer, call 781-771-0845 or go to: www.artforthebirds.com
Small Quilts by Cynthia Snow
Brookline Village Library, First Floor: Emery and Foundation Cases
December 4, 2018 through January 1, 2019
Brookline quilter Cynthia Snow has been making quilts since 1968, starting with a full-size bed quilt based on a pattern ordered from the newspaper. It was made entirely by hand and took three years to complete. Since then, she has made many quilts ranging from bed quilts of various sizes to wall-hangings, pillows, potholders and postcard-size pieces. Many of her quilts now use a combination of hand- and machine sewing. Making small quilts, such as those exhibited here, has proven to be a delightful and useful way to explore new designs, techniques and color combinations as well as to use up fabric scraps. “The inspiration for my work comes from a variety of sources: patterns published in books and magazines, photographs, the work of other quilters and artists and from the fabric itself. Much of my work is now of original design. It is a joy to work with fabric, the textures and colors of which make possible many intriguing combinations.” She can be reached at csnow2@verizon.net.
Sue Yang & Students-Artists
Brookline Village Library, Second Floor: The Gallery in Hunneman Hall
November 9, 2018 through January 5, 2019
Opening Reception: Saturday, Nov. 10 from 2-4PM
Artists’ Talk and Closing Reception: Saturday, Jan. 5 from 2-3PM
A joint art exhibition of Sue Yang and her students-artists will open at the Brookline Village Library in Hunneman Hall on Saturday, Nov. 10 with a reception from 2-4PM. All are welcome to attend. The fifteen participants include Sue, her MFA and SMFA students as well as private students, and they are: Ariane Agnew, Mark Buirke, Betsy Clarke, Ch Fitch, Jun Ding, Rosanne DiStefano, Carol Green, Joan Kelley, Lauren Kiraly, Cynthia Samoiloff, Julia Stephan, Marguerite Wibaux, Ed Wong, and Fion Yam. More than 40 show pieces will be featured, exploring a variety of artwork: ink, ink and watercolor, acrylic and mixed media, print on paper, and acrylic on canvas from traditional Chinese inspirations to more contemporary interpretations. The exhibit will close Saturday, Jan. 5 with an Artists’ Talk from 2-3PM.
Commemorating the 100th Anniversary of the End of WWI: November 11, 1918-November 11, 2018
Brookline Village Library, First Floor: Emery and Lobby Cases
November 1 through November 30, 2018
On view in the Lobby Case are items that belonged to Paul Healy, a US Infantryman, who served as a courier behind enemy lines in World War I on the battlefields of France. He was from Lowell, MA.
In the Emery Case, there is a sample of the postal history of Indochina in World War I. It’s from the collection of Gary D. Jones, Library Trustee and Indochina Society Philatelist member.
World War I was a global war centered in Europe that began July 28, 1914 and lasted until November 11, 1918. More than 9 million combatants and 7 million civilians died as a result of the war, one of the deadliest in history. European nations with colonies drafted men from their colonies into the conflict. France was one of these nations. The Indochina soldiers’ training served them well, when Japan later occupied Indochina as well as when these soldiers fought the French for their own freedom.
A total of 92,411 Vietnamese men from French Indochina were in the service of France in Europe. They were put into the following formations from which around 3,000 died.
- 4,800 belonging to 5 combat battalions
- 24,000 belonging to 15 transit battalions
- 9,019 colonial medical staff
- 48,981 colonial laborers
With the outbreak of World War I, those serving in the military serving in Europe as well as in Indochina were granted the free franchise for personal letters. The franchise lasted from August 2, 1914 through October 23, 1919. A manuscript marking such as “Correspondance Militaire” along with a cachet of sender’s unit characterizes military letters of this period. There were no special military post offices in Indochina during World War I.
This exhibit shows a sample of that military postal history.
Marcela Klicova Pottery
Brookline Village Library, First Floor: Foundation Case
October 30 through November 28, 2018
Brookline artist, Marcela Klicova, who works out of Mudflat Studio in Somerville, creates organic, handmade ceramics that are now on view in the Foundation Case at the Brookline Village Library. “I use dark stoneware fired at cone 10. All my vessels are functional and hand built, mostly using the coil method (producing a denser, more durable piece), with simple decoration and earth-toned glazes.”
For more information, go to: marcelaklicovapottery.blogspot.com To reach Marcela, call: 617-817-2766 or email her: marcela.klicova@gmail.com
John Wilson
Brookline Village Library, First Floor: Emery Case
September 10 through October 31, 2018
John Wilson (1922-2015) was a nationally admired sculptor, draftsman, and printmaker—and a 50+ year resident of Brookline. Through a group of drawings and photographs on view in the Emery Case at the Brookline Village Library, visitors can learn about the community-wide effort to bring Wilson’s majestic bronze sculpture of Martin Luther King, Jr., to our Town Hall.
“Fragments: Recent Photographs by Greg Heins”
Brookline Village Library, Second Floor: The Gallery in Hunneman Hall
September 12 through November 6, 2018
Opening Reception: Saturday, September 15, from 2-4PM
“I began photography in New York City after graduating from college with a degree in English Literature. Since 1973, I have lived in Boston, working as a photographer of works of art. In 2000, stimulated by the arrival of high quality color printing technology, I began to devote more time to personal photography.
“I exhibit at Gallery Kayafas in Boston. I have photographs in the collections of the Smith College Museum of Art, the Bowdoin College Museum of Art, the Davis Museum of Wellesley College, the Addison Gallery of American Art and the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston.
“I’m interested in the look of things. My photographs spring from the desire to see formal qualities and visual relationships that are inchoate or semi-expressed in the visible world before me and transform them into a work of art. I look for something to catch my eye, to wave me over, to ask me to photograph it: the overlooked ordinary. The subsequent realization of these perceptions in print form is the mysterious and unending satisfaction of the photographic process.
“The photographs respond to the success or failure of the ones that came before them. The process is visual, not driven by a pre-conceived idea, not made to illustrate an assigned subject matter. The subject is the formal relationships within the finished print. The artistic impulse may be driven by age and loss, anger and regret, by a desire for freedom and play, but the statement is the photographs.” – Greg Heins
Little Golden Book and Wonder Book Display
Brookline Village Library, First Floor: Lobby and Foundation Cases
September 12 through October 28, 2018
Nostalgia for one’s childhood is often made up of the “little things:” a favorite plaything, a particular birthday party, the unconditional love of a family pet – and a story read again and again from a Little Golden or Wonder Book.
These original editions represent years of either finding by chance or searching, through book dealers, for the favorite childhood books of one library patron who is a former Brookline resident. Each book evokes for her a warm memory of a time, place and especially an individual.
Little Golden Books are still published and available in bookstores, although the original twenty-five cent cover price has increased by as much as tenfold. Although the Wonder Book publishing company was sold several times between 1946 and 1986, like the Little Golden Books the stories and illustrations are timeless and to many, priceless.
Some people create a collection with the belief that it will increase in value “someday.” These books were brought together guided by the wisdom of “collect what you love.”
John Wilson
Brookline Village Library, First Floor: Emery, Lobby, and Foundation Cases
July 10 through September 9, 2018
John Wilson (1922-2015) was a nationally admired sculptor, draftsman, and printmaker—and a 50+ year resident of Brookline. To celebrate his many accomplishments, a number of his works pertaining to reading, including several of his illustrated books, will be shown at the Brookline Village Library through the summer. Several masterworks from Wilson’s years in France and Mexico will also be on display. And through a group of drawings and photographs, library visitors can learn about the community-wide effort to bring Wilson’s majestic bronze sculpture of Martin Luther King, Jr., to our Town Hall.
Brookline Public Schools, Grades K-7: “Splish Splash”
Brookline Village Library, Second Floor: The Gallery in Hunneman Hall
July 9 through September 9, 2018
The Brookline Visual Arts Department presents their annual summer show, a selection of K-7 student artwork created during the 2017-2018 school year in Brookline’s eight public elementary schools. It is on view through September 9. Special thanks to all the participating students and their teachers; Alicia Mitchell, Art Curriculum Coordinator, Brookline Public Schools; and Joanne Shaughnessy and Julie Falsioni who installed the show.
ArtsBrookline
Brookline Village Library, First Floor: Emery and Lobby Cases
June 5 through July 8, 2018
The mission of ArtsBrookline, a 501(c)(3) non-profit, is to support artists in the Brookline Community through events, exhibitions, professional development and cultivating an audience.
ArtsBrookline maintains an online calendar of arts and cultural events throughout April, May and June annually, to highlight the many Brookline arts organizations and artists. A selection of those organizations is featured in this exhibit.
Brookline’s Poets Laureate
Brookline Village Library, First Floor: The Foundation Case
May 17 through July 8, 2018
An exhibit featuring books written by Brookline’s Poets Laureate is now on view at the Brookline Village Library. Displayed are the works of the third and current Poet Laureate Zvi A. Sesling (2017 – 2020), the writings of the second Poet Laureate Jan Schreiber (2015 – 2017), and the poetry books and poetry teaching books of Brookline’s first Poet Laureate Judith Steinberg (2013 – 2015). The three will read from their poetry on Friday, October 12, 2018 at 7PM at the Brookline Booksmith.
Lower Devotion Art Show (K-4)
Brookline Village Library, Second Floor: The Gallery in Hunneman Hall
May 9 through June 10, 2018; Opening reception, Monday, May 14: 5:30-7:30PM
The Lower Devotion Art Show (K-4) is on view in the Gallery in Hunneman Hall through June 10. See paintings, drawings, prints and collages, showcasing one piece of artwork by each of the almost 500 students at the school.
Special thanks to Emily Manning-Mingle, and all the students, parents and teachers who helped put this spectacular show together!
The Public Library of Brookline has been honored to have hosted this exhibit last year and this year during Devotion School’s two-year renovation.
Asian American Pacific Islander Heritage month (May)
Brookline Village Library, First Floor: Lobby and Emery Cases
May 1 through June 3, 2018; Special program with Janet Wu: Wednesday, May 23: 6PM
The Brookline Office of Diversity, Inclusion, and Community Relations and the Brookline Asian American Family Network celebrate Asian American Pacific Islander Heritage month (May) with an exhibit at the Brookline Village Library in the Emery and Lobby Cases. Items of significance to Asian American Brookline residents are on display in an effort to recognize the culture and contributions of Asian and Pacific Islanders within our town. Also please visit our display in the Brookline Town Hall.
Additionally, please join us in celebrating AAPI month on Wednesday, May 23 in Hunneman Hall in the Village Library at 6PM where we will celebrate our 2018 Asian American student essay contest winners and hear from guest speaker, Janet Wu, a Journalist from Bloomberg TV and Radio and Adjunct Professor at Emerson College on “Diversity, Conflict and Information”. The event is free and open to the public. Light refreshments will be served.
Please contact Caitlin Haynes at chaynes@brooklinema.gov for more information or questions.
Brookline Open Studios Preview Show
Brookline Village Library, First Floor: Foundation Case
Second Floor: The Gallery in Hunneman Hall
March 16 through April 22, 2018; Closing Reception: Sunday, April 22: 1:30-3:30PM
This year, Brookline Open Studios Weekend will be held Saturday, April 28 and Sunday, April 29. Since 1986, Open Studios has been an annual springtime event, held in locations all over Brookline. The Brookline Open Studios Preview Show is on view at the Brookline Village Library in the Foundation Case and Hunneman Hall through April 22 and features the work of many local artists participating in Brookline Open Studios Weekend. Oils, acrylics, watercolors, ceramics, jewelry, photography, and mixed media are included.
The participating artists are: Leah Abrahams, John Amburg, Martin R. Anderson, Evelyn Berde, Caroline Bowden, Cathie Brenner, Barry Briss, Amy Elizabeth Browning, Martha Chason-Sokol, Jean Pierre Dubreuil, Madeline Fine, Ruth Ginsberg-Place, Susan J. Harmon, Liz Lander, Caryl Hull Leavitt, Leonie Little-Lex, Carolyn E. Lovit, Maryellen Moran, Joseph Perkel, Jocelyn Randles, Luca Riccó, Clint Richmond, Debra Rose, Nan Rumpf, A.E. Ryan, Frances Schreiber, Jodie Sinclair, Patt Timothy, Katie White, Sheryl Williams, and Devora Wise.
Special thanks to the Brookline Arts Center for curating this show. For more information, go to: www.brooklineopenstudios.com.
“Iran 2017” by Sima Hajhariri
Brookline Village Library, First Floor: Lobby and Emery Cases
March 15 through April 26, 2018
“In December of 2017, I traveled to Iran with the intention of visiting the historic cities of Isfahan and Shiraz. It was not my first trip to those two cities, however, growing up in Tehran-the capital of Iran-and maybe like many other Tehranis, I was too proud of my hometown to genuinely appreciate the art and history of anywhere else in Iran. Even though I had enjoyed all my previous trips, the level of my appreciation of the cities was, “Oh, that was beautiful. I had a good time.”
“This time was different. I guess 20 years of being away from my home country made me realize how I had taken for granted all the opportunities I had had in my life to enjoy and really appreciate the art and culture of all my people. It was during this trip that I learned that some of the beauties of Iran are not only unique within the country itself, but are also unique in the Middle East and Asia. With March 20th (the vernal equinox), celebrated as the New Year (“Nowruz”) in Persian culture, right around the corner, I decided to share my experience with you. Hope you enjoy it as much as I did.”
“Truth and Consequences: Climate Action Now” by Climate Action Brookline
Brookline Village Library, First Floor: Foundation Case
February 7 through March 11, 2018
The exhibit highlights influential books and resources, photographs and the upcoming, free and open to the public, 8th Annual Climate Week Brookline 2018, April 7-14, 2018.
Health and Climate Week Collaboration: Climate Action Brookline and Brookline Dept. of Public Health have collaborated to align climate related events of National Public Health Week (April 2-8) with Climate Week 2018 (April 7-14). Brookline Dept. of Public health has scheduled two environment related events:
Monday – April 2
Not Fake News# Public Health & Climate Change
Phillip Duffy, Ph.D., Exec. Dir., Woods Hole Research Center
Village Library, Hunneman Hall, 7–8:30PM
The health impacts of climate change come in many forms. Dr. Duffy will discuss the growing health consequences of climate change and argue that more people have died as a result of climate change than have died from terrorism.
Friday – April 6
Movie Night: STINK!
Discussion to follow with Prof. Michael Berger, Simmons College advocates, and Kathryn Rodgers from Silent Spring Institute
Lawrence School Auditorium, 6:30–8:30PM
STINK! opens with a foul smell, a pair of kid’s pajamas, and a single father trying to find out what that smell could possibly be. Instead of getting a straight answer, director Jon Whelan stumbles on a bigger issue in America, which is that some products on our store shelves are not safe – by design. There will be a discussion after the film with an opportunity to learn how to make your home safer and less toxic. Suggested audience: 10 and over.
“Wisdom and Memories: Brookline Seniors and The Reunion Project” by photographer Lora Brody
Brookline Village Library, Second Floor: The Gallery in Hunneman Hall
January 17 through March 12, 2018
Opening Reception: Saturday, January 20, from 2-4PM
Nearly 50 Brookline senior women from both Goddard House and the Brookline Senior Center participated in The Reunion Project, a combination of art and narrative, designed to encourage older women to reflect on their memories and recognize the wisdom that comes with age.
The project culminates in an art exhibit featuring photographs and quotations that will be on display in Hunneman Hall at the Brookline Village Library. The exhibit will open Wednesday, January 17 and will be on display through Tuesday, March 12. There will be an opening reception at the Library on Saturday, Jan. 20 from 2-4PM. The public is invited.
Ginny Mazur, Community Partnership Director at Goddard House, learned about the project and recognized its potential benefits for senior women and for the community. She remarked, “When I look at the younger- and older-self photos, I imagine all the life lived in between them.”
Lora Brody was invited to conduct The Reunion Project in Brookline. The project was welcomed by Senior Center Director Ruthann Dobek, who remarked, “It’s important to promote a positive image of aging with an emphasis on people’s history and the wisdom people bring to their life experiences.”
Frank Caro, co-chair of the BrooklineCAN Steering Committee, enthusiastically endorsed the project and BrooklineCAN (Brookline Community Aging Network) joined in as a sponsor.
From the collection of Roy MacKenzie: A Lifetime of Robots
Brookline Village Library, First Floor: Foundation Case
January 6 through February 4, 2018
“My name is Roy MacKenzie, and I am a member of the Reference Department (Brookline Village) at the Public Library of Brookline. As you may have guessed, I’m very fond of robots. This collection represents some of the many different robots I’ve accumulated over the years. My interest in robots started when I was very young, and it continues to this day. I hope that my display brings you some delight.”
From the Brookline Historical Society: Places and Faces in Brookline Village
Brookline Village Library, First Floor: Emery and Lobby Cases
January 3 through March 11, 2018
Brookline Historical Society Annual Meeting: Sunday, February 25, 2018, 2PM Brookline Village Library, Second Floor: Hunneman Hall
This exhibit from the Brookline Historical Society features eight posters with historic photos and accompanying stories that show the evolution of the people and businesses of Brookline Village from the mid-19th century to today. It includes views and accounts of former Irish tenements on Brookline Ave. and the businesses of lower Washington St. that were entirely eliminated in the 1960s urban renewal project. Also detailed are close-ups of several former stores of the Village and their buildings as they exist today.
“Harvard Square (intersection of Washington and Harvard Streets) in 1895 and 1908.”
Sunday, February 25, 2018, 2PM
The neighborhood of Brookline Village emerged as Brookline’s municipal and commercial center in the mid-19th century after the construction of a new Town Hall and a branch of the Boston & Worcester Railroad in the 1840s. Join Historical Society President Ken Liss for a look at the origins of this historic neighborhood, including:
- The commercial district along Washington and Harvard Streets, featuring brick buildings from the 1870s and earlier
- The town’s civic center, site of three successive Town Halls, the public library (1869), the Pierce School (1855) , and other municipal buildings.
- The Lindens, one of the first planned residential developments in town (1840s)
- Emerson Garden and the Elijah Emerson House on Davis Avenue (1846)
- White Place, with one of the largest concentrations of vernacular architecture in Brookline
The program will be preceded by a brief annual meeting. Refreshments will be served at the end of the talk.
Past Exhibits
Interested in exhibiting your work at the Public Library of Brookline? Review our Art Exhibition Policy and read about the specifics of exhibiting at the Brookline Village Library, the Coolidge Corner Library or the Putterham Library.
Brookline Village Exhibit Areas
First floor:
- Foundation Case — located in the west entrance foyer near School St.
- Emery & Lobby Cases — in the main lobby across from the new nonfiction books
- Brookline 300th Display Case — in the Reference Room
Children’s Room:
- at the entrance
- across from the Circulation Desk
- all around the room
Teen Room:
- Near the entrance to the Teen Comics & Graphic Novels hallway
The Gallery in Hunneman Hall — located on the second floor
The Gallery in Hunneman Hall is open up to 30 minutes before closing as long as the hall is not is use. For scheduled programs and events, check our events calendar. If the track lights are off when you arrive, the (labelled) switches are just inside the door to your right.