Bjorbaek & Mahoney Spring Art Exhibit

Posted on May 19, 2025 by Sebastien Sulser

This exhibit includes a mixture of various art pieces and mediums.

Mia Bjorbaek, acrylic painting
– Self portrait, abstract and cupcake, donut and cookie.

Kitt Bjorbaek, colored pencil drawings
– Shopping, ocean with shark and fish skeleton.

Christine Mahoney, oil paintings
– Brookline High School cheerleading and tennis, Beacon Hill and Woodstock, Vermont.

About the artists:
Mia Bjorbaek (15 years) is a freshman at Brookline High School. She is also a member of the spring Brookline High School tennis team.

Her other hobbies include figure skating, and sailing in Boston Harbor and the Charles River.

Kitt Bjorbaek (18 years) is a senior at Brookline High School. She has been a member of the Brookline High School rowing team for four years. And, she is also a lifeguard.

This fall, Kitt will be headed to Westfield State University to pursue a biology degree with a minor in studio art.

Christine Mahoney is Mia and Kitt’s mom. She has always loved art and has a BA in journalism with a minor in Studio Art from the University of Massachusetts at Amherst.

Art Exhibit: “Chaekgado” by Yoonkyoung Ahn

Posted on May 14, 2025May 30, 2025 by Rose Sweeney

Chaekgado is a style of Korean folk art (Minhwa) painting that shows bookshelves filled with books, vases, brushes, and other symbolic objects celebrating wisdom, beauty, and success. Originally created about 300 years ago to inspire learning and bring good fortune, Chaekgado reminds us how knowledge and art can shape a better future.

Artist Yoonkyoung Ahn brings traditional Korean art to life for Brookline students through Chaekgado. Her work blends Korean and North American cultural motifs, inviting students to explore creativity, heritage, and the universal love of knowledge. Through this playful fusion, Ahn builds a bridge between traditions and new generations.

Yoonkyoung’s work is on display in Hunneman Hall from May 1 to June 30 and in the Lobby and Emery cases at Brookline Village Library from May 1 to May 31.

Celebrating Pride Month at the Library!

Posted on May 13, 2025May 28, 2025 by Elissa Martel

This Pride Month, the Library is celebrating LGBTQIA+ history and culture with programs and displays for adults and kids of all ages! Visit any Library location to browse our displays, and check out the programs we’ll be holding throughout the month.

Events

We’re excited to be hosting Pride Month programs for library-goers of all ages this June! Here’s our current lineup:

Pride Month Scavenger Hunts

Kids & Tweens | All Month at the Brookline Village, Coolidge Corner, and Putterham Libraries

Swing by our Children’s Rooms at Brookline Village and Coolidge Corner or the main desk at Putterham, and ask for a scavenger hunt sheet to search for as many different Pride flags or LGBTQIA+ figures as you can find!

Kings & Queens: A Brief History of Drag Exhibit

All Ages | All Month at the Brookline Village Library

Curated and written by The History Project, Boston’s queer community archives, Kings & Queens: A Brief History of Drag is a pop-up exhibit celebrating the dynamic history of drag performance. Drag is an art form that explores and challenges gender roles and expectations, often intertwining performance, celebration, activism, artistry, and identity. This exhibit introduces and traces the centuries-old history of drag, from theatrical stages to ballrooms, the Stonewall Riots in New York City, and Boston’s Beaux Arts Ball.

Pride Printmaking with Alex Makes Art

Teens & Adults | Monday, June 2 at 6 PM at the Brookline Village Library

Join Alex Makes Art to kick-off Pride with a fantastic printmaking experience! Whether you’re a seasoned printmaker or just want to learn the basics, this event is all about unleashing your creativity. This is a drop-in program, but registration is strongly encouraged.

Felted Rainbow Pins with Pop Up Art School

Kids Ages 8+, Tweens, and Teens | Thursday, June 5 at 6:30 PM at the Brookline Village Library

Join Pop Up Art School to celebrate Pride Month and make a unique, felted rainbow pin! Space is limited and registration is required.

Cardboard Rainbow Collages with Alex Makes Art

Kids Ages 4-10 | Friday, June 6 at 2 PM at the Coolidge Corner Library

Kids ages 4-10 and accompanying siblings and grownups are invited to join Alex Makes Art at Coolidge Corner for a joyful afternoon of community crafting! Using recycled cardboard, colorful materials, and mixed media techniques, kids will create their own unique rainbow sculptures.

Queer Reading Group

Adults | Thursday, June 12 at 7 PM at the Brookline Village Library

Read and discuss books by queer authors in a variety of genres. This group has a stress-free structure, where the conversation we develop about identity, gender, race, and all intersections that these generate is just as important as reading the book. We make space to feel seen, safe, ask questions, and learn! For this Pride Month gathering, we’ll be creating a collaborative book list for Pride. Bring up to two of your favorite books to add to the list! Join us in-person or virtually.

Queer YA Author Panel

Teens & Adults | Tuesday, June 17 at 6 PM at the Brookline Village Library

The Library is proud to present an evening with local Queer YA authors Sara Farizan, Sacha Lamb, and Kasey LeBlanc! Teen Librarian, Tori, will moderate the conversation and facilitate audience questions. Following the event, Brookline Booksmith will be on-site selling the author’s titles and the event will conclude with a book signing from all three authors. While this event is geared toward teens, all are welcome!

Pride at the Library

All Ages | Saturday, June 21 at 1 PM at the Brookline Village Library

Join us for the culmination of our Pride Month celebration! This event will feature The Femmes Band, a family-friendly drag show with Dottie Ave, a photobooth, and more! All are welcome.

Art Exhibit: Eiko Tabata

Posted on April 24, 2025 by Rose Sweeney

Eiko was born and raised in Hokkaido Japan, where she was surrounded by mountains and farmland. She started showing a deep appreciation to nature which would become reflective in her artwork. Eiko is a self-taught artist, focused on realism with a mission to convey beautiful landscapes/seascapes to her viewers.

Eiko’s art will be on display at Coolidge Corner Library for the months of May and June 2025.

Kids April 2025 Vacation Week Programs

Posted on April 7, 2025April 9, 2025 by Elissa Martel

With school break coming up, we’ve got exciting children’s programs at all three Public Library of Brookline locations. We hope you’ll join us to learn, create, and explore! Click on the links below to visit the event page and learn more about the program.

Monday, April 21

The Library is closed for Patriots’ Day.

Tuesday, April 22

Join us at the Coolidge Corner Library at 3 PM to learn All About Bird Beaks with Hands on Nature! Discover the variety of local birds and what makes their beaks special. This program is intended for kids ages 5-10 and their families. Capacity is limited, so a free ticket can be picked up at the Coolidge Corner Library Children’s Desk starting at 2:30 PM on the day of the event.

Wednesday, April 23

Do animals get earaches? Sore throats? Stomach aches? Find out the answers to these questions and more at Dr. Rosie Helps the Animals with author and educator, Jennifer Welborn! Participants will hear a story, and get to diagnose and treat a stuffed animal. This program will be held at the Brookline Village Library, and is ideal for kids ages 4-8 and their grownups. We will hold two sessions of this program, at 2:30 PM and 4 PM. Free tickets are required, and can be picked up at the Brookline Village Library Children’s Desk 30 minutes before each session.

Thursday, April 24

Join magician and balloon-sculptor Ed Popielarczyk for a Family Magic Show that will entertain and amaze! The show will take place at the Coolidge Corner Library at 2 PM. This program is intended for children ages 3+ and their families. Space is limited, so a free ticket is required and can be picked up at the Coolidge Corner Library Children’s Desk starting at 1:30 PM on the day of the event.

Friday, April 25

Comics are great tools to communicate information, from history, to science, and even how to cook! Learn all about Informational Comics with local cartoonist, Jonathan Todd. The workshop will take place at the Putterham Library at 1 PM. This program is best-suited for kids ages 8 and up. Capacity is limited, so a free ticket can be picked up at the Putterham Library Main Desk starting at 12:30 PM on the day of the event.

Where does our honey come from? And why don’t beekeepers get stung? Meet a beekeeper and get all of your bee questions answered at The Mighty Honey Bee with Nora Neale! You’ll even get to see real honeybees in an observation hive. This program will take place at the Brookline Village Library, and is for kids in grades K-7. We will hold two identical sessions, at 2:30 PM and 3:30 PM. Free tickets are required, and can be picked up at the Brookline Village Library Children’s Desk 30 minutes before each session.

Saturday, April 26

Join us for Pollination with the Massachusetts Horticultural Society at the Putterham Library! Explore the hidden world of flowers and pollinators that are so important to our natural world. This program is intended for children in grades K-5 and their families. Capacity is limited to 25 attendees on a first-come, first-served basis. We will host this event outdoors at 10 AM on the Library lawn.

The History of Nintendo with One Up Games brings a walkable/playable museum to the Brookline Village Library! Players will learn how Nintendo started, and see how the iconic console evolved to where it is today. This program is intended for kids ages 8+, tweens, teens, and adults. It will take place at 1 PM in the Brookline Village Library Tween Room, located on the ground floor.

Posted on March 13, 2025 by Sebastien Sulser

Besides working as an Art Manager and Tutor, I love drawing—it’s my sanctuary, bringing me peace and relaxation. Since I was little,I’ve loved sketching everything from things around me to fictional characters or just practicing. My favorites are line art, watercolor, and digital art. Check out more of my work at www.chompunut.com or follow me on Instagram @meena_art.design.”

From the Public Library of Brookline Archives & Special Collections: Views from Library History

Posted on March 12, 2025 by Sam Valentine

Love your local Public Library of Brookline Branch? Are you curious about – or do you fondly recall – how each Library has looked and felt in the past? Drop by to see a selection of historical photographs of views from our Brookline Village, Putterham, and Coolidge Corner branches!

Photographs courtesy the Public Library of Brookline’s Archives & Special Collections; on display in the Lobby Exhibit Case at Brookline Village now through May 2025. Explore more from the Public Library of Brookline Photograph Collection online.

Courage, Community and Democracy—Books for Young People

Posted on February 19, 2025February 24, 2025 by Rose Sweeney

During March, display cases at the Brookline Village Library will feature books for young people with themes of courage, community, and democracy. Good books are wonderful for introducing readers to people who spoke out for strong communities, to advocates who worked hard on behalf of our government’s founding values, and to people who made their way in unknown territories for a better life for themselves and others. Brookline resident Rusty True Browder (founder of The Children’s Book Shop in Brookline Village and retired Lawrence School librarian) collects and writes about books with themes of a strong democracy and key events in American history, sharing some of them in this display. Visit Rusty’s Substack newsletter for even more book suggestions.

Kids February 2025 Vacation Week Programs

Posted on February 6, 2025February 10, 2025 by Elissa Martel

With school break coming up, we’ve got exciting children’s programs at all three Public Library of Brookline locations. We hope you’ll join us to learn, create, and explore! Click on any of the links to visit the event page and learn more about the program.

Tuesday, February 18

Join us for a fun and interactive puppet storytime with Leigh Baltzer from Through Me to You Puppetry. Leigh, Newton, and their puppet friends will share stories and songs, followed by a session of puppet free play. This program is recommended for ages 0-5, but kids and families of all ages are welcome! It will be held in the Coolidge Corner Library Meeting Room at 10:15 AM. Free tickets are required for this program and will be available at 10 AM at the Children’s Desk.

Wednesday, February 19

Experiment with adventure at the Library – help the Science Heroes act out a story about a lost treasure while exploring physical explosions and chemical reactions! This program is recommended for kids ages 5-9 and their families. It will be held in the Coolidge Corner Library Meeting Room at 11 AM. Free tickets are required for this program and will be available at 10:30 AM at the Children’s Desk.

Learn about power, justice, and build imaginary worlds at the Imagining Justice Workshop. This workshop is best for kids ages 7-11 and their families. Space is limited to 15 families on a first-come, first-served basis. This program will be held in the Putterham Library Meeting Room at 2 PM.

Try your hand at four different art styles as you learn about Black illustrators and the work they do. Check out Kids Celebrate Black Artists from 3:30 to 4:30 PM in the Rabbit Hole at the Brookline Village Library. This is a drop-in program for children ages 5-9.

Join us for a fun-filled evening watching the brand new children’s movie The Wild Robot, based on the book of the same name! Recommended for children ages 8 and up. The movie screening will take place in Hunneman Hall at the Brookline Village Library at 6 PM.

Thursday, February 20

Join us and our special guest from the Island of Motunui for a Princess Party in Hunneman Hall at the Brookline Village Library! Listen to stories, dance, and sing with a special princess. Fancy outfits or costumes of any kind are encouraged! This program is best for kids ages 0-5 and their families, though all are welcome. We will host two identical sessions of this program, one at 11 AM and one at 3 PM. Free tickets are required and will be available 30 minutes before each session at the Children’s Desk.

Friday, February 21

Learn how to write and draw comics that will make readers laugh, think, or observe something interesting with comic artist Jonathon Todd in his workshop, Writing and Drawing Comics. This program is best for kids ages 8 and up. A free ticket is required, and can be picked up on a first-come, first-served basis at the Children’s Desk starting at 12:30 PM. It will be held in the Coolidge Corner Library Meeting Room at 1 PM.

Saturday, February 22

Join special performer Matt Heaton for an interactive singalong! This program is for families and kids of all ages, but may be most appealing to kids ages 0-5. It will be held in Hunneman Hall at the Brookline Village Library at 11 AM. Free tickets are required and will be available at the Children’s Desk starting at 10:30 AM.

Join us for Pint Size Yoga with Carol Kagan! Little ones will be guided through stretching, breathing, and age appropriate yoga poses, along with dancing and games. This program is for kids ages 4-6 only! It will be held in the Putterham Library Meeting Room at 11 AM.

Join Susie of the Poop Museum for Gross, Weird, Cool Science! Packed full of amazing examples of grossness, weirdness, and coolness, this is a fast-paced, fact-filled, silly and scientific program. This program is best for kids ages 5-9. It will be held in the Putterham Library Meeting Room at 3 PM.

May 11 – In Person

Posted on January 18, 2025April 7, 2025 by Bryan Kreusch

Jenny Grassl lives in Cambridge, Massachusetts. Her poems have appeared or are forthcoming in The Boston Review, Tupelo Quarterly, Bennington Review, Lana Turner Journal, Fairytale Review, and others. Magicholia, her first book, was published by 3: A Taos Press in 2024. Her second book, Forever Mistaken for Ourselves, was chosen for publication by Tupelo Press for their 2024 Open Reading period.

Julia Thacker’s poems have appeared in Bennington Review, The Massachusetts Review, The New Republic, Pleiades and Poetry International. She has received fellowships from the Bunting Institute (Radcliffe Institute for Advanced Study), the Fine Arts Work Center in Provincetown and the National Endowment for the Arts. Her honors include residencies at Yaddo and the Virginia Center for the Creative Arts. Most recently, she was an Edith Wharton Writer-in-Residence at The Mount in Lenox. Her collection, To Wildness, winner of the 19^th Anthony Hecht Poetry Prize, will be published by Waywiser Press in 2025. She lives in Arlington, Massachusetts.

Eric Braude grew up in South Africa. He won the 27th annual Eagle-Tribune/Robert Frost Foundation Spring Poetry Contest and wrote the front matter poem for the anthology Songs from the Castle’s Remains. His poetry has appeared in South Florida Poetry Journal, Constellations, Apple Valley Review, J Journal. I-70 Review, Panoplyzine, Book of Matches, Frost Meadow Review and elsewhere. His work has been nominated for a Pushcart Prize. Eric is a computer science professor at Boston University.