Mindful Crafting Art Exhibit at the Library!

I’m sure it comes as no surprise to anyone that Lawrence is home to many talented and creative people. Some of these creative folk display their work at the library. In fact, the library’s art spaces are so popular that they are reserved far in advance. (We are currently booking art displays for the spring of 2021!) So I am especially delighted that during the month of February, the library will host a Mindful Crafting exhibit! 

This exhibit consists of artwork created by presenters and participants of the library’s Mindful Crafting programs. Mindful Crafting draws on Lawrence’s rich creative community to present hands-on art-making opportunities each month. We are enriched by sharing our creative energy and by learning from each other as we explore the mindful qualities of making art. Mindfulness, a focused awareness of the present moment, is often achieved through meditation. It can also be achieved during creative endeavors as the artist focuses intently on their work. 

The library started offering Mindful Crafting workshops in June of 2018. Each month, participants work with a different technique or medium, and then they take that knowledge home with them and do amazing work, putting their own creative spin on what they learned from each other. We are delighted to share their work at the library! Each piece in the exhibit includes a medium or technique that was explored in a Mindful Crafting workshop, but they may also include other media or techniques as well. It is inspiring to see how each participant combines what they learned in these sessions with their own skills and knowledge to create work that is their unique artistic expression. In addition to listing the artwork title and the artist, the labels posted by each piece indicate the media that were used as well as which media/techniques are from Mindful Crafting sessions. 

Mindful Crafting takes place at the library on the 2nd Saturday morning of each month. The program is free and open to the public, but registration is required as space is limited. Registration opens 30 days in advance of each session, and they fill up quickly. Register on the library’s website by searching Events for Mindful Crafting - or - here is a link to the March session of Mindful Crafting, opens a new window; if you scroll down you can see all the scheduled dates. For more information, contact Jill Mickel, jmickel@lplks.org.

And be on the lookout for other art/craft programs at the library this year! Coming up in early April, Kellogg Sisters Feed & Seed will present an all-day Journal Quilting workshop. Participants will explore a question, idea, or issue as they are guided through the creation of a quilted wall piece. You can find more information about the Journal Quilting workshop here, opens a new window.

We also have multi-session programs in the works for bookbinding (summer) and wet felting (fall). And, of course, Mindful Crafting will continue each month. If you would like to explore a bit on your own, here is a list of books relating to Mindful Crafting topics., opens a new window

If you would like more information about showing artwork at the library, this link, opens a new window will get you there. And I hope you will visit the library during February to see this exhibit of artwork by regular folks like you!

-Jill Mickel is an Info Services Assistant at Lawrence Public Library.