Today we have the pleasure of talking with Christy Mulligan, Coordinating Librarian, Community Connections, at Hennepin County Library in Minnesota. She tells us about the fabulous Stop, Look, Art project at Hennepin County Library, which takes “art in the library” a step further by carefully documenting the art and artists, in partnership with community institutions. Read on! ~Laura
Library as Incubator Project (LAIP): How did the Stop, Look, Art project come to be? Where and how did the idea originate?
Christy Mulligan (CM): Our goal with Stop, Look, Art was to highlight the many notable, publicly owned, freely accessible art pieces across Hennepin County Library locations. The program, developed by Coordinating Librarian Michele McGraw in collaboration with community partners, had two major components. The first was to develop a searchable database on hclib.org featuring notable art from our buildings. For this piece, we collaborated with the Minneapolis College of Art & Design (MCAD). Interns from the school were paid to take professional photos of art in libraries. Second, we created a documentary in collaboration with tpt (Twin Cities Public Television) that highlighted art pieces featured in the database.
LAIP: Who were the partners on the project, and how were artists/experts identified to do the video interviews?
CM: The two major partners were MCAD and tpt. Artists featured in the documentary are living artists who created public art found in Hennepin County Library locations. Hennepin County Library is proud to regularly work with staff like Jack Becker, Executive Director at Forecast Public Art and Mary Altman, Public Art Administrator, City of Minneapolis on public art projects and art funded through the library’s One Percent for Art program.
LAIP: How is the project funded?
CM: Minnesota Arts & Cultural Heritage Fund, and in-kind support and ongoing maintenance by Library staff.
LAIP: What makes the library a good partner/home base for this project?
CM: The library has a longstanding commitment to public art, and this project was a natural extension of that. We recognize that art contributes to the library’s mission to nourish minds, transform lives and build community together.
We work with artists and arts organizations across the community to select the art in our libraries, and this project allows people to learn more about the art and artists they see when they visit our libraries. It enhances that experience, and also allows people to share that experience without visiting a library building. Libraries are unique venues for art, because patrons visiting the library are likely to see pieces over and over, and often throughout their lifetime.
LAIP: Are there plans for future Stop, Look, Art activities?
We are always adding new pieces to the database, so it remains an active project. We are also adding new signage in our buildings to draw attention to notable pieces featured in the database. For some buildings, these signs will include visual cues, information about a piece, a description, and statement from the artist.
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