Melissa Kolstad is the curator for the Langdon Divers Gallery at the Fond du Lac Public Library in Fond du Lac, Wisconsin. For her new quarterly series with the Library as Incubator Project, Mel talks about exhibitions and displays in the library’s gallery.
by Melissa Kolstad
What a fantastic winter we’re having at the Langdon Divers Gallery, located inside the Fond du Lac Public Library! We kicked off the season with of work from, well, me. 
It’s a little embarrassing, talking about my solo exhibit, but I’m so grateful that it happened. I had a marvelous time. Unbeknownst to me, the staff planned a “Mel-a-Bration” reception for me, complete with punny treats like Cara-Mel Cake and Mel-ba Toast! I was surprised, delighted, and honored to have this event planned like this. I still get a little verklempt when I think about it. It was so special!
It’s a little embarrassing, talking about my solo exhibit, but I’m so grateful that it happened. I had a marvelous time. Unbeknownst to me, the staff planned a “Mel-a-Bration” reception for me, complete with punny treats like Cara-Mel Cake and Mel-ba Toast! I was surprised, delighted, and honored to have this event planned like this. I still get a little verklempt when I think about it. It was so special!
In January, the gallery hosted another solo exhibit – Bonnie Federman’s amazing LARGE works! Bonnie is a local artist who works in acrylics, airbrushing, and mixed media. She is inspired by camping, sailing, horses, and her beloved dogs. I was very lucky to snag her for a show, and I’m very glad that more people were able to see her beautiful work! She also had a very successful run, selling SIX pieces!
The exhibit that is currently up is near and dear to my heart – it’s the community version of The Detritus Project! If you’re a long-time reader of this fabulous site, you may remember that I did a guest-blogging stint back in 2012 about my experience with this project. I got the idea from conversations about library materials with Laura and Erinn, and decided to see what would happen if the library staff collected “detritus” from the inside of returned library books. You can read about my initial experience here, but here are some photos from the community exhibit! I had 28 artists answer the call for art, entering 31 pieces. They’re just wonderful! Our artists range in age from 4 to 77! I am so proud of this show, and I hope it inspires more libraries to get their communities involved with returned book “detritus”!
Coming up in the spring, we have a pre-school exhibit for March; a group of women artists called Open Door Artists for April; and our Upcycled Glam/Teen Photo contest for May, sponsored by the Fond du Lac Public Library! Hooray for teen art!
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