Arts

Bucklaew’s ‘Winter Landscapes’ Exhibit at Jamaica Plain Branch Library

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Jamaica Plain printmaker Quenby Bucklaew's Winter Landscapes solo exhibition is the first art show at the Jamaica Plain Library for 2023. Bucklaew has been inspired by her world travels, and utilizes bold shapes, a limited use of color, and tactile qualities resulting from a mixture of printmaking techniques. She captures her own ephemeral impressions of place and time, as well as the emotional impact they can have. Winter Landscapes includes travel-inspired prints from 2019, as well as new pieces created since the pandemic when she found inspiration in her own neighborhood by exploring the natural beauty of Jamaica Plain, and especially Jamaica Pond. Her multilayered compositions feature stark, snowy expanses punctuated by spindly tree branches, blurry city skylines, and the calm, reflective spread of the pond, all marked by the textured detail of woodblock and collagraph printing.

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Arts

Celebrate New Public Art Piece at Jamaica Plain Library on Nov. 4

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A wythe is a continuous vertical section of masonry one unit in thickness, and a web is something formed by or as if by weaving or interweaving. Put those two together and you get Wythe & Web, the new public art installation at the Jamaica Plain Branch Library. Artist Matthew Hinçman started his work on the project January 2021, and the community is finally going to have the opportunity to celebrate it on Nov. 4 (4:30-6:30 pm) with the art on the front lawn of the library and Curtis Hall. The event will include music, poetry, and more.

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Arts

Banned Books Week at Jamaica Plain Branch Library

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In recognition of Banned Books Week, the Jamaica Plain Branch Library is featuring some commonly banned books, with a chance to win one of them.  

The theme this year is "Books Unite Us. Censorship Divides Us." The display is presented by the Friends of the Jamaica Plain Branch Library, and will be up through Oct. 2.

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City Services

JP Library Stuff: Free Resilient Garden Kits, Social Justice Book Group, Snowflake Window Display

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Even though libraries aren't open for in-person services, that doesn't mean the Jamaica Plain Branch Library doesn't have things to offer patrons. For all you gardeners, the Jamaica Plain Branch Library is offering free "Resilient Garden Kits," seed kits for people in the community. The kits include seeds for plants like radishes, beets, carrots, lettuce, peas, sunflowers, parsley, cilantro, and more. The project began last year at the Egleston Square Branch Library and will continue at a number of other BPL locations including Jamaica Plain, Egleston Square, Codman Square, Parker Hill, Mattapan, South End, South Boston, and East Boston, according to the Friends of the Jamaica Plain Branch Library newsletter. Seed kits will be picked up during pick up hours, using the same contactless pickup method as for other items. Please check the JP Branch Library Facebook page for an update about when seed kits will be available to pick up.

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Arts

Public Art Project ‘Wythe and Web’ Under Construction at JP Library

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If you've walked past the Jamaica Plain Branch Library recently you may have noticed construction for a new public art project. Part of the $10 million renovation of the Jamaica Plain Branch Library included funding for a public art project. Jamaica Plain resident Matthew Hincman's project Wythe and Web was selected. The foundational brickwork has been laid, and some of the blue glazed bricks have been added. Additional thin bricks will be installed in certain sections by a mosaicist, according to the Friends of the Jamaica Plain Branch Library newsletter.

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Arts

Virtual Concert & Fundraiser for Friends of the JP Branch Library on May 28

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Live from the Mermaid's Tavern will be a virtual concert and fundraiser for the Friends of the Jamaica Plain Branch Library on May 28. The Gloucester Hornpipe & Clog Society are hosting the concert that will feature intimate solo performances, creative digital collaborations, clips from the GH&CS YouTube channel, and live commentary celebrating the band's annual reunion. All donations go to benefit the Jamaica Plain Public Library. The event will take place on May 28th at 7:30 pm. The concert is free, but a suggested $5 per person online donation is welcome.

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Friends of the Jamaica Plain Branch Library

Tropical Fiesta at the Library!

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Join the Friends of the Jamaica Plain Branch Library in shaking off the end-of-winter blues at our annual Tropical Fiesta! We will cast off Winter and welcome the coming of Spring with delicious food (Coco Verde Vegan) combined with some delicious live music (Jefferey Clayton from the Pan Neubean Steel Band).

Arts

New Library Photo Exhibition Highlights Jamaica Plain Neighborhoods

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Photos in the most recent art exhibit at the Jamaica Plain Branch Library may look familiar, as Robin Radin's "The Nearness of Us" features JP neighborhoods. JP resident Radin presents our neighborhood's parks, streets, train stations, and other public spaces while using stark black and white images. “My work examines the intricacies of human relations: a visual acknowledgement that we are both together as community and family, and alone, as individuals,” said Radin. In her exhibit, Radin observes the relationships of relatives, friends, partners, and their surrounding environment. She utilized quiet moments occurring within the more frenetic experience of city life.

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Friends of the Jamaica Plain Branch Library

Friends of the JP Branch Library Annual Meeting

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Every year, the Friends of the Jamaica Plain Branch Library gather to give an update on what we've been up to and what's in store for the future. This is a great opportunity to stay up to date on your local library. Following our updates we'll all share desserts, live music, and good company! Join us on the lower level of the library from 6:30 to 8:00 on Thursday, October 10.

Arts

2020 Call for Art Proposals at Jamaica Plain Branch Library

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The Friends of the Jamaica Plain Branch Library have put a call for a new round of submissions to select the art exhibitions for 2020. The bi-monthly exhibits will be proposal-based and selected by a committee comprised by representatives of the Central BPL, JP Branch, Friends of the JP Library, as well as standing members of the local business and arts community, according to a press release. Artists from across New England are invited to submit recent two-dimensional work for a solo or group show that will lasting for two-month periods. No specific theme is needed, but artists should keep in mind that the works need to be enjoyed by the diverse library community, which includes children, teenagers, and adults. The following art mediums will be considered for selection of five solo shows and one themed group show: drawing, mixed media/collage, painting, photography, and printmaking.

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