Art At APL
UPCOMING EXHIBIT | “EXTRA/ORDINARY”
Exhibition Dates & Hours: Through May 11, 2024 | During branch open hours
Location: Pine Hills Branch, exhibition pieces displayed throughout the building
About the Exhibition: “Extra/Ordinary” highlights works by contemporary artists whose creations straddle craft and fine art. Artists from the region are using braiding, sewing, quilting, embroidery, felting, tufting, and needlepoint to expand domestic visual approaches to artmaking. The results mark time, include images of contemporary culture, are full of carefully embellished surfaces commemorating life, and represent a materiality that tricks the eye. This exhibition is partially funded by the John D. Picotte Family Foundation.
Exhibition Artists: Cyndy Barbone, Johnathan DeSousa, Kathy Greenwood, Lori Lawrence, Joy Muller- McCoola, Mark Olshansky, Jess Stapf, Barbara Todd
Special Installation Artist: Victoria van der Laan | She makes textile work using the traditional techniques learned from her grandmothers. Her intention is to champion women’s work broadly and quilts specifically as dually powerful: encompassing both function and art and embodying the ingenuity and artistic voice of marginalized folk, and her distinct voice among them. Her installation for the Pine Hills library atrium was conceived with themes of interconnectedness (weaving/knotting/draping), diversity (of form, color, and size), and energy (bold colors and movement) in mind. The installation is made possible with funds from the Statewide Community Arts Program, a regrant program of the New York State Council on the Arts with the support of The Governor and the New York State Legislature and administered by The Arts Center of the Capital Region.
THE ART AT APL PROGRAM
Art at APL, which is curated by Opalka Gallery, is a fine arts exhibition program at the Pine Hills Branch showcasing the work of contemporary artists connected to the Capital Region. The program, which began in 2013, integrates professional artwork into public spaces within the library, enriches the library experience, and gives visitors something interesting and educational to look at while they browse the collections. Art at APL is funded in part by the Friends & Foundation of Albany Public Library.
OTHER EXHIBITED ART
In addition to the Art at APL exhibitions, the library occasionally displays art, photographs, and other pieces created by students and other members of the community. If anyone objects to art on display in the branches, the Exhibited Art Reconsideration Request should be filled out and submitted.