Tiny library gets huge display of American art

Hooksett Editor — Wed, 05 Nov 2008 19:30:00 GMT

BY LAUREN SAUSSER

The brick one-story Allenstown Public Library may bear little resemblance to any major art museum, but when it comes to showcasing world-class art, this small New Hampshire library is competing with the best of them.

With the help of head librarian Cathy Vincevic, the Allenstown Public Library was awarded a National Endowment of the Humanities initiative that brings 40 large, life-size reproductions of American art to the small, 1,000-square-foot facility.

There is art on the walls, art on the tables and art on the ground. There’s so much art, Vincevic said, that it’s challenging trying to figure out where to display it.

“I just think it’s fantastic,” she said. “It’s like bringing a museum to the library. I’m so excited we got chosen, and I’m so excited about people coming in here and taking advantage of it.”

In addition to the glossy prints, which came laminated to encourage tactile interaction, the endowment provided a curriculum that can be adapted to all age groups that will tie the evolution of American history with the country’s art movements.

The series of reproductions, which depicts everything from early examples of Native American pottery to a Louis Comfort Tiffany stained glass window, spans American history from the time before the European settlers arrived to the present day.

Rose Bergeron, assistant librarian at the Allenstown Library, said she is eager for students to come in and learn from the art. “It’s beautiful,” Bergeron said of the collection. “I’m hoping that the schools take advantage of it.”

The series of prints is called “Picturing America,” and the Allenstown Library was one of 26,000 across the country to receive the collection.

The purpose of such a massive initiative is to encourage critical thinking and cultural studies.

“There are so many conversations that could take place once you take a look at one of these prints,” Vincevic said. “This is a way to reintroduce art and for people to understand the depth of our culture and how many facets of it there are.”

To look at the full collection and to learn more about the National Endowment of the Humanities initiative, visit Picturing America’s Web site, http://picturingamerica.neh.gov/

Allenstown News : Picturing America

Tiny library gets huge display of American art