A show of artistic talents at library

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Three glazed ceramic sculptures by Jennifer Langhammer. — File photo by CK Wolfson

The Program area in the Vineyard Haven library is a calm, well-lit open space in soft greens, the palest shade of coral, carpeted seating, and the sort of hush only a library can produce; the perfect space for studying the art being displayed there through Saturday, June 19.

The Friends of the Vineyard Haven Public Library have created the first “Art in June,” which they plan to make an annual event. It features an impressive and varied display of the work of 20 emerging and established artists.

Myra Stark, president of Friends of the Library, explains the idea stemmed from discussion at a meeting with other library support groups. She came away thinking, “We’ve been bringing music and poetry into the library; it was time for art.”

Working with Amy Ryan, director of the library, and the 12-member Friends of the Library team, she contacted the Martha’s Vineyard Regional High School (MVRHS) as well as inviting open submissions.

Many submissions were received and curated by Inos Al-Soqui, a graduate of Art School of the Museum of Fine Arts Boston. The work of 20 artists was selected for exhibit (not for sale on site).

The show includes a large provocative display by MVRHS student Hannah Marlin, a multi-talented senior, who created a wall of faces, 48 close-up, color photos of random people on Main Street in Vineyard Haven, that, with their brief comments, cover an entire wall on the library’s first floor.

Lilla Warren describes her unique cast bronze “Cult Pods” as “three-dimensional doodles.” The intriguing organic shapes, approximately six-inches tall, are arranged in a circle that references ceremonial tribal objects, and conjures up forms in nature.

Another sculptor, Jennifer Langhammer, created three glazed ceramic spheres about the size of a fist, each uniquely textured, each an interpretation of nature, and each abstract, but summoning an almost familiar recognition.

Mixed media artist Rebecca Comito’s framed piece, “Happy Jim’s Sunset,” combines leaf and geometric shapes in greens and blues, with just the right splash of yellow-orange as a focal point.

Vasha Brunelle’s “Sandpipers,” a realistic rendering in oil on linen, captures the birds in typical gesture as they search the shoreline surf for food. Ms. Brunelle succeeded in creating the mood and feel of the setting.

Ruth DeWilde-Major used the dark linear quality of trees to form a dramatic foreground against the sun in her oil painting, “Sunset Through The Trees,” while plein air painter Sue Johnson combined warm and cool acrylic colors in “Tisbury Meadow Preserve,” to capture an inviting impression of a familiar Island scene.

All of the 20 exhibiting artists demonstrate an impressive level of craft, execution, and creative ability. It is a worthy show, not to be missed, and one that celebrates the wealth of artistic accomplishment on the Island.

Art in June at the Vineyard Haven Public Library on Main St., Vineyard Haven, runs through Saturday, June 19. Free to the public during regular library hours. 508-696-4211.