Emily Alvarez describes her process for creating this artwork and walks through some of the details and imagery that can be found in her latest piece. Watch:
Libraries are a place of transformation. Open a book and all kinds of magic can happen. You learn new things. You think in a new way. Emotions come forth that you might not have expected or even known existed.
That transformation is not limited to the books on the shelves. Sometimes the buildings themselves can be transformative.
Consider Johnson County’s Merriam Plaza Library: what was once a stark white wall in the children’s section was transformed into a vibrant mural inspired by a spirited, contemplative poem, “The Understory,” by Traci Brimhall, Kansas Poet Laureate. The mural by local artist Emily Alvarez not only transforms the space but can also move the patrons to a different time and place.
“The Library is a forest full of doors. Open one. Hear it sing the ordinary magic of words to life”
The Understory
“Art is an invitation to wonder,” said Brimhall, who has visited many of the Johnson County libraries in her role as state Poet Laureate. "As I meditated on the meaning of libraires and I thought about opening a book, the idea of a forest felt right. The towers of books are like the trees in the forest … each spine represent a secret portal.”
Brimhall said she was impressed seeing her poem come to life as a 20-foot-long colorful mural, one piece of art transforming into another.
“I don’t feel strongly that people need to see things the exact way that I see things,” she said. “That is the gift of art.
“I’ve worked with visual artists and musicians before, and I enjoy seeing how others explore and wonder.”
Alvarez shared in a video about the mural process that the many references to nature in “The Understory” gave her a strong foundation and encouraged her to do some research into native Kansas flora and fauna that might work in the mural. She acknowledges how that background work transformed her thinking as a work in progress.
“Knowledge is like a living breathing thing,” she said. “You’ll do research into one thing and then it’ll take you somewhere else, and then you get wrapped up in the story and the bigger picture of the significance of that information.”
As poet laureate, Brimhall is spending time uniting poetry and the state’s agricultural roots, so it is no surprise her poem at Merriam Plaza is filled with images of nature. In addition to her role as poet laureate, Brimhall is a university distinguished professor of creative writing and narrative medicine at Kansas State University. She is the author of five collections of poetry, most recently "Love Prodigal," as well as a cookbook that combines recipes and poems.
“Poetry and the arts connect our senses,” she said. “And who doesn’t like to eat?”
Videos about the poem and mural are available on the Library’s YouTube channel, or view the mural and interpret “The Understory” for yourself at the Merriam Plaza Library during regular library hours. Dylan Reiter, patron services specialist at the library said the mural is a hit: “The patrons I have talked to really appreciate the vivid colors and how well it livens up the space.”
You can also see the Webb Family Meeting Room and mural to learn more about the history of the Webb family and their significance transforming education through the school desegregation battle of the 1940s and ‘50s.
Alvarez said she is honored to be a part of the Johnson County Library.
“Libraries offer so much to their communities, providing shelter and resources. Libraries are amazing and I really appreciate being able to contribute.”