Bookmarkable

This September is the Bicentennial of the first organized wagon train down the Santa Fe Trail, in 1821. The trail between western Missouri and Santa Fe, Mexico (New México, today) was an important economic generator and its history played out across Johnson County’s landscape for more than half a century. Besides incredible history of tenacity, hardship, and entrepreneurial spirit, there are physical markers to denote important trail sites throughout the county. These were placed by the Daughters of the American Revolution (DAR) in the early 1900s, and still exist today.

Learn more about the historic Santa Fe Trail and the markers from the early 1900s in the jocohistory blog.

Johnson County Library fosters creatives of all types who live and work in our community. The Library features and celebrates the work of local artists in the physical and digital spaces of the Library, and promotes collaborations and partnerships between the Library, artists and arts organizations. Beginning September 1, the Library is excited to have exhibitions returning to many of our locations. You can find the following exhibitions at the Library locations below:

Antioch Library - Dylan Carroll

Born red-green colorblind, artist Dylan Carroll uses a simple color palette while utilizing the monochromatic scales of each color in his abstract paintings. This exhibition of his work is not meant to be the focus of one theme or issue; rather he views these images as “completely subjective, allowing the viewer to create their own personal connection with the work.”

Blue Valley Library - Jennifer Walker

Sculptor Jennifer Walker uses many types of materials and varied methods to produce her creative works. She has created ornamental relief carvings for architectural restoration, new construction, sculptures for The Kansas City Zoo and a recent commission for The Kansas City Art Institute.

Cedar Roe Library - Sol Anzorena

Sol Anzorena has been making art since she was very young and has been traveling and studying art at different universities in Poland and Brazil. Anzorena’s love of nature inspires her to create “organic and loose” works.

Leawood Pioneer Library - John Keeling

Drawn to what he describes as the “transparency” of watercolor, painter John Keeling captures scenes of nature and animals in his work, from the “fragility of a flower or the devoted gaze of a beloved pet.”

Lenexa City Center Library - Nate Hofer

Nate Hofer is a graphic designer and musician who draws upon his Midwestern upbringing during the Cold War in the 1980s to create documentary photographs and solo performance sound pieces. The photos in this exhibit have been shortlisted for the 2021 Global Peace Photo Award.

Oak Park Library - Daniel Baxley

From the artist: “Every morning upon rising I made my coffee, and immediately went to my studio. I entered into a kind of meditative state and allowed any remnants of my dreamtime or any other elements from my subconscious to freely flow forth as pastel images on 9"x12" paper.”

Oak Park Library - Joha Bisone

From the artist: “Inspiration is found through the never-ending supply from the natural world. My exploration has led to an ongoing series revolving around the intricacies of patterns in nature, specifically enthralled by the markings and colorings of birds, fish and plants.”

Shawnee Library - William Toney

William Toney uses photography and mixed media to document an abstract lived experience. Toney writes: “I create still lifes from objects I find in the street, retired flowers, my old clothes, etc. In my work, repurposing, repositioning and the shifting of hierarchies attempts to reclaim power by demanding to be seen in a different context.”

To learn more, visit the Exhibitions page on jocolibrary.org. For those interested in a virtual experience, check out Artists in Sight. In this series, the Library interviews some of the Kansas City area's best local visual artists for insights about their work, creative process and the things that inspire them. Visit Library OnDemand to watch.

Johnson County Library – Nurturing the Community’s Collective Wisdom

Oak Park Library will be closed to both staff and the public Monday, Sept. 13 through Saturday, Sep. 18 for safety upgrades to the building's electrical system and a renovation of staff workspaces. Curbside Holds Pickup service will also be suspended, and returns will not be accepted during the closure. The building is scheduled to reopen Monday, Sept. 20 with normal hours.

• If you have items checked out from Oak Park that will be due during the closure, please return your items to another branch or renew materials through your Library account. Please contact us for assistance with renewals.
• Holds ready for pickup but not checked out by 5 p.m. on Saturday, Sept. 11 will remain on-shelf for one additional week. Check your library account for specific dates. Please contact us no later than Sept. 11 if you would like to pick up your available holds from another branch during the closure period.
• Meeting rooms and public computers, including printing and copying services, are available at our other Johnson County Library locations. Central Resource and Antioch are closest in proximity to Oak Park. Please note meeting rooms are not currently available at Central Resource Library.

Thank you for your patience and flexibility as we work to improve your facilities! Follow @jocolibrary on social media for updates.

 

Facebook Live Book Parties are live events where Johnson County Library staff members interact with you about books! Each party revolves around a short list of titles representing a certain genre or theme. You can find the Facebook Live Book Parties at facebook.com/JoCoLibrary While you're there: like, follow, share.

For the first Fall Facebook Live Book Party on noon at September 1, we'll be joined by some very special guests: the crew of the HarperCollins Library Marketing team, who will be talking all about the awesome new books that will be hitting the shelves in the fall. Join Librarian Gregg as he talks to Virginia Stanley, Chris Connoley, and Lainey Mays for a Fall Book Buzz that will keep your hold shelves full! For those who might not be able to attend this live and interactive session, this will be recorded so folks can access it later.