Sisters Library calls for artists

Sisters Country artists are invited to submit up to three pieces of their work for the Friends of the Sisters Library (FOSL) April exhibit in connection with the 12th annual Deschutes County Library Novel Idea program. Submission day is Tuesday, March 31, from 3 to 5:30 p.m. at the Sisters Library.

This year's literary selection is "A Tale for the Time Being," by Ruth Ozeki, who is also a Zen Buddhist priest. In the words of the author, "There are so many wonderful stories about communities that form in the wake of disasters and catastrophes... I can't say that the idea for the novel came entirely from the earthquake and tsunami (Japan, March 11 2011). Half of it did.

"'A Tale for the Time Being' is a story about a writer and her reader, and it's told in two parts. The writer is a Japanese schoolgirl named Nao, who is trying to record the life story of her 104-year-old great-grandmother in the pages of her diary. Nao is getting bullied at school, and she's decided that making this record of her great-grandmother's life as an anarchist, feminist Zen nun will be the last thing she does before she commits suicide."

The diary winds up on the shores of British Columbia, probably carried there by the ocean currents, and is accidentally discovered by a novelist - named Ruth Ozeki.

Copies of the book are available at the Sisters Library. For a description of the book visit http://www.deschuteslibrary.org. For additional information on the novel and all the activities planned during April, stop by the Sisters Library and pick up the reader's guide.

The FOSL art committee encourages artists to submit work that represents their own interpretation of themes in the novel such as: Zen Buddhism, tsunamis, origami, British Columbia, Hello Kitty, pop Japanese culture, sushi, or kamikaze. These are only suggestions and artists may choose any themes they glean from reading the book.

The artwork must be able to be wall-hung (with wire hangers already attached) or displayed on tabletops as no display cases will be available. All artwork must be identified either on the back or the front with the name of the exhibitor and the title of the artwork. The artists may determine whether or not their work is for sale. The pick-up day for art will be Thursday, April 30, from 1 to 5 p.m. at the library.

Artists may contact Linda Davis with questions, or for more information, at 541-549-1222 or [email protected]