Library exhibit features children's art

The walls of the community room at the Sisters library are covered with small colorful painted canvasses created as a part of the Deschutes Public Library System's summer reading program, Team Read.

Several different groups created the paintings. According to Paige Bentley-Flannery, community librarian, "The Sisters Elementary Summer School group (ages 5-11) spent one of their regular Wednesday morning library visits painting. Last week I shared art books, we talked about painting and favorite art projects at home, and then discussed reading."

First, they decided where they liked to read, then who they liked to read with, and finally what books they liked to read. The students painted themselves with pets and family members, at the beach, in a tree house, on a trampoline, reading "Olivia," "Clifford," "Harry Potter," "Mouse on a Motorcycle" and more.

In the spirit of Team Read, two or three children worked together on one canvas.

"They started out slowly, trying to figure out what they would paint together, but soon paintbrushes and sponges were dipped in colorful paints and creative images appeared," said Bentley-Flannery.

The same process was used for Family Fun Story Time for ages up to five. Families painted together on one canvas, outside after story time last Thursday. Regular library customers also dropped off artwork for the exhibit.

"They loved painting all around the canvas - sides, too!" said Bentley-Flannery. "It was a fun two days of outdoor team painting!"

This is the second year of the summer reading children's art show in August at the Sisters library.

On the walls of the computer room is "Out of the Box," an exhibit of artwork belonging to Friends of the Sisters Library board member Sue Stafford. The name refers to the fact that the artwork has been sitting in boxes for 12 years after Stafford moved to Sisters in 2004. Her current home doesn't have wall space for all of her pieces, so she is delighted to see some old friends on the wall.

Both exhibits will be up through the month of August.