Published July 2020
BY MICHELE MILLER
Libraries are often the epicenter of healthy and vibrant communities, a one-stop-shop of sorts, that has long outgrown the constraints of books on shelves.
Today’s library offerings open a world beyond pages, whether it be in computers, learning how to play the ukulele or learning a foreign language. There are classes and workshops on woodworking, sewing, and horticulture.
And there’s art.
The New Port Richey Public Library’s ‘Art on the Move’ program offers patrons the opportunity to check out a piece of original art for a three month span, that they can display in their home or office. A $50 security deposit is required, which is refunded when the art work is returned.
The program, unveiled in Nov. 2019, features work from the collection of Richard Melton, chairman of the city’s Cultural Affairs Committee.
“It’s a good variety – portraits, landscapes, abstracts,” said Victoria Anderson, Resource Management Librarian.
She oversaw a similar program during her tenure with the Iowa City Public Library. That collection featured 400 prints and original pieces of art work, and does not require a security deposit.
Even those who do not check out a piece of art can enjoy it. Some 30 pieces of the collection are hanging on the library wall, with plans for them to be updated.
The New Port Richey’s Art on the Move program is relatively new, Anderson said.
She would like to get the word out.
Art can be especially healing and comforting in a time of pandemic and isolation when people can not get out to museums, she said.
“It’s about inspiring creativity,” Anderson said. “I think it opens doors.”
Art on the Move offers a tangible remedy for those staying close to home while giving patrons an opportunity to get up close and personal with a piece of art.
“When people go to museums, they have to be at a distance, or behind a rope and your time is limited,” Anderson said. “With this (patrons) can check it out and have a relationship with art in their home.”
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