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A Courtyard
that invokes the joy of reading through art...
Once upon a time there was a library that dared
to dream it could provide more than books.it dreamt that it
could invoke the joy of reading through great works of art
in a courtyard of peace and quiet. That library is the
Waukegan Public Library and here is the story...
The Art of
a Story
What is your earliest memory of reading? Is
it sitting on someone's lap listening to your favorite story,
or learning to read yourself? Or perhaps it involves trips
to the library and believing that someday you would read every
book there? It is our earliest memories of reading that evoke
the strongest emotions.
Creating those memories for the next generation
is our challenge. It's knowing which stories, books and poems
will capture the imagination and feed the soul. A good book
is as true an art form as a beautiful painting, or a haunting
photograph, or an inspirational song.
How do you capture those memories and stories?
The Waukegan Public Library, a cornerstone in the revitalization
of the city of Waukegan, is attempting to capture them through
sculpture. In 2000 the library's Foundation introduced the
Art of a Story project. This project, when completed, will
install 14 bronze sculptures on the grounds of the library.
All statues will embody the library's mission — to promote
reading — by featuring characters reading.
The Waukegan Public Library Foundation will
be responsible for the raising of private funds to pay for
the project — no tax dollars will be used to purchase
the artwork!
Chapter 1
Six bronze statues ranging from
7 to 46 inches in height were installed in the first phase
of the project. The pieces include: Little Sisters,
Once Upon a Time, First Reader,
Time Out, Bookin' It, Little
Scholar and Storytime II. Five of the
six pieces feature children reading. The last is a whimsical
piece showing a "bookish" snail-One that the children
of the community are guaranteed to love! Chapter I is complete.
Chapter 2
Upon completion of Phase One, the foundation
embarked upon the second phase of the sculpture garden project,
adding up to 9 more pieces to the library grounds. Four new
pieces were added in the Spring of 2003: Egghead
by sculptor Kimber Fiebiger, Mother Goose by
sculptor C. Russell Darmour, Literary Scot by
sculptor Andrea Wilkenson (available for sponsorship) and
Imagine That by sculptor Kathy Anderson (available
for sponsorship). Final approval of sculptures, gifts, locations
and wording on plaques will be made by the Waukegan Public
Library Board of Directors.
The Art of
Giving
To make your contribution or to
donate the funds for a sculpture, please click
here to download and print out the donation form.
Enclose a check made out to the Waukegan Public
Library Foundation and mail to:
The Waukegan Public Library Foundation
128 N. County St.
Waukegan IL 60085
If you prefer, you may contact Richard Lee
at 847-623-2041 ext. 250. All contributions will be formally
recognized by the Board of Trustees through a donor recognition
program, if desired by donor.
The Benefits
of Giving
Beyond the satisfaction of knowing you've made
a valuable contribution to your community, you may derive
financial benefits from gifts to the Waukegan Public Library.
The Internal Revenue Code provides you/your
estate with federal income and estate tax deductions for gifts
of cash or personal property made to the library during your
lifetime (Code Section 170) or upon your death (Code Section
2055).
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