GB Libraries Artists-in-Residence Present Weekly Activities at Mason Library

Two artists from M.A.P.S., a local nonprofit arts organization, have been named as artists-in-residence at the Great Barrington Libraries, through June 2024.

Artists Rachel Sherk and Aaron Rourk will present weekly programs this summer including “M.A.P.S Time,” “Community Conversations” and workshops, all of which will culminate in the growth of a community-designed “Literature Garden” inspired by poetry and literature.  

Sherk and Rourk will be visible and approachable at the library each week as they create small-scale artworks, including paintings, sculptures, music, and puppets, all inspired by the Great Barrington Libraries’ collection.

“As artist-in-residence, we will use the wealth of public resources that our library provides as artistic tools, demonstrating our own artistic process while engaging the local community in collaborative art-making,” said Sherk.

Participants can keep track of “plant-passages” in literature via custom calling cards and come to Community Conversations to be involved with growing a Literature Garden.

“The through-line of this work will be the creation of a community-designed ‘Literature Garden,’ which will encapsulate our own artworks along with creative work from the community,” said Rourk.

The first workshop on the calendar is a two-part seed-embedded papermaking workshop that will take place in front of Mason Library on  July 6 and 7 from 3-5  p.m. On the following day, participants will write a poem on their seed-embedded paper, and plant it so that their poem can grow.

“The Great Barrington Libraries are thrilled to have M.A.P.S. as artists-in-residence at the libraries, utilizing the numerous materials and resources here in their artistic creations, and engaging with the community in a Literature Garden,” said Library Director Samara Klein.

M.A.P.S. (Music Art Puppets Sound, Inc.; musicartpuppetssound.org) is an interdisciplinary arts organization, founded by visual artist/puppet-maker, Rachel Sherk, and composer/performer, Aaron Rourk. Rachel holds an MA in Puppetry and Community Activism from NYU, and Aaron holds an MFA in Sonic Arts and is a Master Gardener.

The schedule of M.A.P.S Time workshops can be found on the town library website.