State Treasurer Colleen C. Davis will join the Frankford Public Library for their Community Connect Night on Monday, April 8 to celebrate National Library Week. National Library Week is an annual celebration that began in 1958 to highlight the valuable role libraries, librarians and library workers play in transforming lives and communities.

“Libraries in Delaware and throughout the country are so much more than buildings that house books – they are hubs of community that provide critical resources and programs to their neighborhoods,” said Treasurer Davis.

The Frankford Public Library has served the community for 88 years, and hosts programming including bilingual story time and homework help, Teen Advisory Group, Adult Book Circle, Social Workers at the Library, and more.

Community Connect Night will be a family-friendly evening, offering opportunities to meet with staff and Library Director Lesley Koble. Two reading opportunities for children and those young heart will be keystones of the evening. First, at 5:00PM, the PAWS Reading Program will encourage attendees to read aloud to a furry, friendly therapy companion. At 6:45PM, State Treasurer Colleen Davis will conclude the evening with a favorite from the Children’s Library.

On view from April 5-26, 2019
Free opening reception on Friday, April 5 at 5 p.m.

Wilmington, Del. (April 1, 2019) – Painting with Wood, an exhibition of “wood veneer paintings” by Robert Bruce Weston, will be on view in the Mezzanine Gallery from April 5-26, 2019. The artist will host a free opening reception on Friday, April 5 from 5-7 p.m.

Weston draws from his vast experience with wood when creating his art. He is a retired cabinetmaker with over 30 years of experience. During that time, he became a collector of exotic and domestic wood veneers. A veneer is a very thin slice of wood (usually less than 1/8 inch) prized for its decorative surface. Weston’s creative process is inspired by the patterns in the wood veneers.

In some cases, the patterns in a wood veneer dictate the subject matter of Weston’s “painting.” He also recreates landscapes using wood veneers to translate the forms and shapes of the scene. The pieces are then cut by hand, taped together, glued to a substrate, and sanded. Weston prefers the natural color of the wood and doesn’t use stain. To add color for grass and sky, he uses oil pastels to tint the wood. Weston then applies 6 coats of lacquer and 2 coats of wax to highlight the beauty of the wood and enhance the surface. Each work is framed with a custom-designed frame made by Weston.

Visitors to the Gallery should enter via the courtyard doors on French Street and take the elevators to the Mezzanine level due to renovations in the building. The Gallery will be closed for Good Friday on Friday, April 19.

Learn more about Weston with our YouTube Meet the Artist video series. Image: “The Point,” 2017, wood veneer, 19″ x 30″ (courtesy of The Wright Collection)

The Mezzanine Gallery is open to the public weekdays from 8:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. and is located in the Carvel State Office Building, 820 N. French Street, Wilmington.

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Contact: Leeann Wallett, Program Officer, Communications and Marketing
302-577-8280, leeann.wallett@delaware.gov

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The Delaware Division of the Arts, a branch of the Delaware Department of State, is dedicated to cultivating and supporting the arts to enhance the quality of life for all Delawareans. Together with its advisory body, the Delaware State Arts Council, the Division administers grants and programs that support arts programming, educate the public, increase awareness of the arts, and integrate the arts into all facets of Delaware life. For more information about the Delaware Division of the Arts, visit arts.delaware.gov or call 302-577-8278.