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In January 2017, the City of Manitou Springs invited the public to review proposed expansion and remodel plans for the Manitou Springs Library.
After receiving six proposals, a team led by Architect Roger Thorp of Thorp Associates was selected by the City in July 2016 to develop plans for expansion and remodel of the historic Carnegie Library.
The team held a series of public meetings to obtain feedback and information from the community. They then took the public input, and that of personnel from the Pikes Peak Library District, which operates the Manitou Springs Library, and developed over the last five months several versions of expansion plans. The final draft proposal was presented to the Manitou Springs Historic Preservation Commission on December 7, at which time the Commission unanimously approved the conceptual design.
Click here to view the draft expansion plans.
To view a larger version of the rendering seen at upper-right, click here.
PPLD's Makers in Residence for January and February 2017 were Ron Cousar and Dr. Wanda Tisby-Cousar.
Ron Cousar has played R&B, blues, and jazz for many years. In addition to studio work with Savoy Records, he has played with bands in New York, New Jersey, Chicago, Baltimore, and now Colorado Springs. He has dedicated his talents to playing blues, R&B, funk and jazz. His influences include Buddy Guy, John Lee Hooker, Robert Johnson, and a host of other artists.
Dr. Wanda Tisby-Cousar storytelling and dance to coach innovation and artistic ability. Sande Leadership, a model Dr. Wanda developed, is based on ancestral lineage to the Mende of Sierra Leone, West Africa. Tisby-Cousar has studied tap and interpretive dance since the age of four with Sydney King School of Dancea nd performed with Afi West African Dance Ensemble.
Visit PPLD's Maker/Artist in Residence page for more information about this program.
Penrose Library was the scene of a winter-themed poetry reading on December 11, 2016. Pikes Peak Poet Laureate Emeritus Price Strobridge emceed the event that featured some of our areas best and best-know poets, including Jim Ciletti, Teever Handal, Loring Wirbel, Julianza Shavin, Amie Sharp, and Evan Kendrick.
The Classical Academy 5th graders brought hand-knitted hats and scarves, socks and hand warmers, while PPLD provided hot cocoa and cookies to excited Penrose Library patrons.
This is the 2nd poetry and warming clothing give-away that the Pikes Peak Poet Laureate Project has held at Penrose Library.
Have you read a really great (or really bad) book lately? Tell us all about it! Just fill out this book review form and your review will be posted in the Book Reviews section of ppld.org.
Happy reviewing!
PPLD's Maker in Residence for November 2016 was Jo Hart.
Yearning for a change from her Midwest living Jo moved to Colorado less than 18 months ago. She earned her Master of Fine Arts degree in Ceramics and a Bachelor of Arts in Visual Communications. She has worked in the art and design fields throughout her career in the corporate, private, ad agency and not-for-profit sectors. Jo primarily works in clay making sculptural objects with a focus on feminine concerns. Recently she has been making utilitarian pieces and mixing multiple surface decoration techniques to create a balance between discord and harmony. Jo likes to make everyday and if she can’t she is sad.
Visit PPLD's Maker/Artist in Residence page for more information about this program.
The 2016 Student Literary Award Anthology, publishes poems, letters, and artwork of state and national winners of the River of Words and Letters About Literature. These are two free competitions that are coordinated in Colorado. Check out the what you need to do to enter here:
Both competitions are free to join and each website includes the entry form, short videos, and additional information.
So what is River of Words? It is an international poetry and art contest on the them of "Watersheds" designed to help youth explore the natural and cultural history of the place they live and to express what they discover through poetry and visual art.
Letters About Literature is a national reading and writing competition in which readers in grades 4-12 write a personal letter to an author they admire or whose work has inspired them. Readers respond by exploring the relationship between their personal experiences and the book's characters or themes and describing how the author's work changed them personally or altered their view of the world. Student may write their letter to any author, living or dead, form any genre- fiction, nonfiction, or poetry.
So please, check out these cool competitions coming up in Colorado and get involved!
PPLD's Artist in Residence for September and October 2016 was Deb Bartos, an oil painter who loves exploring the natural world and teaching students about color. She continues to develop her knowledge about how light and color work together, and is fascinated by the process.
Visit PPLD's Maker/Artist in Residence page for more information about this program.
Comedic icon Gene Wilder, star of Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory, Young Frankenstein, Blazing Saddles, among many others, has died of complications from Alzheimer's disease. He was 83. Mr. Wilder is probably best remembered as the sweet but subversive title character in Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory where he won over countless young hearts, but it was his work with Mel Brooks in Young Frankenstein and The Producers that brought him critical acclaim, garnering two Oscar nominations. Wilder rarely worked after the death of his third wife, Gilda Radner, in 1989, but his legacy endures as the world remembers him as one of the comedic greats.
"Gene Wilder-One of the truly great talents of our time. He blessed every film we did with his magic & he blessed me with his friendship." - Mel Brooks
The 2016 Teen Fiction Writing Contest Anthology is here! Compiled are the Honorable Mentions and Winners from the 2016 Teen Fiction Writing Contest. Click on the link to download and view!
PPLD's Artist in Residence for August/September 2016 was Brian Looney.
"I learned to draw while sitting alone at the kitchen table. Art is about self-discovery, and there truly is no rule book. The more you do a thing, the more that thing develops, and everything you do along the way is unique. Excuse the play on words... I was born in 1985, and that was a kooky year. Albuquerque, NM is my hometown, and I moved to Colorado for the nature and the art. I haven't been disappointed. Additionally, I am a published poet and a yoyo artist. That last might fall under the 'geek' category, but you may view it all at brianlooney.com. I look forward to meeting you!" ~Brian Looney
Visit PPLD's Maker/Artist in Residence page for more information about this program.
The Penrose Library Mural Project reached completion in May 2016 and involved the generous contribution of Concrete Couch and hundreds of community volunteers. The mural was 22 years in the planning and involved six hub groups, one steering committee, fundraising galore, huge donations of time and materials, and loads of fantastic volunteers. Concrete Couch and Pikes Peak Library District teamed up with Community Prep School, School District 14, Will Rogers Elementary School, Pikes Peak Community College, Colorado College, and the Manitou Art Center to complete this project.
Watch this PPLD TV video for a preview of the project:
Congratulations to the winners of the Teen Fiction Writing Contest! All the winners stories will be published in a digital anthology.
Results:
Middle School
1st place: "Mary Cinclare" by Rohit Paradkar
Tie for 2nd place: "The Battle of Feather and Claw" by Liberty
Harms and "Life Guarded" by Sophia Mayhugh
3rd place: "Loss and Change" by Madelyn Prichard
Honorable mention: "Anomaly" by Christen Mayberry
High School
1st place: “Purple Problems” by Kristen Kater
Tie for 2nd place: "Fall from (Lack of) Grace" by Nicole Eiland and
"Pictures of Love" by Ellie Ford.
3rd place: "The Truth of Memories" by Maggie Tibbitt
Honorable mention: "An Account of One Of My More Profitable
Jobs" by Victoria Hecker
Congratulations to all the winners! We will post the anthology when it is complete!
PPLD's Maker/Artist in residence for June and July of 2016 was Patricia Moore. Patricia has been making all kinds of crafts forever. She believes in the magic of arts/crafts bringing wholeness and joy into life. She has been teaching arts/crafts to children and adults since around 1985. Patricia believes in Expressive Art and has used that to help children in different programs such as CASA.. Polymer clay is the main medium that she works with finding its possibilities near endless. Patricia lives in beautiful Black Forest on five acres with her teenage sons and many delightful animals.
Visit PPLD's Maker/Artist in Residence page for more information about this program.
PPLD's Maker in Residence for May and June of 2016 was Amy Griswold, a professional seamstress with over thirty years of experience in clothing construction and industrial sewing. She is self-taught and continued her education as an apprentice in her sister’s shop, Mary Pope Custom Sewing, where she learned techniques in alterations, custom clothing design, re-upholstery, canvas work, as well as large scale production industrial sewing. Her body of work includes everything from wedding gowns and costuming to boat covers and custom reupholstery. Her motto is “show me a picture and I can make it for you.”
Visit PPLD's Maker/Artist in Residence page for more information about this program.
The 2016 Summer Reading Photography Winners have been announced!
Robert Loughman
"All I Do is Ball"
Clare Chaddon
"Lifelong Goals"
Lena Ahrens
"On Point"
Sean Brooks
"Pitch Perfect"
Congratulations!
Susan M. Peiffer was inaugurated as the 5th Pikes Peak Poet Laureate on April 24, 2016. Susan will serve as Poet Laureate until April 2018.
Susan Peiffer is a published and nationally recognized poet who studied creative writing and theology at Augsburg College in Minneapolis. With graduate degrees from Luther Seminary in St. Paul, Susan taught at a private high school in Delaware for six years. As program director of a non-profit in Philadelphia, she had the opportunity to organize a young leader’s program enabling participants to effectively speak their own stories. She coached the Delawhere? Youth Slam Team to the Brave New Voices championship in Oakland, CA. Since relocating to Colorado Springs in 2012, Susan has become deeply invested in the local poetry community. Currently the Program Director of Hear Here Poetry, she has facilitated several workshops and classes on different aspects of writing and performance, was named the RAW Colorado Springs Artist of the Year, and was the recipient of three Pikes Peak Arts Council awards for excellence in performance poetry and leadership. She is an animated and inclusive presenter who readily engages audiences and inspires the unique circumstances into which poems arrive. Susan is eager to continue connecting different facets of the community through the shared experience of crafting words.
The Pikes Peak Poet Laureate Project is a partnership of the Pikes Peak Library District, the Cultural Office of the Pikes Peak Region, the Colorado Springs Fine Arts Center, Radio Station KCME, Pikes Peak Hospice and Palliative Care, Pikes Peak Arts Council, Hear Here Poetry, the Fountain Valley School, the Friends of the Pikes Peak Library District, Pikes Peak Community College and Poetry West.
Pikes Peak Library District is pleased to announce the following winners of the Jean Ciavonne Poetry Contest:
- Ella Batson, “The Form of a Mystery”
- Sophia DeJoia, “Mountain Gem”
- Dara S. Kurbegov, “Mysteries of Nature”
- Brooke Steinberg, “Mystery Murder”
- Sage Stoecklein, “Mystery?”
- Anna Winslow, “The Mystery of Me”
You can watch the winners read their poems below:
"He was a man, take him for all in all.
I shall not look upon his like again."
Hamlet (1.2.186)
April 23, 2016 marks the 400th anniversary of the death of William Shakespeare. Widely regarded as the greatest writer in the English language, Shakespeare's body of work transcends time and place. His plays have been translated into every major living language and are performed more often than those of any other playwright. We're sure it comes as no surprise that PPLD has a large selection of works by The Bard in our collection.
https://pikp.ent.sirsi.net/client/PPLD/search/results?qu=william+shakes…
What's your favorite? Mine's Hamlet. My husband likes Titus Andronicus because it's a bloodbath.
As a California native and self-taught baker, current PPLD Artist in Residence Christine Yocum was introduced to baking at a young age by her father and grandmother. Imagine a former left tackle in college teaching his nine-year-old daughter the finer points of cookie-making. Those sweet moments birthed in her a lifelong passion for baking—in particular cookies—and the eventual opening of Art & Style Baking, an online gourmet cookie company specializing in hand-painted cookies.
Even now, when her hands are steeped in cookie dough, she can sense his tender nod of encouragement and approval. While her dad passed away before he could enjoy "the fruits of his labor," her tender-hearted daughter assures her that he would be proud.
Christine will host classes throughout the Library District about cookie painting, as well as open studio hours at Library 21c where you can watch her work and talk to her about her art.
Visit PPLD's Maker/Artist in Residence page for more information.
The Teen Art Contest is for teens and by teens. Teens create the art, and teens determine the winners.
The theme for our 2016 Teen Art Show & Contest was Magnify It! Teens were encouraged to take a closer look at the world around them and create a piece of artwork.
All of the artwork will be displayed at either Penrose Library, East Library, or Library 21c during the month of April. Questions? Contact Becca Phillipsen at (719) 531-6333, x6336 or rphillipsen@ppld.org.
Here are the winners!
High School
“My Converse Crush” by Ashley D. - Best in Show
“Rain Forest Creature” by Taya E. - 1st Place
“A Little Package of Joy” by Shauna P - 2nd Place
“Lou” by Arely A. - Coordinator’s Choice
Middle School
“The Story in an Eye” by Stephanie L. - 1st Place
“Hidden in the Flowers” by Tiya G. - 2nd Place
“Butterfly Glory” by Asia X. - Coordinator’s Choice
You can view the winning works here:
With over 400 votes, the winner of the 2016 Book Madness is....
I Am Malala
by Malala Yousafzai
Thank you so much for voting and come back next year!
PPLD's newest Artist in Residence is Diane Crawford, a contemporary artist with twenty years experience. Originally from the upper Midwest, she left careers in corrections, law enforcement and social work to pursue the arts. While primarily self-taught, she has attended watercolor workshops by nationally and internationally acclaimed artists. Diane has recently lived in Hawaii and Las Vegas, and her works reflect the influences of her life and experiences.
Her mediums of choice are watercolor and alcohol inks. Her painting style is unique. She paints free-hand without drawing her designs first and rarely uses paint brushes. She uses old credit cards and drinking straws on her alcohol inks, and a palette knife on her watercolors.
Diane will host classes throughout the Library District about alcohol inks, as well as open studio hours at Library 21c during which time you can watch her work and talk to her about her art.
Visit PPLD's Maker/Artist in Residence page for more information.
PPLD's newest Artist in Residence is Erin Gillespie, a multimedia artist currently residing in Colorado Springs. Her paintings are primarily figurative or portraits, full of bold, bright colors and expressionistic qualities. After receiving her Bachelors degree in Fine Arts and Painting from Colorado State University, Erin lived for many years in Portland, Oregon and Tucson, Arizona before returning to Colorado. She held positions at Pinon Fine Art Gallery and Terra Firma Fine Art in Denver, Colorado and was a member of the Arts Student League of Denver for many years. Erin is currently an art instructor teaching numerous classes at both Bemis School of Art at the Colorado Springs Fine Arts Center and Cottonwood Center for the Arts. Her work has been displayed in numerous galleries and venues, in both group and solo shows.
Erin hosted classes throughout the Library District about acrylic painting.
Visit PPLD's Maker/Artist in Residence page for more information.
PPLD's Maker in Residence for August and September 2015 is Daria Wilber. She was born in Washington, D.C. and spent the first two decades of her life in and out of the amazing array of galleries and museums in the D.C. area on a weekly basis. She studied painting and printmaking at the Maryland School of Art and Design and worked in the scene shop for a regional theater company. In the mid-2000s, Daria began to study the paper arts in earnest. In 2012 she plunged into studio papermaking after a sculptural papermaking intensive at Arrowmont School of Arts and Crafts with Jo Stealey. Daria currently works with papermaking and artist Helen Hiebert as a studio and teaching assistant.
During her time as Maker in Residence, Daria conducted flat paper making classes and a paper sculpture class.
Visit PPLD's Maker/Artist in Residence page for more information.
PPLD's Maker in Residence for June and July 2015 was Sarah Withee. She began folding paper as a child, and was introduced to modular origami by Makoto Yamaguchi’s book Kusudama (Origami Ornaments). Thus began a lifelong interest in Japanese paper arts. Sarah has lived in Japan and taken classes in advanced paperfolding and doll making at Tokyo’s Origami Kaikan, and has an extensive library of origami books.
Sarah is an experienced origami instructor who has worked with students from children to senior citizens. She has taught origami at the Japan America Society of Southern Colorado’s Children’s Day for over 10 years, as well as classes for Pikes Peak Library District and private classes. If you have tried learning origami from a book and failed, Sarah knows just how to help you get unstuck!
Visit PPLD's Maker/Artist in Residence page for more information.