If you have visited our Children’s Library recently, you may have noticed something new adorning our walls! Artist Leah Seaman of ArtaBella was hard at work last week completing a very beautiful and realistic rendition of a sunset over the Appalachian Mountain range for our patrons and community to enjoy. We are always striving to make our library more welcoming, inclusive, and aesthetically pleasing, and Leah’s mural will contribute those traits to our Children’s Library for years to come. 

 

Our Children’s Librarian Rebecca O’Connor and Leah decided on adding this specific mural to our space because mountains and sunsets are universal no matter where you are in the world, and they create a special sense of community and belonging. We chose the Children’s Library specifically because we want to create a space where children feel they can belong, and to create a sense of wonder and feeling of awe in their space. 

 

When we asked Leah how she feels we can tell stories through art, she replied “Every single facet of art is a process of storytelling. Even the process of creating the design in and of itself, you learn about the way that community communicates with each other. You learn about the way that they either support and interact and involve each other or exclude each other. I would make the argument that literally every part of the creation process when you’re working with the community is a story in and of itself about who that community is.” 

 

I asked Rebecca what she believes this mural brings to our Children’s Library and she said “It brings life into the space. We’ve added color, depth, and options for children to explore. Our community is always changing, so our space should change and grow with it.” 

 

We also asked Leah what she hopes our patrons will feel when they view her art. She said “My goal with this piece is to create something that is striking. When kids look at it, they’re transfixed. When adults look at it, they’re reminded of why they love this place so much. They’re reminded of why they’re proud to be Appalachian. They’re excited to go out to the mountains and find a sunset like this, because it’s very possible to.” We feel this mural will draw patrons’ eyes to the space and that is exactly what we want! We want them to come in and feel like the library can allow them to explore places they’ve never been before.

 

This has been such a positive experience for our library. We have loved working with Leah and seeing her creative process produce such a breathtaking work of art and we are honored to be able to house it in our Children’s Library. This piece has certainly enhanced our library, and I encourage everyone to come check it out! You can find more of Leah’s art on her website, artabellagallery.com.