Youth Council At Library Defines Its Space With A New Mural

By Nancy K. Crevier

A massive mural project first conceived in March 2006 was finally unveiled in the Young Adult section of the C.H. Booth Library on Sunday afternoon, September 10. The project was the culmination of ideas and talent provided by more than 20 members of the Young Adult Council (YAC) at the library, Young Adult Librarian Margaret Brown, and artist/project mentor Katie Stevenson.

“We thought we needed something to define our space,” said Ms Brown, of the second floor area that houses the books, magazines and computers that comprise the Young Adult collection. YAC members agreed with Ms Brown that more young people in Newtown needed to be made aware of the programs and collections offered at the library, and that the non-descript collages hung on the walls there were not appealing to today’s youth.

More than 40 young people in grades six and up make up YAC, said Ms Brown. YAC meets once a month to discuss books, share their reading, plan youth programs, and volunteer at the library. The large, vocal group is an exciting group with which to work, said Ms Brown, but their enthusiasm and many opinions also posed a challenge as they began to toss around ideas for the new mural.

“It’s amazing how [the mural] came together,” said Christine D’Alessandro, a Newtown High School sophomore who has been a YAC member for nearly four years. “I thought we’d never get this into one single mural.”

Her desire to incorporate into the mural as many of the good ideas as were presented was the impetus behind Ms Brown’s decision to bring Ms Stevenson’s expertise into the mix. “Katie defined the techniques, colors, and the size of the mural for our group,” Ms Brown said. “She really helped the kids pull it all together.”

Tapping into the ideas presented to her, Ms Stevenson and YAC were finally able to settle on a mural of collective images of the journeys young adults encounter, reflecting a theme of “If you haven’t discovered the Young Adult section, come on in.”

The use of mixed media, including paint, duct tape, pencil drawings, paint markers, and cut paper has resulted in a colorful piece of artwork made up of cutouts of children who have not yet discovered the library edging the lower border, while other figures in the center of the work direct more children through a door that represents what young people can do at C.H. Booth Library.

Each figure was cut from paper, said Ms Brown, and painted by students who worked each week since June to complete the mural. A rotating gallery of library program photos will be displayed within the mural, framed in colorful duct tape frames.

Quotes that echo the sentiments of YAC members are highlighted within the mural as well. “There is a time in life for everything,” attributed to Maharishi Mahesh Yogi, is one quote that catches the eye, as does the saying “You cannot shake hands with a clenched fist,” by Indira Gandhi.

The students decided to name the piece “Myspace.Yourspace.Ourspace,” a play on a popular and controversial computer social networking site. “They wanted to put a positive spin on MySpace.com,” said Ms Brown, “which can be used in a positive manner, or abused, and the mural hangs right above the computers in the Young Adult area. The importance of Internet safety is one of many subjects we have talked about at meetings.”

YAC member Katie McMorran, an eighth grade student at Newtown Middle School, was on hand for much of the planning in early spring, but summer plans prevented her from taking part in the production until it had neared completion. She joined several other YAC members at Sunday’s celebration.

“The end result was a surprise to me,” Katie said. “It looks great, but is so different from the initial plans.”

Ms Brown is proud of the YAC members and very pleased with the mural.

“That we worked through such a long process together and came up with such a great project,” she said, is a most gratifying feeling.

The public, and especially the youth of Newtown, is invited to view “Myspace.Yourspace.Ourspace” in the Young Adult section of the library, said Ms Brown. The mural is a permanent addition to the area.