Virtual Gallery and Art Tour with Riva Blumenfeld:
New York School- Jackson Pollock, Lee Krasner and Friends
Thursday, June 9, 7PM, Via Zoom

Please join Riva this month as she explores artists such as artists like Jackson Pollock, Lee Krasner, Willem de Kooning, Mark Rothko, Joan Mitchell, Helen Frankenthaler and others. New York usurped Paris as the center of contemporary art with the rise of Abstract Expressionism, a distinctly American painting style defined by spontaneous marks and obsessive explorations of color, which by the beginning of the ’50s had become a world-famous aesthetic movement.

Riva Blumenfeld is an art historian and educator with 40 years of experience in the art field. Riva was educated in Art History at Washington University in St. Louis and has taught Art Education at the Museum of Modern Art, the Whitney Museum of American Art and the Guggenheim Museum. Having owned an art gallery in Soho for a short period, Riva has a unique knowledge of New York City’s art scene and offers insight into the sometimes intimidating world of New York City art galleries. Prior to the pandemic, Riva conducted small group tours of NYC’s art world.

This program is sponsored by the Friends of the Weston Public Library.

Please register here. The Zoom link will be sent in advance of the event.

Sip & Paint: Flower and Botanical Watercolor Workshop - A Weston Reads Event
June 16, 7PM

Come explore the magical world of painting flowers and botanicals using watercolor and a variety of techniques.

Class leader Karen Siegel is an art instructor at Silvermine Art School who teaches painting, drawing and various workshops and is a painter who exhibits her work throughout Connecticut, the Berkshires and New York.

A $20.00 fee covers all supplies and refreshments. Register here.

This program is made possible by the Friends of the Weston Public Library.

Weston Reads: Growing a Community of Readers
There There by Tommy Orange
Wednesday, June 22, 7PM

Join us to discuss There There by Tommy Orange.

A novel which grapples with the complex history of Native Americans; following twelve characters, each of whom has private reasons for traveling to the Big Oakland Powwow.

Please register for this online program to receive the zoom link.

Please register.

All CT Reads Book Discussion: The Good Immigrant: 26 Writers Reflect on America
Thursday, June 16, 11AM

Join the Weston Public Library for its final program in the All CT Reads series. This series of programs was developed around the All CT Reads adult title selection, Transcendent Kingdom by Gyasi.  

In this program, participants will discuss essays from The Good Immigrant: 26 Writers Reflect on America. The immigrant experience features prominently in Transcendent Kingdom and we will discuss themes from the novel that are also given voice in the collection of essays.

This discussion will be led by Library Director, Karen Tatarka. Karen holds an MLS from Southern Connecticut State University and an MA from Fordham University.

Please register. This event will be hybrid. A Zoom link will be sent in advance of the program for those who would like to join remotely.

Send an email to Karen Bennett:  [email protected] to reserve a copy of the title for the discussion.

Sunday Maker Programs For Adults

Digitizing Photos and Slides
June 12, 1-2PM

Did you know that International Archives Day falls in June? Do you have a goal of digitizing your personal archive of photos and slides but weren't sure how to get started? Join Makerspace Coordinator Lomas for this Sunday Maker program and learn how to use the equipment the Library has to digitize your special memories. Space is limited! Register here.

Did you know?
The majority of equipment in the Makerspace as well as the Library of Things has been paid for by the Friends of the Weston Library or through private donations.

We would like to grow our offerings! Please consider purchasing an item off of the Makerspace Wishlist on Amazon by clicking here.

Coworking Wednesdays
Work From the Library and Enjoy a Free Cup of Starbucks Coffee from 9am-12pm on Wednesdays in June!

Have you been working from home or do you have a home-based business? Do you need a place to work outside of your home or conduct a conference call? The Weston Public Library has spaces available for you!

Come take advantage of our free WiFi and ample seating. Small conference rooms are also available to Weston residents on a first come, first served basis, or may be reserved at www.westonpubliclibrary.org.

In recognition of Micro, Small and Medium Sized Enterprises Day in June, the Library will also provide free coffee from its Starbucks Grind and Brew station on Wednesday mornings for the entire month from 9am-12pm (regular price: $2)!

Cookbook Club - Favorite Picnic Side Dishes
Thursday, June 16, 12PM
The Weston Public Library Cookbook Club is an opportunity for those who love cooking to share favorite recipes and try new recipes with neighbors and friends!

With picnic season in full swing, we'll be sharing favorite side dish recipes for you to bring to your next event!

We'll discuss our recipes and share tips and tricks. Send recipes to [email protected] by 6/15 and we'll distribute the recipes to the group following the meeting!

Looking for favorite recipes from previous meetings? You can check out all of the recipes here.

Please register .

Sip And Stitch
Thursday June 23, 7-8PM

Need a little time to unwind and craft with friends and neighbors? Join us for Sip and Stitch. We'll provide some drinks and snacks,  and you can bring your current project. Crocheters, knitters, needlepointers, and all crafters of all skill levels are welcome to join!

Please register.

Friends of the Library Book Groups

Thursday, June 9, 10:45AM (Hybrid)
Lying Life of Adults by Ferrante

Thursday, June 23, 7:30PM (via Zoom)
This is Happiness by Williams

To reserve a copy of the book, please email [email protected].
If you would like to join either group virtually, please email [email protected] for the Zoom link.

Classics Discussion Group: The Innocents Abroad by Twain
Friday June 24, 11AM

Sharon Sobel returns in June to lead a discussion on Mark Twain's The Innocents Abroad.

The discussion will be led by Norwalk Community College and UConn Stamford Professor, Sharon Sobel. A writer for most of her life, Sharon  is the author of several novels, short stories, and works of fiction. She earned her PhD in English Language and Literature from Brandeis University.

Please register. This discussion group will be hybrid.  We will distribute a Zoom link in advance of the program.

To reserve a copy of the book, please email [email protected].

Sponsored by the Friends of the Weston Library.

New Yorker Roundtable
Tuesdays at 10:45AM Through June 7 - Meetings Are Hybrid

Join the Friends of the Library New Yorker Group  to discuss articles from the current issue on politics, current events, literature, and more. The New Yorker is available online with your Weston Public Library card at https://researchitct.org/popularmagazinespublic/.

Please email [email protected] for information on how to join the group.

WPL Classic Short Story Hour
Wednesday June 1, 1:30PM
Online program from Friends of the Weston Public Library.

Like an old-fashioned radio hour, participants will listen to a classic short story, followed by a discussion.

After lunch, pour yourself a cup of tea and join us.  Just settle in.  No preparation is necessary.

This will be the last Short Story Hour until September!

Anyone who has participated in earlier Short Story Hours is already registered and will receive invitations to upcoming sessions. If you are new to the Short Story Hour, please register by sending your name, email address, and telephone number to [email protected]. You will receive an email invitation to join the meeting.

Librarian Picks!
June Releases

What new releases are librarians most looking forward to in June? Check out the selection below from Weston's Adult Services Librarian, Anne.

Avoid the rush and place your holds early at www.westonpubliclibrary.org.

Woman of Light by Kali Fajardo-Anstine.  A dazzling epic of betrayal, love, and fate that spans five generations of an Indigenous Chicano family in the American West. In 1930s Denver, Luz "Little Light" Lopez begins having visions that transport her to her Indigenous homeland where she must save her family stories from disappearing into oblivion.

Horse by Geraldine Brooks.  A scientist from Australia and a Nigerian-American art historian become connected by their shared interest in a 19th century race horse, one studying its remains, the other uncovering the history of the Black horsemen who were critical to its success.

The Woman in the Library by Sulari Gentill.  Four strangers each have their own reasons for being at the Boston Public Library on the morning of an incident. An unexpectedly twisty literary adventure that examines the complicated nature of friendship and shows us that words can be the most treacherous weapons of all.

Rogues by Patrick Radden Keefe.  Rogues brings together a dozen of his most celebrated articles from The New Yorker. As Keefe says in his preface “They reflect on some of my abiding preoccupations: crime and corruption, secrets and lies, the permeable membrane separating licit and illicit worlds, the bonds of family, the power of denial.”

My Name is Yip by Paddy Crewe.  In 1815 Georgia, 15-year-old Yip Tolroy leaves home with his faithful friend Dud after committing a grievous crime and experiences the wonder and horror of the American frontier. A bold, revisionist take on the Western novel set in the Georgia gold rush, for readers of Charles Portis and Cormac McCarthy, by a powerful debut novelist with an original voice.

Legislative Session Wrap Up
Tuesday, June 7, 6-7:30PM

Join State Senator Haskell and State Representative Hughes in the Weston Public Library Community Room for a recap of the 2022 legislative session. They will share accomplishments and will field questions from the audience.

Holiday Hours

The Library will close Sundays for the summer starting June 19th.
The Library will be closed on Monday, June 20th in observance of Juneteenth.

Did You Know?

The Weston Public Library offers a variety of downloadable books, audiobooks, movies, magazines and more. The Library also offers short or long-term homebound book delivery, Device Advice sessions on personal devices, and workshops throughout the month. Visit www.westonpubliclibrary.org for more information.