An exhibit of paintings by Alison Rector will be on view at the Ogunquit Museum of American Art (OMAA) in Ogunquit Maine September 1 to October 31, 2017.
The Value of Thought is the latest in a series of paintings by Rector exploring historic public library buildings. 18 paintings will be on view in the Long Gallery at the museum.
Alison Rector writes "At the Blue Hill Public Library in Blue Hill Maine, there’s a small painting of the library’s interior hanging next to the circulation desk. I painted this picture in 2010 around the time many Maine public libraries celebrated their centenary. The quiet sweep of light falling across the floor into the illuminated room beyond drew me in. I imagined the decades past, the generations of readers in these rooms, relishing the calm of the shared quiet space.
Then I heard a news story by NPR’s Susan Stamberg describing How Andrew Carnegie Turned his Fortune into a Library Legacy. That history piqued my interest in the libraries around me. Maine is home to 20 Carnegie libraries. I set out with my painter’s eye to visit them all. Along the way, library enthusiasts spoke with me about other favorite public library buildings, so I visited them too. I was charmed by the rooms designed for thought and quiet reflection, the stacks of books, the historic art collections. Now if I pass a public library, I usually stop and go inside."
If you'd like to view a catalogue of Rector's library paintings, click here.