The Ooltewah-Collegedale branch of the Chattanooga-Hamilton County Bicentennial Library is partnering with the Civic Arts League of Chattanooga to offer regular monthly exhibits featuring work by local artists.
Ooltewah resident Peggy Jennings' florals will grace library walls for the month of June, with more artists to come.
"It makes the arts available to people to enjoy," said branch director Joanne Stanfield, "just like we have music, books, movies. If you have a library you're rich no matter what your economic level is. Adding the art makes the library an even richer place."
The paintings of Ooltewah artist Peggy Jennings, left, a member of the Civic Arts League of Chattanooga, are on display for the month of June at the Ooltewah-Collegedale branch of the Chattanooga-Hamilton County Bicentennial Library off Apison Pike. The library, directed by Joanne Stanfield, right, will feature monthly exhibits by other members of the Civic Arts League.Stanfield said this exhibit is part of a wave of individual community members bringing their own talents to the library, including a May hammered dulcimer concert by Agene Parsons.
"People have just come and offered," Stanfield said. "It's sort of opportunities that have presented themselves. In response we have people say, 'When's the next program?' It really could be a concerted effort but it hasn't been."
Civic Arts League art director Jo Thomas worked with Stanfield on the exhibit schedule and to arrange Jennings' pieces along the walls.
"You'll just see the dimension and the color that it adds - va va voom," Thomas said. "I think it was very tastefully done."
The library exhibit is Collegedale's own little Louvre, in a way, she said.
"The youngsters need to be exposed to all of the arts," Thomas said.
Thomas said the exhibit helps the Civic Arts League manifest one of its core goals - to help local amateur, semi-professional and professional artists sell their work.
"I think that is so community oriented to help support the local artists," Thomas said. "That's one thing I feel that we as a community should do."
The first week of each month the library will receive a new exhibit.
July will feature the work of Civic Arts League president Lora Miller, whose specialty is watercolor pet portraits, sometimes done in other mediums, too.