Jackie Grabinski: Oil Paintings Exhibit

Mount Laurel Library will be hosting an oil painting exhibit by local artist Jackie Grabinski from Monday, July 1, 2013 – Friday, August 30, 2013.

The artist's love of the beach and flowers has inspired most of her paintings.  She studied at the Philadelphia College of Art, The School of Visual Arts in NY City, as well as, under the direction of many fine artists during the past 25 years.

The artwork is for sale. Interested parties can reach the artist at jackieg44@yahoo.com  or  856-802-0425.  No registration is required to visit the exhibit.

Free Passes to Local Museums and Attractions

Looking to explore some culture and find something new to do this summer? Is there a museum you want to visit?   Adult library card holders can check out a museum pass at the Mount Laurel Library.

The library partners with 12 different institutions that sell a pass to the Mount Laurel Library that the library can then lend to their card holders. Partners include museums like the Academy of Natural Sciences, attractions like the Battleship New Jersey and gardens like the Grounds for Sculpture.  These passes can be checked out by adult card holders in good standing at the Check Out Desk.

This is not a routine offering for libraries, but Manager, Special Projects Joan Serpico said, “We were inspired by another library’s success with a museum pass program and wanted to offer this to our customers in Mount Laurel. Customers tell us they have had great experiences with the passes.  We are thrilled with program.”

Christine Lenko of Mount Laurel added, “We particularly enjoyed using the passes last summer. I have a six-year-old daughter who is not in summer camp, and it can be a challenge to keep her entertained without spending a lot of money over the summer. We have memberships to a couple of local places, but after a while we get tired of visiting the same places. The pass program has allowed us to explore some local attractions we might not otherwise have visited.”

The program is of no extra cost to taxpayers and is fully funded by the generous support of the Friends of the Mount Laurel Library. Serpico also said, ”Many passes get checked out every 4-5 days. The program is just what we had hoped for.  We are happy to have added two new partners in time for the summer: Penn Museum and Guggenheim Museum.”

For more information on the museum passes program, visit www.mtlaurel.lib.nj.us or call 856-234-7319x333.

Sonic Escape to Perform Classical Music on Sunday, June 9 at 2PM

Sonic Escape will be performing a blend of classical and world music at the Mount Laurel Library on Sunday, June 9, 2013 at 2 p.m.   This concert is FREE and open to the public.  No registration is needed.  

Juilliard-trained flutist Shawn Wyckoff and violinist Maria Millar from Sonic Escape will transport listeners across borders, worlds and time with music from Germany, Ireland, Japan, China, the Czech Republic, Norway, Sweden, Denmark, Uruguay, Canada and the United States. 

For more information about the duo, visit 

http://www.fluteandviolin.com/home.html

This concert is part of the Second Sunday Concert series offered at the Mount Laurel Library thanks to a generous gift from Wegmans.  All are welcome to attend. 

Photography Exhibit by Kim Tisa May 1-June 30

Mount Laurel Library will be hosting a photography exhibit by Kim Tisa from Wednesday, May 1 – Sunday, June 30. A “Meet the Artist” reception will be held on Sunday, June 9, 2013 at 3 p.m. Light refreshments will be provided.

Kim Tisa is an urban landscape photographer born in Philadelphia who currently resides in Mount Laurel. She studied painting and drawing before pursuing a career in photography.

Tisa emphasizes strong horizontal and vertical lines along with natural sunlight in her compositions. Her photographs have been featured at the Philly Photo Arts Center and Croft Farm Arts Center in Cherry Hill, New Jersey.

All items are for sale in post cards and prints. Please contact the artist at ktisa89870@aol.com or (609) 506-8593 for more information.

Acapella Concert with Jersey Transit

Come enjoy a FREE acapella concert with Jersey Transit on Sunday, May 19, 2013 at 2 p.m. at Mount Laurel Library. This concert is open to the public. No registration needed.

Performing almost completely without instruments (occasionally one performer tries to sneak in a French horn), Jersey Transit sings a repertoire of songs taken from jazz standards to reggae to R&B to today’s pop. Come see why they have been around for over 20 years!

This concert is part of the Second Sunday Concert series offered at the Mount Laurel Library thanks to a generous gift from Wegmans. (This concert is held on the third Sunday to avoid conflicting with Mother’s day.) All are welcome to attend.

Understanding Islam

On Sunday, May 5 at 2 p.m., Christopher Taylor, Professor of Religion and Director Middle Eastern Studies at Drew University will be at Mount Laurel Library to present an overview of the Muslim religion.  Come join us for this provocative lecture and discussion.  Light refreshments will be served.  No registration is needed.

With over 1.25 billion followers worldwide, Islam is today the world’s second largest and fastest growing religion. Estimates of the number of American Muslims now range between 2.3 and over 6 million, making Islam an increasingly important presence on the landscape of American religious life. Nevertheless, many Americans still feel that they know very little, and understand even less, about Islam. This broad introduction will outline the major tenets of Islamic faith, discuss the ritual practices of Islam, explore aspects of Islamic spirituality, and explain the rich diversity defining this great religious tradition.

This program is free and open to the public.  It is funded by the Horizon Speakers Bureau of the New Jersey Council for the Humanities, a state partner of the National Endowment for the Humanities.

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Free Gypsy Jazz Concert - Sunday, April 14

Come enjoy a FREE gypsy jazz with Fête Manouche on Sunday, April 14, 2013 at 2 p.m. at Mount Laurel Library.   This concert is open to the public.  No registration needed.

Jazz Manouche - literally “gypsy jazz” - is an exotic brand of swing music, born in France in the early 1930s. Clarinetist Dan Levinson discovered Jazz Manouche while living in Paris in the early 1990s and was mesmerized. In 2004 he assembled Fête Manouche and has been captivating audiences both young and young at heart ever since.

To hear samples of the band, visit http://www.newyorksbestmusicians.com/dance-bands/77-fetemanouche

This concert is part of the Second Sunday Concert series offered at the Mount Laurel Library thanks to a generous gift from Wegmans.  Concerts are held every month.  All are welcome to attend.