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part of the ongoing series
Summer Library Librarian 9 Maya Wasileski November 11, 2022 to January 14, 2023 Opening Reception: Saturday, November 19th, 3-5pm Maya Wasileski, a West Chester, Pennsylvania based potter, has been working in clay since 2017. After graduating from West Chester University with a bachelor’s degree in Studio Arts, she began work as a kiln technician with the university. Born and raised in Camp Hill, Pennsylvania, she grew up with a natural inclination towards art and music. Her work has a heavy emphasis on function and form in combination with highly decorated surfaces.See full details about the Summer Library project, including other Librarians' work, here.
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Comforting QuartersThoughts on the Past in Comforting Quarters, M. Wasileski:
The spaces we inhabit and the objects that we choose to carry throughout our lives leave an imprint on us. We decorate and alter their appearance, and our surroundings tend to do the same to us. Our memories and emotions are closely tied to location and the things we have in our lives. Have you ever opened an old bottle of perfume, or maybe it’s shampoo, or an old jar of hair gel? The smell will instantly take you years through the past, and suddenly you’re nervous about your first kiss, or that big performance. Maybe it’s not a scent — it could be your favorite stuffed animal, an old T-shirt, or even that book with the cornered pages. The one you swore to finish but haven’t picked up since. Skimming the last read page will leave old memories lingering in your head for days. Those little memories can hit you quickly, while you’re unwrapping a piece of candy or buying a coke from an old vending machine. I have filled the space with personal objects that evoke these kinds of nostalgic feelings for me. The smell of old books reminds me of going to the public library after school. Sometimes we’d stop at a gas station for some candy from a gumball machine. These memories are cozy and safe, and the objects which they are attached to reflect this. For this exhibition, visitors are invited to use the turnstile candy machine to receive a small piece of paper. Each paper contains a quote from one of the books in this collection. It may prompt you to read the book it is from; it may not (if you wish, put it back in the machine and try again). The purpose is to inspire each visitor to read something new. Perhaps something you normally wouldn’t reach for. You are also invited to find a quote and write it down to put back in the candy machine, inspiring the next person who stops by. While you’re reading, you are welcome to relax in the big red chair. Consider it a time machine, transporting you to a new world with every flip of a page. If you find yourself moved by a book, passage, or quote, you are invited to write it down and add it to the candy machine, inspiring the next person who visits. quotes dispensed to visitors during the exhibition:
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