With winter break here and winter weather, it’s good to remember that our libraries are always free, offering much more than just books.
Storytimes, concerts and hands-on activities abound, and at the main branch of the Tacoma Public Library downtown, the Zimbabwe Artists Project once again fills the library interior with enough color to brighten even the darkest winter day.
Created to assist and support the women folk artists of Weya, a rural area in east Zimbabwe, the Portland-based program helps women and their families through health care, assistance, education and, above all, selling the joyful art they make.
That art is being displayed in the main library’s Handforth Gallery through the end of the month.
Textiles meet paint in combinations from appliqué to batik to embroidery in vivid colors and textures, and the story of each piece and its artist is nearby.
Other free holiday events at the library include two concerts today by kids’ entertainer and songwriter Jim Valley, plus a drop-in craft session.
Check the website for upcoming free events.
Jim Valley: 11 a.m. today at Wheelock (3722 N. 26th St., Tacoma) and 1 p.m. at Moore (215 S. 56th St., Tacoma)
Drop-in Craft: 1 p.m. today at Wheelock.
Zimbabwe Artists Project: On view 11 a.m.-8 p.m. Mondays and Thursdays, 9 a.m.-6 p.m. Tuesdays, Wednesdays, Fridays and Saturdays through Dec. 31. Main branch, 1102 Tacoma Ave. N, Tacoma.
For more information, call 253-292-2001 or go to tacomapubliclibrary.org
Rosemary Ponnekanti: 253-597-8568 rosemary.ponnekanti@ thenewstribune.com blog.thenewstribune.com/arts
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