Library Exhibits

Woodbourne Library hosts Paul Laurence Dunbar: Diamond of the Gem City January 23 - February 28. The exhibit highlights the life, work, and legacy of the multi-faceted writer through a series of text panels, archival materials, and three-dimensional objects. The exhibit was created by the National Afro-American Museum and Cultural Center at Wilberforce University, a division of the Ohio History Connection.

Born in Dayton in 1872, Dunbar became one of America's greatest poets, whose work later fueled a Black literary revolution. His life was marked by personal triumph and inherited trauma, which left indelible impressions on the world around him. This exhibit puts that life in context and positions him within a community of African American activists, including Alice Dunbar-Nelson, Hallie Quinn Brown, Frederick Douglass, and Brigadier General Charles Young. It also frames him not just as a hero but also as a human whose flaws help tell a complete version of our American story.

From December 15, 2022 - January 19, 2023, Washington-Centerville Public Library, through generous funding from the Dorothy R. Yeck Endowment for the Arts, hosts Young at Art: A Selection of Caldecott Book Illustrations, an exhibition featuring beautiful artwork from children's picture books. Through picture books, readers embark on visual journeys that engage all of the senses and encourage curious, imaginative, and thoughtful interactions with the world around them. Since 1938, the Association for Library Service to Children, a division of the American Library Association, has recognized the significant impact of art on early reading experiences, awarding the Caldecott Medal for excellence in this area. Named in honor of nineteenth-century English illustrator Randolph Caldecott, the prestigious and highly coveted medal is awarded annually to the illustrator of the most distinguished American picture book for children. The exhibition Young at Art: A Selection of Caldecott Book Illustrations includes original illustrations from Caldecott Medal recipients and from "runner-up" Honor books, as well as other illustrations by award-winning artists.

The Caldecott Collection of Children's Book Illustrations is part of the permanent collection of the Wichita Falls Museum of Art at Midwestern State University, Wichita Falls, Texas. Young at Art is a program of Exhibits USA, a national division of Mid-America Arts Alliance and the National Endowment for the Arts.

CNO Youth Photography Contest

Art Show: A Celebration of Our People, Our Community