Newton Free Library

November, 2002 / Archives

Gallery & Main Hall Hours

Monday to Thursday 9:00 am to 9:00 pm
Friday 9:00 am to 6:00 pm
Saturday 9:00 am to 5:00 pm
Sunday Noon to 5:00 pm

Are you interested in exhibiting your artwork at the Library?
Please click here for more information.

G A L L E R Y

May, 2 0 0 2

DAVID VENTICINQUE’S "ORIENTAL TALES"

Foreigner with Shoe

David Venticinque’s "Oriental Tales" will be exhibited in the Newton Free Library Gallery May 2 – 30. The artist will give a demonstration of the ancient Japanese kimono design technique he uses on Saturday, May 18, 12 – 2:00PM in the Gallery.

Venticinque’s striking silk paintings depict characters from Japanese folktales and Kabuki and Noh theatre. Using techniques of ancient Japanese kimono design, he creates bold contemporary versions of traditional Japanese themes and characters: the Three Princesses, Red Lion and White Lion (father and son characters from the play "Kagamijishi") samurai knights, contemplative poets, delicate royal courtesans and more.

The artist creates each painting much like a kimono. First a design is outlined in black ink on fine silk. Various dyes and paints are applied with a sumi brush. Portions of the work are then enhanced by shibori, a painstaking technique of painting thousands of identical tiny squares, all in perfect alignment. Finally, to capture the essence of a richly embroidered kimono, an outline of gold or silver lacquer is applied. The result is a finely detailed, shimmering work of art.

Although Venticinque studied western art initially, he began his study of Japanese art under the tutelage of master kimono designer Hisachi Otsuka who passed on the ancient techniques as had been done for generations. For nearly twenty years since then, Venticinque has exhibited his works widely and sold many to international collectors.

M A I N H A L L

May, 2 0 0 2

JASON POLINS’ "RECENT WORKS"

Peonies for Rembrandt, oil on linen, 2002

Jason Polins’ "Recent Works" will be exhibited at the Newton Free Library Main Hall May 2 – 30.

This exhibit of mostly still life paintings is a study of subject as well as the classical technique itself. In lush oil on linen, Polins paints oranges with a ceramic jug, red Seckel pears in a basket, peonies in a vase next to a postcard of Rembrandt on a mantel. Trained in the academic style and inspired by the master painters of the past, he paints with the least strokes possible as "The innate beauty of the subject can be captured through simplicity," he says. Precise drawing is the basis of his work, then color, tone, shape and composition work together to produce a "tactile reality and sense of dimension and depth."

Polins has exhibited at Gurari Collections and Johnson’s Gallery in Boston, Grenning Gallery in Sag Harbor, NY, in Florence, Italy and Guttenburg, Sweden. His "Peonies for Rembrandt" won first prize from the Duxbury Art Association last year.

Library groups meet at the Newton Free Library, 330 Homer Street, Newton Centre,
unless otherwise noted.

All meetings are free and open to the public.

May, 2 0 0 2

African Literatures Group
Led by Anne Serafin, this group explores the rich variety of writings from Africa. The group meets on the third Wednesday of the month at 7:30PM, in Meeting Room A. Meeting Date: May 15: Little Boys Come from the Stars, a novel by Emmanuel Dongala. For further information, call 552-7145.

Children's Book Writers Group
Meetings are held on the first Monday or the fourth Wednesday of the month at 7:00PM, in Meeting Room A. This group is for writers who have work in progress. Pre-registration required. Please call Ruth Glass at 332-0835 or Karen Day at 244-4830 for more information. Meeting Dates: Monday, May 6 or Wednesday, May 22.

Cinema Discussion Group
This new group engages in discussion and critique of significant films. Led by Paulette Idelson, the group meets on the third Tuesday of the month at 7:00PM in Meeting Room A. Meeting Date: May 21: "2001: A Space Odyssey." Attendees are encouraged to view the film before the meeting.

Current Fiction Discussion Group
Meetings are held the first Wednesday of the month, 7:30PM in Meeting Room A. Participants should read works in advance. Group coordinator: Alice Simons. For information, call the Library at 552-7159. Meeting Dates: May 1: My Dream of You by Nuala O’Faolain. June 5: Lying Awake by Mark Salzman.

Great Books Discussion Group
Meetings are held on the second Tuesday of the month at 7:15PM in Meeting Room A. Members read books from the Great Books Foundation (available at the Library). Meeting Date: May 14: "Four Quartets" by T.S. Eliot. For further information, call the Library at 552-7145.

Landscape of Aging
This group is on hiatus until the fall.

Newton Camera Club
Meetings are usually held from September – May at 7:30PM on the second and fourth Mondays of the month at the Nonantum Branch Library. Group coordinator: Elisif Brandon: (617) 243-0557. Meeting Date: May 13: Banquet. Call for location and further details.

Playreading
This group has disbanded

Sequences: Women Tell Our Stories
In this women's workshop, participants read, discuss and write about literature by women. The group meets the second Wednesday of each month from 10 - 11:30AM in Meeting Room A. Leader: Robin Mayer Stein. Meeting Date: May 8. For further information, call 552-7145.

Short Fiction Writing Group
This workshop provides an atmosphere of expert support to polish short fiction. It is geared for published writers as well as those who are actively pursuing publication. Preregistration is required: 617-965-8835. The group meets the first Tuesday of each month, in Meeting Room A, 7:00PM. Meeting Date: May 7. Please bring 5 copies of work to the meeting. Coordinator is Halcyon Mancuso.

Short Story Discussion Group
Meetings are held on the second Monday of the month at 7:30PM in Meeting Room A. Group leader is Mary Lanigan. For further information, call 552-7145. Meeting Date: May 13: Edith Pearlman, "Allog" and Roddy Doyle: "The Dinner."

All concerts are free and open to the public. For directions to the Library, click here.

May, 2 0 0 2

PIANIST SHUANN CHAI

photo by Susan Wilson

Pianist Shuann Chai will perform works of Schumann, Scarlatti, Scriabin and others at the Newton Free Library, Sunday, May 5, 2:00PM. Seating is limited.

Among Chai’s many performances are appearances at Jordan Hall, in the Brandeis Noon Concert Series, Harvard University Dunster House Series and as a guest of the Chinese Culture Committee in Ann Arbor, Michigan. Other accomplishments include a chamber music concert-tour of Germany and an invitation by Qinghua University in Beijing to present a solo recital and several forum discussions. She has been heard in many live performances on public radio in New England and Canada. Recent recordings include an all-Chopin soundtrack to Mary Kocol’s independent film, "My Father’s Story" as well as a CD of showpieces with cellist Laurien Laufman. In addition to her appearances on the modern piano, Chai often performs on the harpsichord and the celeste in diverse ensembles. Currently a Ph.D. candidate in Musicology at Brandeis University, she teaches privately as well as at the Burbank School in Belmont.

PRIZE WINNING VIOLINIST JOSEPH LIN AND OTHERS

photo by Richard Laird

Critically acclaimed young violinist Joseph Lin with pianist Benjamin Loeb and cellist Sarah Carter will perform a program of Ravel’s Piano Trio, Bach’s Partita in E Major for Solo Violin and Korngold’s "Much Ado About Nothing" Suite for Violin and Piano at the Newton Free Library on Wednesday, May 15, 7:00PM. Seating is limited.

Lin has already earned broad recognition for his mature artistry. Described as "master of the violin" in the Boston Globe, he was awarded First Prize at the Concert Artists Guild Competition in 1996 and was named Presidential Scholar in the Arts the same year. In 1999 he received the Pro Musicis International Award, the youngest musician to be chosen for the award since its inception. Other international competition prizes have followed. Lin has appeared as soloist with numerous orchestras, including the Boston Symphony, the Boston Pops, the Eugene Symphony and Auckland Philharmonia and has performed at the Kennedy Center, Alice Tully Hall in New York, in Buenos Aires and at many festivals. Most recently he embarked on a tour of Japan with the Kiev Soloists Chamber Orchestra, a tour of Germany with the Moravian Philharmonic, a tour of New Zealand and presented recital debuts in Paris and Tokyo. Lin graduated magna cum laude from Harvard College in June, 2000.

Loeb is an accomplished soloist, accompanist and conductor who has collaborated regularly with Lin for the past eight years. He has appeared in concert in major venues throughout the United States, in Tokyo, Seoul and Panama City. He founded the Benjamin Loeb Ensemble in 1996 which has performed chamber orchestra pieces at Lincoln Center, the Juilliard School and the Fogg Art Museum. Loeb has been featured in a weeklong residency of live performances on National Public Radio’s "Performance" with Livia Sohn. Recently he and clarinetist David Gresham toured Argentina and Chile as Artistic Ambassadors for the United States Information Agency. Currently, he is Assistant Conductor for the Haddonfield Symphony.

Carter has appeared as soloist with the Cleveland Orchestra, Seattle Symphony and Corpus Christi Symphony. She was the grand prize winner of the 1999 Corpus Christi International Young Artists Competition as well as the 1998 ASTA National Solo Competition, among many other awards. She performed on the La Jolla Chamber Music Society’s Prodigy Series and Ravinia Festival’s Rising Stars series as a member of the Musicians from the Steans Institute for Young Artists tour. Locally, Carter performs with the chamber ensemble Metamorphosen and is currently a sophomore at Harvard University.

May, 2 0 0 2

Winnie the Pooh Statue Dedication

Eeyore on the Children's Patio now has a new friend: Winnie the Pooh! Join us for the grand unveiling and dedication of the bronze sculpture of Pooh and his "hunny pot" on Sunday, May 12, 3:00PM. The ceremony will also include a Winnie the Pooh storytime and refreshments.

Both Pooh and Eeyore were created by renowned sculptor Nancy Schon. Pooh was commissioned by the Oliver Family of Newton to celebrate the life of their daughter Sarah. It was Sarah's wish that a sculpture of Winnie the Pooh be created to stand near Eeyore to keep him company. Many people joined with the Olivers to help fund the sculpture.

"ROADSIDE GEOLOGY OF MASSACHUSETTS" TALK

If you’ve sometimes wondered about local geologic formations, come hear geologist James Skehan speak on his book Roadside Geology of Massachusetts on Wednesday, May 8, 7:00PM at the Newton Free Library, at an event co-sponsored by the Newton Conservators with the Library.

This book reveals the geologic history of the rocks and landforms visible from the state’s highways including Bloody Bluff, Beacon Hill, Plymouth Rock and Walden Pond as well as more subtle features such as Glacial Lakes Charles, Sudbury and Concord. Interspersed through the guidebook are tales of pioneering geologists such as Harvard’s Louis Agassiz, the first to propose that continental glaciers – not the remnants of Noah’s Flood as early settlers had imagined – had polished the state’s bedrock and deposited its enormous boulders and sand plains. Numerous maps and photographs reveal ancient volcanoes, marble potholes, colorful minerals, dinosaur footprints and the first commercial railroad – built with blocks of Quincy granite.

Longtime teacher and researcher Skehan is a professor emeritus in the Department of Geology and Geophysics at Boston College and director emeritus of Weston Observatory. As a Jesuit priest and geologist, he actively promotes dialogue on science and religion.

AUTHOR TALK ON CIVIL RIGHTS MOVEMENT IN THE 1920’S

Mark Robert Schneider will speak on his new book We Return Fighting: The Civil Rights Movement in the Jazz Age at the Newton Free Library on Tuesday, May 21, 7:30PM.

Throughout the 1920s, the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP) waged a series of dramatic battles that laid the foundation for civil rights advances in the 1950s and 1960s. Yet these crucial struggles are traditionally overlooked by scholars in their research. We Return Fighting restores to history the significant contributions and pioneering efforts of the NAACP black leadership team of James Weldon Johnson, Walter White and W.E.B. Du Bois, as well as the heroic leaders of over 300 local branches and the thousands of working class members who labored tirelessly to keep the civil rights movement alive. It is a powerful tale of extraordinary individuals who often risked their lives in an unwavering struggle to protect their constitutional rights in Jim Crow America.

Schneider is an Adjunct Instructor in American History at the University of Massachusetts, Boston. He is the author of Boston Confronts Jim Crow, 1890-1920, on which he spoke previously at the Library.

ARTIST TO HOLD SLIDE/ LECTURE ON MOSAIC-MAKING TECHNIQUE

green spirit 20" x 20"

Artist Maria Termini will give a slide/ lecture on the technique of making mosaic mandalas in glass tile at the Newton Free Library, Thursday, May 16, 7:30PM.

The tradition of mosaic-making goes back thousands of years. It refers to the creating of designs on walls and floors using small pieces of stone or glass. In our time, the term mosaic can refer more to a technique than a specific medium as artists often incorporate small objects, metal and other materials into their works.

Termini will talk about and show slides of the history of mosaics, the materials and techniques used and show examples of the materials and tools as well as her original works.

The artist uses mainly translucent glass paste tiles and cuts them into smaller pieces to create images that glow with color and light. She often works in the round, endless form of the mandala inspired by the beauty of nature, music, cats, leaves and the human face. The process is open-ended as she allows the images to evolve, much like putting together a puzzle.

Termini has taught at many schools in the area and exhibited in Bolivia, Italy and throughout the Greater Boston area. She has been commissioned to create murals and friezes by the City of Boston and other organizations and her work is collected by museums and corporations, internationally.

This free event is supported by the Massachusetts Cultural Council as administrated by the Newton Cultural Council.

CRIMINAL JUSTICE FORUM

Middlesex District Attorney Martha Coakley, State Senator Cynthia Creem and Newton District Court Judge Dyanne Klein will lead a panel discussion on "Criminal Law: Current Practice and Proposed Reforms" on Monday, May 13, 7:00PM at the Newton Free Library.

The forum will be moderated by the League of Women Voters of Newton, co-sponsors of the evening with the Library. Attorney Charles W. Cobb of Newton is the coordinator of the program.

Coakley has been on the forefront of statewide public policy discussions and initiatives to improve the criminal justice system and is recognized as an advocate for prevention programs. Continuing with concrete programs including Project Alliance, Community-Based Justice, Juvenile Firesetters Awareness and Domestic Violence Roundtables, she leads the Crossroads program, the SECURE taskforce and has formulated a specialized Elder Abuse Unit. She created and chaired a county-wide multidisciplinary Physical Child Abuse Task Force. From 1991 – 1996, she distinguished herself as Chief of the Child Abuse Prosecution Unit which has been recognized as a national model. She also served as a Special Attorney for the Justice Department’s Boston Organized Crime Strike Force from 1987 – 89.

Creem is serving her second term as State Senator for Newton, Brookline and parts of Wellesley. She was one of the first freshman senators ever to chair the Criminal Justice Committee and has been reappointed this term. She successfully opposed the reinstitution of the death penalty and was front and center in tough debates regarding the creation of safety buffer zones around reproductive health clinics, the sex offender registry and anti-stalking and domestic violence laws. She has introduced a number of important bills this legislative session and is chief sponsor of legislation to create a statewide witness protection program. Another bill targets the illegal gun trade by restricting to no more than one, the amount of firearms a licensed buyer can purchase in any thirty day period. Before being elected to the senate, Creem served two terms on the Massachusetts Governor’s Council and previously served on the Newton Board of Aldermen. Currently, she serves as a partner in the Boston law firm of Stone, Stone and Creem.

Klein is First Justice of Newton District Court since 1999. She was first appointed as Associate Justice in 1990 where she presided over a criminal jury of six sessions in the Cambridge District Court and sat one – two months/year in the Newton District Court. Prior to her appointment, she was Chief Appellate Attorney for the Essex County District Attorney for 12 years where she tried major felony cases and argued cases before the state Supreme Judicial Court. Previously she worked as a public defender for the Massachusetts Defenders Committee for four years, representing indigent criminal defendants.

A Citizen’s Guide to Organic Land Care

The Northeast Organic Farming Association and the Green Decade Coalition will present a "A Citizen’s Guide to Organic Land Care," on Thursday, May 23, 7:00PM at the Library. Based on the newly written Standards for Organic Land Care, the program will introduce the audience to the qualities of organic land care and show why it is beneficial to our health and to the environment. Examples of successful organic land care practices will be included.

Green Decade Program on Newton's Drinking Water

Newton's Drinking Water System is the next topic to be addressed at the Green Decade Coalition's Environmental Speaker Series at the Library on Monday, May 20, 7:00PM.

Frank DePaola, Senior Construction Manager of the Massachusetts Water Resources Authority (MWRA) will give an overview of the status of major water system construction projects including the MetroWest Tunnel, Walnut Hill Treatment Plant and Norumbega Covered Storage. Stephen Estes-Smargiassi, Director of Planning, MWRA Operations, will present information about the quality and availability of the MWRA's water supply and the impact of the drought on Newton residents. Bob Rooney, Newton's Commissioner of Public Works, will discuss the status of projects and give an overview of Newton's water delivery system.

This talk is co-sponsored by the League of Women Voters of Newton.

Booksale

Stock up on books for summer reading at the Friends June Booksale at the Auburndale branch, 375 Auburn Street. Come Saturday, June 1, 10AM - 3PM for the best selection from the thousands of fiction and nonfiction in all genres for both children and adults. Come Sunday, June 2, Noon - 3PM, when unmarked paperback fiction will be $2/grocery bag and almost all remaining books will be 1/2 price.

All proceeds benefit the programs and collection of the Library.

For directions to the Auburndale branch, please click here.

Newton History Series

Newton City Archivist, Priscilla Ritter, will give a talk illustrated with pictures and maps on the history of the village of Chestnut Hill on Thursday, May 9, at 7:00PM in the Special Collections Room. This program is part of the Library's Newton History Series.

Ritter has had a life long connection with Newton. Her professional historical background includes work on writing for the Guide to Manuscript Collections at the Massachusetts Historical Society and creating a pilot microfilming program for Early Massachusetts Records. She is also a former president of the National Society of Colonial Dames, an organization for the preservation of historic properties.

The Special Collections Room features the Newton Collection, an historical collection of Newton materials. Staff and volunteers are available in this room to assist patrons with research during regular Library hours.

NEW GROUP - "Ever Thought of Writing?"

The Library is starting a group for those new to the writing process. "Ever Thought of Writing?" will be held on the third Saturday morning of the month, 10:30 - Noon, in Meeting Room A, starting May 18. Pre-registration required: 630-0742.

The group will combine support and practice time using exercises from Steering the Craft by Ursula K. LeGuin. Members will have the opportunity to reflect and speak about their creative processes, what helps and what hinders in their writing. Time will also be devoted to reading samples and receiving feedback. The group will be led by Tom Yee, a writer and former English teacher who works at Newton North High School in Special Education.

Book and Author Luncheon

This year’s Book & Author Luncheon, sponsored by the Friends of the Library, will feature Sue Miller and Marc Gopin. Miller is the author of seven books including The Good Mother; she will speak on her new novel The World Below. Marc Gopin, author of Between Eden and Armageddon and Holy War, Holy Peace, will speak on the intersection of religion, violence and strategies for peace. The 18th annual luncheon will be held on Monday, May 6, at noon at the Newton Marriott.

Copies of the authors’ books will be available for purchase and signing at the luncheon. Tickets are $25 and may be ordered by sending a check, payable to the Friends of the Newton Free Library and a self-addressed, stamped envelope to The Friends of the Newton Free Library, c/o 68 Park Lane, Newton, MA 02459, before April 29. If checks are received afterwards, tickets will be held at the door. PLease indiate choice of fish or chicken for lunch. Please call 617-527-7996 for more information.

Morning Programs at the Library!

At WABAN, the book group will discuss J.M. Coetzee's Disgrace on Wednesday, May 29, 10:30AM. All are welcome.

NEWTON CORNER'S book group will discuss Wallace Stegner's Remembering Laughter on Friday, May 24, 10:30AM at Heritage at Vernon Court, near the branch in Newton Corner. All are welcome.

Judy Bernstein Returns!

Actress Judy Bernstein will return to the Library by popular demand to present her new one-woman show "A Funny thing Happened on the Way to the White House: A Celebration of 200 Years of Political Humor in America from George to George." The show will take place on Thursday, May 23, 10:30AM.

A look at the lighter side of American politics, this show will present humorous stories and anecdotes, revealing the wit and wisdom of our history, the Presidents and their families, controversial issues, scandals and more.

Both groups are open to new members at any time - just drop in!