Library to celebrate local artists

Resident’s Display, photo contest on deck for July

When Jenifer May took over as library director at the beginning of this year, she vowed to build upon some of the institution’s traditions and reshape it as a cultural center.
Next month residents may see the first stages of this vision come into focus. In July the library will hold its annual Residents’ Art Display and, for the first time, combine that show with a photo contest, titled “My Favorite Secaucus Memory.”

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“Overall, my vision for the future of the library is to have it be more of a cultural and educational center.” – Jenifer May
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In an interview last December, weeks before she took over her new post, May said, “We’re going to go in a few different directions that build on some of the things that we’re already doing on a small scale,” May said. “Overall, my vision for the future of the library is to have it be more of a cultural and educational center.”
The library staff has long celebrated local artists in the month of July and has held the Residents’ Art Display in its Panasonic Room, on the second floor. This show has typically included some photography. This year, however, there will be more of an emphasis placed on photos than in previous years.

Local reflections

The contest challenges amateur and professional photographers alike to capture, in a single image, a favorite memory of the town, its people, or history.
“Residents are invited to submit photographs that they took that reflect their favorite part of life in Secaucus,” May said in a statement. “It could be a photo that [they] snapped of a specific event that took place as part of [their] everyday life – or maybe a picture of a once-in-a-lifetime moment.”
Residents are invited to take a photo of a special place in town that, to them, epitomizes Secaucus or photos of friends or family members set against the local landscape.
“The photo contest is designed to serve a couple of purposes, one of which is to highlight both the beautiful and unique aspects of our town, as well as the vast talents of our local residents.

Entries will be judged by a committee comprised of library staff and local residents, and photos can be contemporary or historic.
The contest winner will be announced at a resident artist reception on Thursday, July 23. The winning snapshot will be displayed at the library.

Residents’ Art Display

Residents are also welcome to submit work in photography and other mediums for the Art Display.
All residents 18 and older are invited to display their work.
“The art display annually draws many remarkable entries from our very talented residents. To insure that everyone’s work is presented to its fullest potential, I ask that individuals participating in the event limit their submissions to four pieces per artist. We welcome most forms of artistic expression,” May noted.
She added that the library will host a separate art show for artists under 18 in December.
“I believe the younger artists are better served by having their own event,” she said.
To submit work for the Residents’ Art Display, call (201)330-2083. Artists will need to indicate the type of art being submitted and how their work will need to be displayed (i.e., on a table easel, or wall).
Submissions for the photo contest will be accepted from Monday, June 8 through Sunday, July 19. For more information about the photography contest call the number, above.
E-mail E. Assata Wright at awright@hudsonreporter.com.

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