Blog / 2021 / Art IRL at the Princeton Public Library

May 30, 2021

Gwenn Seemel’s art IRL at the Princeton Public Library
photo by David Vanadia

Letter Love is the name of the exhibition, and it features my art along with Mic Boekelmann’s! We’re each presenting work that uses the alphabet to encourage conversations about belonging.

Mic Boekelmann’s art IRL at the Princeton Public Library
Mic Boekelmann’s art

Mic’s art is inspired by woven abacá from the Philippines as well as Manila envelopes that are made from the same fiber. These simple materials are transformed in her quest to unearth and articulate her identity, becoming bold cutout collages that ask us: what would a reimagined world, where we all felt safe and powerful, look like?

ABC book illustrations by Gwenn Seemel
Gwenn Seemel’s Baby Sees ABCs

My focus for this exhibit is Baby Sees ABCs, an animal alphabet book which is made up of unusual fauna, polka-dot cubist artwork, and a word search of first names embedded directly into the illustrations. This work celebrates the core truth of the alphabet: the fact that it’s a group of symbols whose meaning we agree on. Every time we use letters and language, we are agreeing with each other again. We are saying yes to working together and yes to all the amazing things we can accomplish when we work together.

Explorer Tiger special edition sticker at the Princeton Public Library
Explorer sticker

When you visit the exhibit, you can even get this special edition tiger explorer sticker, made from this brand new painting! All you have to do is peruse the exhibit labels for unusual animal facts and then share your favorite one with the librarian on duty at the second floor desk, and you’ll receive your free sticker.

Princeton Public Library
65 Witherspoon
Princeton, NJ 08542

Open: June 1st through August 31st
Hours: open most days, check PPL site for specifics
Pride Artist Talk: online June 23rd at 7p EDT
Artist Talk with Mic Boekelmann: online July 20th at 7:30p EDT

UPDATE

August 10, 2021

Recordings of both talks are now available! Watch the Pride Artist Talk as well as the one I did with Mic.

The show has been extended! It will remain on display through the end of September.


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