A Legacy of Art
Founded in 1995 and incorporated in 1996, the Euless Library Foundation’s (ELF’s)
mission was and is to “work to enhance the visibility and growth of the Euless Public
Library through the purchase of public art and the support of programs and
projects that will enable the Library to become the cultural center of Euless.”
ELF’s initial charter was to bring art to the community in an interesting and
educational manner. By focusing on bronze sculptures for its first project, ELF
envisioned art in its three-dimensional form – something that could be viewed
from all angles. And by placing it at the entrance to the library, the art would
be available to the community 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, 365 days a year.
Two bronze sculptures at the entrance to the library represent the first two
major projects sponsored by ELF.
“Rapture of the Human
Spirit” was dedicated at a community reception in August 1997, just one year
after the new library facility opened. At a cost of $47,800 it was an aggressive
project for a newly-formed foundation, but one that was met with eagerness and
enthusiasm by the community. ELF was able to completely pay for this through
local fundraising activities.
“Rapture of the Human Spirit” depicts three (3) children, approximately ages 5,
10 and 15 years old, reading books outdoors on a quilt. Each child is in a pose
characteristic to his or her age. The 5-year-old girl is balanced on her knees;
the 10-year-old girl is daydreaming about what she has just read; and the
15-year-old boy is sitting in a casual, relaxed position. Various characters and
symbols, based on the age of the child, are placed along the frieze. The
sculpture is viewable from a full 360 degrees.
In January, 1999, the second bronze sculpture joined the first at the entrance
to the library. “It was just like yesterday …..” depicts an elderly gentleman
observing the students in the first sculpture. He appears to be reminiscing
about his youth and remembering what it was like as he was growing up. At a cost
of $21,518, ELF fundraising projects successfully paid for this project in full.
A local contest was held to name the sculpture and a public dedication ceremony
introduced it to the community.
After the initial sculptures were installed at the library entrance, ELF members
decided to look to the inside of the library for the next projects. In 2000
two
bronze statues (girl and boy) were purchased with funds raised through ELF’s
annual fundraising campaigns. At a cost of approximately $15,000, both the (girl
and boy) now sit proudly in the entrance hall to the library building.
In April, 2002, two paintings by David Scherer were added at a cost of $2,850.
Scherer incorporates musical themes into his visual art in a way that encourages
the observer to see something different each time he views a Scherer painting.
Entitled “Guitar II” and “The Music Maker,” each painting is composed of bold,
bright colors and a combination of lines and angles that are considered
“eclectic, complex and energetic.” Both paintings are visible as soon as anyone
enters the library.
To date, all art projects undertaken by the Euless Library Foundation have been
funded completely by ELF fundraising activities within the community. The
current project, “Blooms of Enlightenment,”
was completed in July 2005 and dedicated August 12, 2005. Blooms represents the next step in ELF’s program to provide art and visibility for
the community. ELF members are focused on providing variety in the forms of art
selected, from bronze sculptures to paintings to hand-blown glass. As part of
each of these projects, meetings have been held within the community to
introduce people to the art itself, the artist and the process used to produce
the art. ELF intends to continue to pursue unique art and programs for the
community.
Euless
Library Foundation
www.eulesslibraryfoundation.org
