Stacked: A Madison Public Library Soiree
Written by Alyssa Morrow, Contributing Writer
Front piece by Niki Johnson
While walking around the corner to the entrance of the new public library on Fairchild and Mifflin Street, I had to push past the hundreds of people standing in the rain, waiting to get into Stacked. The event finally signaled the grand opening of this new library, but could any library event be exciting enough to stand outside in the pouring rain for?
Shortly after stepping into the new library, I found that the answer to that question was yes. It seemed that every last one of the stark white walls inside was generously dressed in artworks of all kinds. Many statues occupied the main floor of each of the levels of the library. Although this beautiful art was a great contribution to the beauty of the grand opening, the interior decor in itself was an artistic statement. If there was to be a library of the 21st century, this would definitely be it.
After walking up the stairs to the main floor, I was swept away by the sweet ambiance of art and the strumming of musicians who were fine tuning their guitars. One of the first musicians whom I ran into, a guitarist for Pidge Anther, calmly sound checked in front of the rainy window.
One of the most creative pieces on this floor that I thought best represented the idea of Madison throughout the library was an image of the capital building entirely constructed from bus passes. While walking past the piece, I watched as viewers Sophia and Linzey contemplated the piece by Niki Johnson.
As I headed up to the third floor, I was at first stuck by a long narrow hallway adorned with a vast array of pieces.
The first artist I had the pleasure of meeting was Romano Johnson, who not only painted the piece Ice Grey Eye, but also dressed the part.
Romano’s piece was selling for $550. He said this was a portrayal of Ice-T, but that he enjoys doing caricatures of many famous individuals.
At the end of the hallway, my girlie side had a love affair with a free standing statue by Marcus Miers. This fun statue was going for $250, and was made from fiberglass insulation, pink paint and glitter.
If you didn’t get a chance to attend Stack, there is no need to worry. The official opening of the library is September 21st and I highly recommend you stop by to experience this beautiful new piece of Madison.
