Friends Of University Place Library Contribute Art And Ambience

Caring friends make life better, brighter, and more beautiful, even if the one they befriend happens to be a library.

The Pierce County Library System’s University Place branch, located in University Place Town Center, shows plenty of signs of that kind of caring, especially when it comes to art. Branch Manager Cindy Bonaro met with me Wednesday to introduce some of the gifts of friendship bestowed upon the new building by a group of volunteers called “Friends of the University Place Library,” to which she, herself,
belongs.

“One of our longtime members of the Friends of the Library, Marie Hewitt, passed away and the Friends wanted to do something in her memory,” Bonaro said, as we stood in front of a framed, mixed-media collage on the east wall, called “Arashiyama, Kyoto Memory”  by Fumiko Kumura.

“She also had memorial donations go to the Friends of the Library so they decided to commission an art piece in her memory and to choose an artist she knew and loved," Bonaro said.

The piece incorporates a variety of colors and textures, including hand-dyed rice paper, to represent the area around Kyoto that Hewitt had loved to visit during her many trips to Japan.

“It was in the old library and we moved it over to the new library,” Bonaro added. “The friends really believe in art and providing that
extra ‘thing’ that’s different in the new building, adding that stimulating, exciting piece that can be attached to them.”

Barbara Pick, current president of the Friends of the University Place Library, agrees. “It’s a delight for us to be able to support the things that the library wants,” she said, “particularly the artwork, as
well as all the programs. The Friends of the Library exists only to help the library itself.”

Speaking of the art pieces, she said, “I think that all of them add to the enjoyment and the ambience, but the stained glass at the end of the hallway is absolutely beautiful. It adds so much to that area.” Bonaro had shown me this piece by Steven Wrubleski, titled "River Water & Stone," right after I arrived, taking me down the hall where the restrooms are located.

Over in the library’s northwest corner, the Early Learning Center for young children contains several items donated by the Friends, but perhaps the most charming of all is a bronze turtle named “Reading Riley.” He sits on a low bookshelf where little eyes can notice him and little hands fingers can reach out to touch. His story illustrates the impact art can have.

“There were actually three bronze turtles that went with a bench, another piece commissioned by the Friends of the Library,” Bonaro said, referring to a work by the artist Hai Ying Wu that had been outside the previous library. Its permanent placement at the new building has yet to be determined.

“It had metal salmon pieces on the sides and then there were three turtles that were alongside the bench,” Bonaro added. “Not long after we opened, somebody came and stole two of the other bronze turtles, leaving Reading Riley all alone in front of the library, so eventually we removed him and had a naming contest, because we wanted to give him a name. A little girl won."

Benaro smiled and told the rest of the story. “Near our opening day, a young woman came in and she said, ‘Do you still have Reading Riley?’ And I said, ‘Yes! Reading Riley has moved to the new library.’ I brought her over here to show her and she said, ‘I was the little girl who named him.’ She was so excited."

The Friends of University Place Library's main source of income is a yearly book sale in addition to the ongoing book sale in the hallway where the stained glass piece is located.

"Book are donated by the public," Pick said. "All the money goes to support the various programs of the library and whatever the library
asks us to do. The board meets six times a year, at the library, and anyone can come. We couldn’t do any of these things without our volunteers, who are the ones who really support these activities."

In addition to visual arts, the group has sponsored readings by authors and poets, music programs and puppet shows for children, and will offer an exciting lecture series this fall, on the topic of the Civil War. 

Pick urges anyone who has not been to the new library to come in and browse around and see what a wonderful addition it is to the University Place community.

"It’s beautiful," she said. "And there are so many things to do and see and so many wonderful people to help you find what you need, so we
encourage everyone to take advantage of this wonderful civic thing we have in University Place."

If you would like to join the Friends of University Place Library, just ask for a membership form at the information desk. You can help bring more art to the library in the future. An appreciation for art makes life better and so does the help of friends.

Just ask Reading Riley.