Coming soon to the Library's fireplace!

Later this summer the fireplace in the Library will get a makeover. Artist Katherine Hackl will be installing a decorative tile work surrounding the fireplace. Ms. Hackl is not new to public installations of her artwork. You can find her art at the Princeton Public Library, the NJ State House Annex and numerous rail stations around the state. She also has ongoing exhibits at galleries in Philadelphia and Surf City, NJ

Recently, we made a visit to Ms. Hackl's Lambertville studio to see how the project was progressing. We were impressed with her studio and the tiles that will soon reside in our Library. Not only was it a fun field trip, we learned a lot about her artistic process and how the final tiles are created.

First, the design is carved into a linoleum sheet. Next she makes the tiles -- usually a few of each one. Then she starts playing with the glazes to get the color just right. Often she will go through 2 or 3 tiles to get it to look the way she envisions.
Want a preview of the tiles? In June and July, we will have tiles in the display case in the lobby of the Library.