Mercer County resident Zoe Strecker talks about the 15-foot-tall iron sculptural screen created by her sister, Erika Strecker, and Tony Higdon, both of Lexington. (Erich L. Ruehs Photo) |
HARRODSBURG — More than 300 people turned out Sunday for the dedication of the new Mercer County Public Library and unveiling of a 15-foot-tall iron sculptural screen by Lexington artists Erika Strecker and Tony Higdon.
The large crowd spilled over into the hallways and vestibule, and some people stood outside the building and watched the festivities through the windows.
The $3.7 million facility at 109 W. Lexington St. has been open since Jan. 17. It consists of 22,500 square feet of space and is almost three times the size of the previous facility.
At Sunday’s dedication, Library Director Robin Ison introduced a host of speakers, including State Librarian Commissioner Wayne Onkst. “This is a great day to be a librarian,” said Onkst. “But it’s even a better day to be a citizen of Mercer County.”
Lolita Short, the library board vice president, also spoke.
“The public library is more than a repository of books. It’s a mysterious, wondrous place with the power to change lives. The books contained therein cause us to ponder, to wonder, to imagine and to explore.”
Short, who credited her love of books to her mother, Frances, said there are some who may have questioned why such an elaborate facility should exist in a relatively small county. However, Short believes it was taxpayer money well spent.
“Over the course of Mercer County’s history, our library has grown from a one-room building to a complex that encompasses an entire block ... and yes, progress of this magnitude has a cost.”
Mercer County resident Zoe Strecker unveiled the iron sculptural screen created by her sister, Erika, and Higdon. The artists have collaborated on nationally acclaimed works such as the 50-foot-tall sculpture “Nexus” commissioned by the state of Kentucky and displayed in downtown Frankfort.
“What is most powerful for me about this project was the ‘call to the farmers,’” said Erika Strecker. “We had folks in Mercer County donate implements that they actually used while working the land.”
Other parts of the sculpture included sickles, tobacco knives and hammers which resembled real tools but were made specifically for the artwork.
Bill Chilton of Lone Pine Farm in Mercer County was one of the farm implement donors and came to the unveiling with his wife, son, daughter-in-law and grandchildren. “This right here is my tool, and it’s called a splitting knife used to split the stalk of the tobacco plant,” Chilton explained to his grandchildren.
“This piece of art brings back memories of when my father taught me how to use many of these tools,” Chilton told his family.
As three generations of Chiltons viewed the stucture, he recalled how essential each tool was to his many years of farm work.
Guests were invited to actually touch the artwork.
Louise Isham Dean was a young teenager in the 1930s when her father used tools like those comprising the sculpture. “To be honest, when I heard someone use the term ‘modern art’ when describing what lay under the big cover, I didn’t quite know what to expect,” said Dean.
“But I was pleasantly surprised to see what the artists did with the tools of labor that I saw my father and his friends use in the fields on a daily basis. What a wonderful and creative way to commemorate Mercer County’s agricultural tradition.”
The large crowd spilled over into the hallways and vestibule, and some people stood outside the building and watched the festivities through the windows.
The $3.7 million facility at 109 W. Lexington St. has been open since Jan. 17. It consists of 22,500 square feet of space and is almost three times the size of the previous facility.
At Sunday’s dedication, Library Director Robin Ison introduced a host of speakers, including State Librarian Commissioner Wayne Onkst. “This is a great day to be a librarian,” said Onkst. “But it’s even a better day to be a citizen of Mercer County.”
Lolita Short, the library board vice president, also spoke.
“The public library is more than a repository of books. It’s a mysterious, wondrous place with the power to change lives. The books contained therein cause us to ponder, to wonder, to imagine and to explore.”
Short, who credited her love of books to her mother, Frances, said there are some who may have questioned why such an elaborate facility should exist in a relatively small county. However, Short believes it was taxpayer money well spent.
“Over the course of Mercer County’s history, our library has grown from a one-room building to a complex that encompasses an entire block ... and yes, progress of this magnitude has a cost.”
Mercer County resident Zoe Strecker unveiled the iron sculptural screen created by her sister, Erika, and Higdon. The artists have collaborated on nationally acclaimed works such as the 50-foot-tall sculpture “Nexus” commissioned by the state of Kentucky and displayed in downtown Frankfort.
“What is most powerful for me about this project was the ‘call to the farmers,’” said Erika Strecker. “We had folks in Mercer County donate implements that they actually used while working the land.”
Other parts of the sculpture included sickles, tobacco knives and hammers which resembled real tools but were made specifically for the artwork.
Bill Chilton of Lone Pine Farm in Mercer County was one of the farm implement donors and came to the unveiling with his wife, son, daughter-in-law and grandchildren. “This right here is my tool, and it’s called a splitting knife used to split the stalk of the tobacco plant,” Chilton explained to his grandchildren.
“This piece of art brings back memories of when my father taught me how to use many of these tools,” Chilton told his family.
As three generations of Chiltons viewed the stucture, he recalled how essential each tool was to his many years of farm work.
Guests were invited to actually touch the artwork.
Louise Isham Dean was a young teenager in the 1930s when her father used tools like those comprising the sculpture. “To be honest, when I heard someone use the term ‘modern art’ when describing what lay under the big cover, I didn’t quite know what to expect,” said Dean.
“But I was pleasantly surprised to see what the artists did with the tools of labor that I saw my father and his friends use in the fields on a daily basis. What a wonderful and creative way to commemorate Mercer County’s agricultural tradition.”
