The artists discuss their exhibit "Letter Love" which uses the alphabet to inspire conversations about belonging and identity. The exhibition is on display throughout summer on the second floor.
Seemel’s focus is an animal ABC book made up of unusual fauna, polka-dot cubist artwork, and a word search embedded directly into the illustrations. Baby Sees ABCs, both as a collection of paintings and a book, is a celebration of the core truth of the alphabet: it is a group of symbols whose meaning we agree on. Every time we use letters and language, we are agreeing with each other once more. We are saying yes to working together, and yes to all the amazing things we can accomplish when we work together.
Boekelmann’s work addresses aspects of culture lost due to constant assimilation. Like Hansel and Gretel’s breadcrumbs, the artist collects and connects fragments that will ultimately lead her back to a place where she belongs as whole – a place where she feels safe, visible, and like herself. Boekelmann uses woven abacá from the Philippines and Manila envelope cutouts in her journey of unearthing, visually articulating, and displaying her identity, asking: what would a reimagined world, where we all felt safe and powerful, look like?
For more information, visit the library's exhibit page.
