The Bubbler at Madison Public Library

Time is running out to see Preserving Art & Culture for a Decade, the solo photography exhibition by Amadou Kromah. This powerful collection celebrates ten years of visual storytelling, highlighting the people, places, and moments that inspire connection, preserve culture, and spark meaningful conversations.

Hear Amadou discuss the inspiration behind the exhibition and his decade-long photography journey in a recent radio interview with WORT. Link in bio or you can find the interview on the WORT online archive.

[Before you plan a visit to see the show this month, please call 608-266-6350 or email [email protected] to confirm the gallery is open and not in use for a program or group.]

https://www.wortfm.org/preserving-art-and-culture-for-a-decade/

SQUEALING at how sweet our and library visitors are this summer!!! Crowded tables, concentration, colorful messes - yes, yes, YES!

If you haven't made plans to visit any of our nine libraries to make art with the current We Read AIR this summer -- then this is your sign!
Check out the public calendar to find a location, date, and art medium that works for you and any young ones you plan to bring along.

Art is learning, art is literacy, art is storytelling! Come be a part of it with !

The WE READ Bubbler Artist-in-Residence program is made possible thanks to the American Family Insurance Dreams Foundation.

Popping up in the Bubbler Room, we present the 3rd iteration of Charlotte's House -- yet to be created!

Charlotte's House grew from a much smaller series of inter-connected houses wrapped in threads and fibers that artist Terri Messinides created in 2024 while recovering from a right arm injury. Unable to embroider (her primary artistic practice) for nearly six months, she explored wrapping and weaving materials around sculptural forms instead. That experience inspired the idea of creating a much larger, interactive house that invites visitors of all ages to participate by weaving in cloth, yarn, ribbon, thread, and other flexible materials, allowing the artwork to evolve throughout the process of wrapping, weaving and constructing the walls.

Two of our favorite things about this interactive piece:
1. The name! It comes from the material it's made out of! Stamped on each of the PVC pipes and fittings is the word, 'Charlotte' and...
2. It travels! It first launched as an interactive installation in the new Textile Arts Center building in the Fall of 2025, then it was disassembled and reinstalled at Lighthouse Christian School and now it makes it's way to Central Library.

Stop by and touch all the fabric, ribbon and soft bits - help us weave, braid, and tie this structure into existence (again!). Big thanks to Terri for her generosity in sharing this project and to our AASPIRE intern, Vanessa, who's helped us get it prepped this week.

Libraries Closed for Juneteenth!
This Friday 6/19 all Madison Public Library locations will be closed and the Dream Bus will be off the road for Juneteenth. We hope your day is filled with celebration, care, and community!

Saturday 6/20: If you're stopping by the Juneteenth festivities at Penn Park be sure to swing over and say hi to Bubbler Artist Savannah Starlin between 12-3 pm! Alongside MPL staff, Savannah will be offering people of all ages a GIANT container to share their creativity. If you're willing to doodle big and get a little messy stop over and help us fill another giant sketchbook page of 'Our Collective Imagination.'

We got a little peek into world over at the Thurber Park Artist Studio when we dropped off posters at the park last week.

Jennie's FREE Summer offerings are happening across locations in June, July and August at Pinney Library, Thurber Park and Worthington Park. There's something perfect for families/mixed-age groups, something for teens and even some more focused, registration-based workshops for adults. Find what will work for your schedule and interests: https://www.madisonpubliclibrary.org/check-it-out/hold-release-jennie-bastian

Coming up next week!
--> Monday, June 15: Fabric Binds Us Drop-In Session from 1-4pm at Pinney Library

--> Tuesday, June 16: Parks Alive Community Gathering from 5-7pm at Worthington Park