GEORGE NEWS - George Library recently celebrated locals who made their mark and at this event, the boundaries of literature were transcended with the emphasis on harmonious interaction between the literary text and visual art.
According to Elmine Vorster, George librarian, the event, 'Make YOUR Mark 2023', explored the interplay between literary text and visual art, emphasising how these mediums can enhance and inspire each other.
Workshops and demonstrations were held to showcase the creative process and highlighted the fusion of words and visual material.
Two creative writing workshops were presented by Michele Damstra in the reading area of the library. A poetry workshop was presented by Dr Mike Hagemann and several “found” poems were created and will be on display in the library in the new year.
Archie Swanson, South African poet, discussed his poems and photography with Wolfgang Schreuder, bookshop owner of Blue Forest.
A local artist, Thanduxolo Juta, displayed sculptures of sport heroes and people from different cultures.
Children from Classical Conversations'' created a timeline with their creative posters and displayed these in the foyer.Koos Meyer, a local writer, wrote on his laptop in the foyer and donated his first published book to the library. Ina Meyer, a local award-winning quilter, displayed her quilt, 'The book thief' in the library.
Hannes Visser, an AVBOB poetry winner, delivered a copy of his debut novel to George Library.
Vorster said Make YOUR Mark has inspired sustainable initiatives, including ALICE for Adults meetings held monthly at George Library over the past year-and-a-half. These meetings bring the community together for continued creative exploration and connection.
Elmine Vorster, initiator of the Make YOUR Mark programme with an installation on Virginia Woolf by local artist Arleen Duff (behind her).The last meeting of ALICE for Adults was devoted to the book of curator artist, Lien Botha, Vin. This art novel, with a link to a website, led to an interactive experience: A rabbit hole of information on books from the library collection and artists from far and near. People from the community received a chapter from the book to use as inspiration for installations displayed in the library.
Vorster said engaging the creative mind with words and visual expression leads to personal growth and community enrichment.
"The significance of community involvement must be underlined. Our library served as a platform for community creativity and collaboration and Make YOUR Mark was an opportunity for everyone to share their unique gifts and contribute to our vibrant cultural landscape.
"George Library has served as a catalyst for creativity, learning and community engagement and Make YOUR Mark showcased the power of community collaboration and the library’s pivotal role in fostering creative connections.
"Our mission was accomplished - a space was provided where individuals could explore their artistic potential and connected with others who share a passion for creativity. A public library served to be so many things for so many individuals from our diverse community," said Vorster.
Karin Haremse explaining the bronze sculpture of the boat.‘We bring you the latest Garden Route, Hessequa, Karoo news’
