Are you an art lover or even an artist yourself?  If so, you have something in common with some of CCPL’s finest. Join us for our Fall 2021 Staff Art Exhibit! This quarter we’re featuring all 3D works– from ceramics to a mannequin head!  Staff members Marina Turner, Maddie Palma, Lyndsey Goldberg, Ivette Marcucci, and Megan Burroughs took common household items like paper, cardboard, oyster shells, and (of course) books and made them into uncommon masterpieces. Be sure to visit the Waldorf West Branch this fall to check out these unique pieces. Also, be sure to tap into your own creative side by logging onto our free online resource, Creativebug. Creativebug has thousands of award-winning art & craft video classes taught by recognized design experts and artists. It brings the latest in art and craft education to its members, and they work with renowned artists to do just that. It is the number one inspirational resource for DIY, crafters and makers, with thousands of award-winning art & craft video classes available for FREE with your CCPL library card. And of course we’ve got you covered with plenty of art related ebooks available through Hoopla and art documentaries available through Kanopy. Enjoy the show!

Ivette Marcucci works as a Public Service Associate for Charles County Public Library at the Waldorf West Branch. She was born and raised in Puerto Rico and has been living in the Southern Maryland area for 19 years. As a little girl growing up in Puerto Rico, she was always reading, drawing, painting or crafting. She enjoys painting everything from canvas to furniture. She started creating art in 2014 and today she’s one of the emerging visual artists of Charles County. Mostly self-taught, her works include collage, mixed media and abstract paintings. Her collage works reflect her inspiration, nostalgia for the past and hope for the future. She creates depth through the collage work using patterned papers, stamps, textures, found objects and ephemera. Her abstract art is a way of self-expression where she can use her imagination to create shapes, color, and figures to give voice to her emotions. She also loves to experiment and explore new techniques to incorporate into her artworks. Since 2015, her artworks have been exhibited in different local galleries such as the Waldorf West Library Gallery, Community Bank of the Chesapeake Waldorf Branch, Charlotte Hall Veterans Home, and Port Tobacco Courthouse in addition to the Torpedo Factory Gallery in Alexandria, VA and Gallery B in Bethesda, MD. To see more of Ivette’s artwork you can contact her at yvettemarc [at] gmail [dot] com.

“The artist is a receptacle for emotions that come from all over the place from the sky, from the earth, from a scrap of paper, from a passing shape, from a spider web.”
-Pablo Picasso.

Marina Turner has lived in Southern Maryland for over 10 years and has been with CCPL for over 3. She has always enjoyed being creative in various art mediums. She is fond of painting canvases, rocks, has created several butterfly canvases, and now an inspirational ballerina canvas. She is always on the lookout for new ideas and creative ways to express her love of art and to share the joy of crafting with her children.

Megan Burroughs is a lifelong resident of Charles County.  She has been working in the Outreach/Mobile Library department for 16 years. When the Covid-19 pandemic hit, Megan joined a friend and started repurposing oysters by creating oyster crafts. Other projects include oyster swags, ornaments and decoupage.  

Lyndsey Goldberg went to Towson University and majored in art and design. She has been a Public Service Associate at the Waldorf West Branch for about eight years now. She loves incorporating the skills she has learned from her background in art into her current job.  She uses these skills to create craft programs, flyers, social media, and has painted the windows at the Waldorf West Branch for the Summer Learning Program (formerly Summer Reading Program). She’s happy that she is able to share her love for art with the public.

Maddie Palma is a Page at the Potomac Branch in Indian Head and has worked for Charles County Public Library going on three years. She took a ceramics class in college last semester, which is where she created her multiple art exhibit pieces featuring different dishes and furry friends.