An Artsy/Quilty Library

We have been busy becoming official residents of Laurel Springs.  I got my new driver's license, and promptly took it to the public library in West Jefferson to get my library card!  The library is in a beautiful building on a hill overlooking the town.

I am always pleased when I see original art incorporated in public buildings--including quilts used as decoration.  The Ashe County library pleased me greatly!

High on the wall of the tower section is a large barn square quilt.  I suspect it was made by the Quilt Square Girls in West Jefferson, who also made the smaller one that we purchased for our cabin.

Hanging over the reception desk is a child's quilt by a member of the Ashe Piecemakers Quilt Guild.

                                                 

And in the children's section are paper quilts that I suspect were made in local school classes, or perhaps were made in a children's craft activity at the library.

Bow Tie paper quilt

Dresden Plate and Flying Geese paper quilt blocks

Speaking of the children's section, there is a fabulous climb-aboard locomotive, a  city-scape, and  a beautiful mural of a mountain scene.

There are some very attractive sitting and work areas with inviting wall art.

I came home with a basket of library books and also DVDs to borrow.  The Hubs even came in and selected a few DVDs.

Some Mountain Art

I mentioned in my post about the mountain weekend that I saw some nice artwork in West Jefferson.

First, here is a little piece of stained glass that I also found at Antiques on Main. It was hanging from the ceiling in a dark corner. I thought they were bluebirds. I liked the colors and of course, love birds. A saleslady climbed on a piece of furniture and took it down for me. It was only $35.00, and the colors nicely echo the colors of a framed print and the bed quilt. Turns out the piece was titled "Parrots." I will call them "Artistic Mountain Bluebirds.":) This will hang in the kitchen window. So far it is just propped on the sill.

We took a stroll through Jefferson Station, a former train depot converted to space for shops and displays. It is the temporary home of the Ashe Public Library. Sadly, many of the spaces seem vacant or closed. There used to be a nice quilt shop there. However, various artists and groups have donated mural-sized artwork that are displayed throughout the space. Many of them are representations of mountain scenes. This first one looks just like the rows of Frazier firs growing in a mountain valley. Sorry about the flash in some of these photographs.

Like many mountain towns in North Carolina, West Jefferson has attracted a thriving artist community. Probably the two most well-known artists are Lenore DePree and Joan Bell. Here is Lenore's painting called Winter River. I love this one.

Speaking of Lenore DePree, you may remember this painting which appeared as an ad in the quilting magazines a couple of years ago. I heard that she based the portraits on Ashe County quilters!

And this painting of an Ashe County Tree farm was done at our friend Tom and Vickie Herman's farm, and features some of their family! We dropped in and visited with Tom for a little while on Friday while we were in town.

Here is Joan Bell's lovely painting called August in Ashe.

This one features detail of birds and flowers with a mountain backdrop.

This one is kind of creepy, as there is a child huddling in the hollow tree in the snow.

Even the restrooms are treated to original art at Jefferson Station.

And there is a nice little "rock garden".Hope you enjoyed this little virtual art gallery!