by Tony Talent, Associate Director, Branches
Charlotte Mecklenburg Library

The mission of our library is to improve lives and build a stronger community. We deliver on this mission in many ways each day—from offering stellar programs and superior collections and information resources to outreach and technology initiatives that help fill gaps in service and access across Mecklenburg County.

Another way we meet this mission is through art. Yes, art. CML is working diligently to make art and artful experiences more accessible to all our communities.

Many of our library locations have designated public art through the “1% For Public Art” Program. CML locations that are leased or are not owned by the library do not fall into the 1% for Public Art Program, and so they do not have designated public art. I am happy to share with you that we are working to change this and make public art available at all our locations.

For several months we have strategized the most effective manner to acquire original large-scale artwork for Plaza-Midwood, South Boulevard, and Pineville Branches, all of which do not have designated public art. To meet this desire to have established and pronounced art at these three locations we are launching a Call for Art Submissions to professional community and regional artists. Interested artists or artist teams are encouraged to apply for these opportunities using the Call for Submissions guidelines to propose artwork for these three locations. Artists will be encouraged to collaborate with the library community and staff through dialogue and idea-sharing to propose artwork that expresses the importance and uniqueness of the community.

You will find the overview information of this endeavor along with the three calls for submission on the Art Submissions page on our website.

Here’s to art for all!