I Support Public Libraries by Kennedy Prints
8"x6" ($10)
Book lovers, look alive! In honor of Giving Tuesday, letterpress master Amos Kennedy thought up these incredible 8”x6” $10 prints as an extra-special benefit edition. Each complexly layered print is an original work of art—no two are the same (though every single one is a bonafide stunner). They’re striking and clever and just plain cool. Plus, they’re the perfect gift for the bibliophile on your holiday shopping list. And here’s the best part: all proceeds for sales of I Support Public Libraries go directly to support Kennedy’s local public library: Elmwood Park. Do good. Feel good. Collect good art. And stay tuned, 'cause this kicks off a three-day run of bookish brilliance we're rolling out.
Introducing today’s edition, our resident book nerd (and Production Manager): Carly Piersol...
When I first saw Kennedy Prints’ new edition, I Support Public Libraries, I had to laugh. “Book Lovers Never Go to Bed Alone”, it proclaims, with layers of text including the word LIBRARIES printed underneath. Take it from me, the ultimate book nerd: there has never been a piece of art to sum me up so well.
Growing up, I was a fierce reader (so much so that I had to be banned from bringing books into the bathroom or to the dinner table). My imagination was so stirred by the books I read, I often hid myself away in well-lit closets and nooks so I could ignore the outside world and dive deep into my fictional one. This appetite for stories was hugely fed by my local library. Each week over the summer, we piled in the car with our books from the week before, excited to return to the hallowed halls of the library, where we would choose our adventures for the week ahead.
Libraries are crucial cornerstones in any community. Not only are they a place where each and every child can grow and foster a love of reading, they also serve as one of the last places where any person can (for free!) continue their education through a variety of classes, get Internet access, and use a safe, public space to bond as a community. When we think of true democracy—for the people, by the people—we don’t have to look any further than our local library.
Amos Kennedy understands this. The printer behind Kennedy Prints, much of his work has been sold to raise funds for libraries, and he’s made it a personal goal to create installations on display in public libraries across the country. When we came to him with the idea for a Giving Tuesday print to benefit the library of his choice, he suggested the title I Support Public Libraries and chose his local library, Elmwood Park, as the recipient of the proceeds. The Detroit, Michigan library just celebrated its 80th anniversary last year, and it continues to serve its community by offering communal activities, homework help, classes on subjects from email to finance, and more.
In recent years, federal library funding has decreased even as library use has increased. Most public libraries rely on the support of their patrons, as they receive less than half of their operating budget from the federal government. Our current president even considered eliminating all funding for libraries in his 2018 budget, a move that could generously be called shortsighted. We’re a far cry from President John F. Kennedy, whose administration made education and libraries a priority, saying, “The community public library is one of the richest and more enduring aspects of our historical heritage.”
I certainly know this to be true, from my experience as a young child into adulthood. Amos Kennedy knows it. And now you, art-lover, can be part of supporting that rich heritage for a local community. Bonus? You get some fantastic one-of a kind art in the process.
With art for everyone,
Carly Piersol
