In celebration of the Morse Institute Library’s 150th anniversary, the Town of Natick and the Morse Institute Library commissioned artists to design, construct, and install three original, temporary Outdoor Reading Rooms in public green spaces across the community. Outdoor Reading Rooms are open-air "rooms" where anyone may sit and read!
As temporary art installations, the Outdoor Reading Rooms offer sculptural seating across the community from June to August 2023. The Morse Institute Library will also offer pop-up programming at each location.
This opportunity is funded in partnership with the New England Foundation for the Arts and Cognex Corporation.
POP!@ Cole Center by Keefe Technical School Students
You are the main character in this story. The creatures are your neighbors and the places are your backyard. What's your character name? Do you have any special powers?
Who are your friends? How do you work together to help others? How will you change the world?
Inspired by graphic novels, the Keefe Technical School's Design and Visual students designed a space using the visual language of comic books and manga. Inspired by the theme of "Find Your Voice," the room empowers visitors by making them the main character of the books they're reading. The piece consists of wooden panels creating a 3D comic frame with a bookshelf and benches for support. The final structure was built by the School's Carpentry and Metals Fabrication programs.
About the Artists:
The Design & Visual Communications program gives students an opportunity to learn about the world of art and design. Through a balance of traditional art as well as digital design we teach students how to be a creative professional in the twenty-first century. By the time they graduate, students are skilled in the areas of color theory, illustration, photography, videography, animation, web design, as well as the entirety of the Adobe Creative Cloud.
The Carpentry program trains students in many aspects of the field from the process of milling lumber into various components including cabinets and countertops, all the way up to constructing a house from foundation to finished product. Every year the Carpentry program takes a major role in the house-building program where they work with other technical programs in order to create a professional quality house.
The Metal Fabrication program trains students in the technologies of metal fabrication and welding. These are directly related to the processes of the metal products industries. With an emphasis on safety and real-life application they create innovative work through the manipulation of metal.
