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Thanks to our generous community, the Camden on Canvas auction raised more than $55,000 for the Campaign for the Future.
The funds raised will go directly toward securing a resilient future for the library. It will enable the library to strengthen its long-term ability to create young readers, foster lifelong learning, and sustain our historic building and parks – including the beautiful Amphitheatre in which we came together Sunday.
Thanks to Colin Page and the Page Gallery team; the tremendous cadre of artists; Ken Gardiner, Edward Jones Investments – Camden, and the event sponsors at every level; and all those who bid and donated. Your contributions will have a lasting impact.
The Camden Public Library welcomes back midcoast visual artist Jon Byrer for an exhibit of his signature “Puddle Paintings” in the Picker Room Gallery during the month of August. Byrer was the library’s featured artist-of-the-month in July of 2020, when only online shows of art were possible in the early days of the pandemic. Byrer’s new show is an opportunity for the community to see a large collection of his work in-person and discover what makes his “liquid moments of thick, swirling paint” so special.
NO paint brushes. NO touching. Puddle paintings are created by using a cup to pour numerous pools of enamel paint onto the canvas until the entire surface is covered in one glossy layer. As the puddle of paint dries, it develops a glass-like smoothness—freezing the marbled colors and lending a dream-like quality to his images.
Byrer’s subjects run the gamut from landscapes to portraits to still life. “My goal is to reimagine how to create paintings of familiar scenes of Maine’s magic and capture the splendor of the everyday,” says Byrer.
The public is invited to meet Byrer at his artist reception on
Saturday, August 6, from 3:00 to 5:00 pm at the library.
Jon Byrer graduated from the Maine College of Art where he received a degree in photography and studied fine arts. Jon creates oil paintings, experimental photography, and watercolor illustrations. He has been living and working in the midcoast area for the past 20 years.
See more of Byrer’s work at JonByrer.com
Join Byrer’s 37,000+ followers on Instagram at: instagram.com/jonbyrerart
Find Byrer on Facebook at: facebook.com/JonByrerArt
Email: jonathanbyrer@gmail.com
A portion of sales from Byrer’s art show will benefit the Camden Public Library.
The Camden Public Library welcomes the Camden Shakespeare Festival back to the Amphitheatre for another fantastic season of live outdoor theatre! The Festival’s annual performances are one of the most anticipated and memorable events of the summer. This year, Shakespeare’s beloved comedy As You Like It gets a “Summer of Love” makeover as Rosalind tries to win the man of her dreams in the most outlandish way possible. Songs of the 1960s are performed live in this crowd-pleasing favorite!
The Camden Shakespeare Festival is a professional, non-profit theatre committed to producing Shakespeare’s plays chiefly in the Camden Amphitheatre. At the core of their mission is a passion to make Shakespeare’s plays accessible to contemporary Maine audiences, especially children. They believe that Shakespeare plays speak to everyone, because of their universal themes, their unforgettable characters and their extraordinary poetry. These plays are produced in association with the Camden Public Library.
Learn more at: camdenshakespeare.org
The Summer Music and Theatre Series is generously supported by Allen Insurance and Financial.
Printed copies of the “Summer Music & Theatre” and “Summer Wellness Programs” schedules are available at the library. For more details on all of the events, please visit our calendar here: librarycamden.org/events
Our monthly book groups are a fun way to talk about books we love, discover new authors, and share ideas. Our Maine Student Book Award Club is for students in grades 4-8. We have a list at the library, or you can check out the list at http://msba.umeedu.maine.edu/ for the latest books for suggestion. Our monthly meetings usually include a potluck and a lot of laughs.
Our YA Book-Lovers Club meets on a Tuesday once a month from 4 to 5. You don’t have to be a teen to like YA books, and we encourage anyone to attend. Our group choice changes monthly, so be sure to check out our events calendar or stop by the library to request the latest pick!
We are seeking your help to Stock the Stacks! The Stock the Stacks fund is an essential part of our operating budget, and it goes directly into purchasing new books. We always strive to keep the library shelves current and vibrant — and we can’t do it without you! Visit https://www.librarycamden.org/stockthestacks to donate – and thank you!
The National Library Service (NLS) is a free braille and talking book library service for people with temporary or permanent low vision, blindness, or a physical disability that prevents them from reading or holding the printed page. Through a national network of cooperating libraries, NLS offers books the way you want them: in braille or audio formats, mailed to your door for free, or instantly downloadable. (more…)
This is a picture taken from Mt. Battie around 1880 looking toward Rockport harbor. 
