Southport, CT -- Pequot Library welcomes visitors to a day of programs and events for all ages on Thursday, March 9, 2017 to celebrate the generosity of friends and neighbors as part of Fairfield County's Giving Day. Giving Day is a powerful, 24-hour online, fundraising competition that unites the community around local causes close to their hearts. With sustained continuing support, Pequot Library can continue to bring literature, music, art, science, and the humanities to Fairfield and neighboring communities.
Pequot Library is grateful to the 106 donors who generously contributed during last year’s Giving Day. This year’s campaign provides critical funding for Pequot Library's 750 public educational programs, 8-10 annual art exhibitions, and Special Collections of over 30,000 rare books, manuscripts, and archives.
All programs are free and open to the public, yet the programs are on Fairfield County’s Giving Day and donations can be made in person at Pequot Library or online. It’s convenient and safe to donate on a secure device while taking advantage of the variety of programs. Pequot Library’s unique programs throughout Fairfield County’s Giving Day include: Wake up with Pequot Library from 8:00 – 11:00 a.m. Stop by the main Reading Room and jump start the day with a cup of coffee or tea by the fire. Bring a favorite book or newspaper or borrow one from the circulating collection of over 115,000 books in the iconic stacks. Enter a raffle for a $50 gift certificate to the upcoming Summer Book Sale.
Join us for a Docent-led Gallery Tour from 11:00 a.m. – 12:00 p.m. guided exploration of the current exhibition on view in The Perkin Gallery, Pequot Founders: Building a Library and a Legacy. This tour will highlight the early history of the Library, including stories about its founders, provide details about its Romanesque Revival architecture, and outline the origins of the Library’s Special Collections of rare books, manuscripts, and archives.
At Fantastic Finds: William Shakespeare’s First Folio from 1:30 – 2:30 p.m. Pequot Library’s Director Stephanie J. Coakley presents Pequot Library’s own copy of Shakespeare’s First Folio. Published in 1623, the First Folio is the first collected edition of Shakespeare’s plays and only 233 copies are known today.
From 3:00 – 4:00 p.m.join visual journalist Sean Kelly and Director Stephanie J. Coakley for an Art Talk and guided tour of Migration Now, Pequot’s newest art instillation, on view in the Auditorium from March 9 – June 2, 2017. Migration Now is a portfolio of 37 prints by contemporary artists and activists, including Santiago Armengod, Melanie Cervantes, and Imin Yeh. Others involved include renowned cartoonists, labor organizers, street-art provocateurs, and culture workers from across North America. The project illustrates the power art has to engage people in informed conversation about the global phenomenon of migration. Sean Kelly is an award-winning illustrator, visual journalist, and political commentator who has been featured in The New York Times, The Washington Post, Los Angeles Times, and The Boston Globe.
During the Art of the Book: Bookmaking interactive workshop from4:00 – 5:00 p.m., children ages 5 - 10 and their parents/caregivers are invited to learn more about the Library’s Special Collections of rare books, manuscripts, and archives. Participants in this hands-on art bookmaking project will explore a variety of mixed-media materials.
Cap off the day with Music at Pequot: Mark Naftalin from 5:30 – 7:00 p.m. in the Auditorium on the Steinway piano. Wind down from the work day and visit Pequot Library to enjoy tunes played by longtime library friend American blues keyboardist, recording artist, composer, record producer, and Rock and Roll Hall of Fame member Mark Naftalin. Wine and light refreshments will be served.
Fairfield County’s Giving Day is presented by Fairfield County’s Community Foundation with lead sponsor Bank of America, and runs from 12:00 a.m. – 11:59 p.m. on Thursday, March 9, 2017.
Please visit www.pequotlibrary.org to learn more about this vibrant library, educational, arts and cultural institution. For information: (203) 259-0346 ext. 15. Follow Pequot Library on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter. Pequot Library Brings Culture to Life!