Lenox Library Announces Art Print Fund Raising Campaign
LENOX, Mass. - The Lenox Library Association has announced that they are now offering two limited print editions of a recent illustration of the Library by Lenox artist, Jack Sadoway, as part of a fund raising campaign to raise as much as $35,000 to benefit the Library.“Our Board of Managers is proud to offer this gorgeous illustration of our beautifully-restored 1815 building which is listed on the National Register of Historic Places,” said Becky Sorrentino, newly-elected President of the Lenox Library Board of Managers. “We hope that community members and visitors alike will purchase these fine prints to commemorate this architectural gem and help support our wonderful Library at the same time.”
Sadoway’s recent illustration, “Lenox Library – Late Afternoon”, celebrates the restoration of the Library’s cupola as well as the preservation of the adjacent Reading Park, now owned by the Town of Lenox. During 2002-2004, the historic neoclassical building underwent extensive structural repairs and renovations costing $3.5 million, which culminated in the dramatic restoration of the building’s landmark cupola in May 2007.
Development Director, Lisa Berkel, explained “If we are fortunate enough to sell out both of these stunning full-color editions, the Library will clear $35,000 toward its annual fundraising goal. We’re glad to be working with a local artist who values our great Library, who is an important member of our team of volunteers, and who is available to customize each print if a buyer would like a personalized inscription.” The Collector’s Edition of 25 full-size giclee prints are priced at $600 each, and the Limited Edition of 250 mid-size giclee prints is priced at $230 each. Half of these proceeds will benefit the Lenox Library. Each print is signed, dated, and numbered by the artist.
Rendered in the artist’s unique style of micron pen stippling, Sadoway has honed this painstaking technique over many years to represent the delicate patterns formed by the play of light on intricate shapes and textures. Prints are on view at the Lenox Library at 18 Main Street in the new materials room on the first floor.
Unlike a municipal library, the Lenox Library Association operates as a nonprofit organization, receiving approximately 40 percent of its funding from the Town of Lenox, while the remainder of its roughly $600,000 annual budget is acquired through fundraising.
The Lenox Library Association, incorporated in 1856, moved into the 18 Main Street building in 1874 where it has remained since. Today, the building is listed on the National Register of Historic Places and is considered the architectural jewel in the crown of Lenox's many historical buildings. Originally constructed in 1815 as a court house, this stately Greek Revival building with its majestic Ionic columns and elegant cupola was designed by Captain Isaac Damon. The building housed many occupants during its early years, including the town’s only doctor, the town’s first telephone switchboard and fire alarm system, a jail, and the offices of the Lenox National Bank.
In 1871, Mrs. Adeline Schermerhorn, a wealthy summer resident, purchased the building for use as a public library and reading room free to all visitors and residents of Lenox. Mrs. Schermerhorn’s contribution marked the beginning of the long and fruitful relationship between the summer “cottages” and the Library. From the mid-19th through the early 20th century, well-known families such as the Vanderbilts, Carnegies, Sloanes, Morgans and Westinghouses established imposing summer homes here, making the name “Lenox” synonymous with culture and style. Even during these early years, the Library functioned as an important civic center for the whole community, as it does today, with a wide variety of services, activities, and programs.
More information about the limited edition prints is available at www.lenoxlib.org or by contacting Lisa Berkel at (413) 637-2630 x121 or lberkel@lenoxlib.org
More of Sadoway’s art work is on display at the artist’s Clearwater Gallery at 11 Housatonic Street in Lenox.
