Upcoming Programs
The Creative Arts Society is an Austin based, non-profit 501(c)(3) arts organization actively promoting the development of the “Artist in Everyone.” Established in 1999, the vision of this group is to inspire cultural enrichment, community participation, and respect for diversity. Three professional artist members are featured in this exhibit.
LA Hollins
LA Hollins creates visual art that is spontaneous, lushly textured, and instinctive. She explores life’s daily challenges, memories, and dreams through modern abstract expression. Her work often features the recurring themes of joy, hope, loss, humanity, wildlife, nature, and technology. She enjoys sharing art with others and working with families, the elderly, and populations with special needs. You can find her at https://bluestonesart.com/
Beverly Dennis
Beverly uses art to reflect and understand. Color and form are the armatures that hold her images. Blue in the deepest purple, or red in the greenest leaf. Organic curve and geometric form suggest structure. There is an exploration of surface and under-painting. Always there is a reflection on place and impression. She received her MFA from the University of Mississippi. Her art expresses her impressions. You can find her at http://beverlydennis.net/
Makenna Hatter
Makenna is a lifelong Austinite and artist. She passionately utilizes organizational line technique to depict interesting perspectives in her work. She leaves “cluster lines” in her drawings because they are evidence of her process. In addition to watercolors, Makenna works with multiple mediums including resin, oil paint, and ink. She is currently enrolled at Austin Community College with the intention of earning a BFA. You can find her at www.makennahatterdesign.com
Are you an artist interested in exhibiting your work at the library? Visit our Art at Laura’s page to find out more, see past shows, and submit your samples.
This Spring Break, join us at the library for a week filled with fun events and activities. We are celebrating the classic book The Wizard of Oz. Drop in at either location during the week to participate in the scavenger hunt and guessing jar games. Pick up a calendar for the month of March at the library, or print out the downloadable version here.
Here are just a few of the programs happening over the break:
- 3.16, 11am-1pm │ Backyard Neighborhood Gathering @ Westbank
- 3.18, 12-7pm │ All Day Free Play @ Laura’s
- 3.18, 1-2pm │ Discover Your Hidden Powers @ Westbank
- 3.18, 5-7pm │ Memoir Writing Workshop @ Westbank
- 3.19, 3-4pm │ Mad Science @ Westbank
- 3.19, 6:30pm │ Laughter Yoga @ Westbank
- 3.20, 10:30am │ Heartsong Music @ Westbank
- 3.20, 11am-1pm │ Hot Air Balloon Wind Chimes @ Laura’s
- 3.20, 4:30pm │ Discovery! Wild Things Zoofari @ Laura’s
- 3.21, 10:30am │ Stories of Kindness & Courage with Bernadette Nason @ Laura’s
- 3.21, 1-3pm │ Make Your Own Rainbow Jar @ Laura’s
- 3.21, 4pm │ Young Adult Book Club @ Laura’s
- 3.22, 11am-1pm │ Melted Crayon Art @ Laura’s
- 3.22, 2pm │ Movie Matinee: Wizard of Oz @ Laura’s
- 3.23, 11am │ Magician Cody Fisher @ Laura’s
- 3.23, 1-3pm │ Discovery! Plant a Seed @ Westbank
- 3.23, 3pm │ NEW! Women in Print Book Club @ Laura’s
Bring your children from birth through age seven for music, movement, and fun with Heartsong Music. Grouping children of a variety of ages fosters natural, family-style learning. Younger children enjoy watching and imitating older ones; older children learn by leading younger ones; and adults are happy because the children in the family can go to class together.
Each child participates at his or her own level in singing, moving and chanting.
We’re celebrating the classic book The Wizard of Oz this week during Spring Break. Don’t be like Dorothy and miss the hot air balloon! Drop in to Laura’s today between 11:00 a.m. and 1:00 p.m. to decorate your very own hot air balloon wind chime. Every time you see it floating on the breeze, it can remind you of visiting new places, and also of coming home again.
Interested in investigating some cryptic crimes with other mystery lovers? Come to the Mysteries and More Book Club every third Wednesday at 1:00 p.m. at Westbank Library! Under the happy guidance of Pam Wood, you’ll join other amateur agents and bloodhound bookworms to talk suspects, motives, alibis, and cracking the case.
This group is on hiatus in November and December.
2019 Selections:
- January – Long and Faraway Gone by Lou Berney
- February – Where the Shadows Lie by Michael Ridpath
- March – Clammed Up by Barbara Ross
- April – The Professor by Robert Bailey
- May – Claws for Alarm by Karen MacInerney (The author will be joining us)
- June – Dark Pines by Will Dean
- July – Tips for Living by Renee Shafransky
- August – The Ghost Fields by Elly Griffiths
- September – Button Man by Andrew Gross
- October – Where the Crawdads Sing by Delia Owens
The Discovery program offers hands-on exploring for young learners in many different topics, including science, literature, technology, and more. Designed for elementary-aged kids curious about the world. Come each week and discover something new!Recommended for ages 5 & up.
Join us for a special animal show presented by Wild Things Zoofari. See real-life exotic animals up close and learn about them as well as their environment. Wild Things Zoofari Inc. is comprised of the Austin Petting Zoo, Dallas Petting Zoo, Houston Petting Zoo, and the San Antonio Petting Zoo. Wild Things Zoofari Inc. is based in Austin, Texas.
Please Note: Our Commons Meeting Room Capacity is 250
Prime of Life Yoga™ focuses on the contemporary teachings of yoga for Westerners, especially benefiting men and women 40 years and beyond. Safe, conservative and user friendly, this is an intelligent approach focusing on moving with the breath in dynamic and static movements, which helps to make the body mind connection as well as warming up the joints and muscles. Modifications are demonstrated to suit the individual. This creates a noncompetitive atmosphere which is more comfortable for everyone.
Lisa Galizia is a Registered Yoga Teacher® with the Yoga Alliance and a Certified Health and Wellness Coach. Galizia teaches group and custom private yoga and wellcoaching. For more information, please visit beecaveyoga.com.
The Board of Trustees will hold a meeting at 8:30 A.M.
The Board of Trustees of the Westbank Community Library will meet to review policy today. This meeting is open to the public.
¡Hola, Hola! Spanish Storytime for All Ages is designed to empower parents to read simple Spanish books at home and foster a love of Spanish language and Hispanic culture through singing, traditional circle games, rhythm instruments, puppets, and stories. You do not need to have any Spanish language skills to participate. All skill levels are welcome. Come early or stay after to enjoy the beautiful playground and picnic area just outside the door and make new amigos!
Ms. Benson has been leading parent/child Spanish programs for over 15 years in south Florida and now in Austin. She has a degree in Elementary Education with an endorsement in Bilingual Education from the University of Texas, an International Montessori degree as well as certifications in early childhood music. Ms. Benson has years of experience teaching in bilingual classrooms and Spanish immersion preschools. Click here to learn more about “Somos Amigos” (in English, “We’re Friends”), Ms. Benson’s music based early childhood program.
Children and adults alike enjoy performances by award-winning professional storyteller and actress Bernadette Nason. Today at Laura’s, Ms. Nason will share two wonderful, interactive stories that demonstrate — through themes of kindness, courage, forgiveness, and love — how to celebrate our differences and acknowledge all we have in common.
In “The Mexican Cats,” a healer brings 25 kittens to his village, but his neighbors, who’ve never seen a cat before, are suspicious and try to get rid of them. In “Old Dog and Coyote,” an elderly dog needs help when the farmer throws him off the chicken farm…Coyote to the rescue!
Bernadette Nason is a multiple award-winning storyteller, writer, and actress. She hails from England, lives in Austin, and performs all over the world. Nason has been a touring artist with the Texas Commission on the Arts since 2002, telling stories annually to over 30,000 students, Pre-K—high school. She has received the Austin Critics’ Table Award for “Conspicuous Versatility.”
Library News
Plan Your Spring Break
Every spring, a school-less week gives the community an opportunity to breathe, play, and re-group. This year, the library has a full schedule of events to celebrate neighborhood and home as we remember the lessons of the enduring classic, Wizard [...]
Kanopy video streaming
You can now stream a wonderful assortment of over 30,000 independent, documentary, foreign, and classic films from Kanopy, including The Great Courses. You can access Kanopy from the library’s website or directly at https://westbank.kanopy.com/. Follow these steps to set [...]
Westbank turns 35!
Beth Fox in our first library location in the Texas Commerce Bank Westbank is having a birthday! It was 35 years ago that Westbank Library opened its doors for the first time in the Texas Commerce Bank Building. [...]