Around Town

Watertown Library Will Host Eclipse Viewing Party & Free “Space Week” Events

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The Watertown Library announced a series of events leading up to the April 8th solar eclipse. The following information was provided by the Library:

April 1–8 is Space Week at the Watertown Free Public Library! Are you ready for the solar eclipse? Yes or no, you are invited to discover fun and educational library events, for all ages, in the first week of April. After learning all about space, join WFPL staff as we safely watch the Solar Eclipse on Monday, April 8th in Saltonstall Park! 

Need eclipse glasses?

Around Town

Watertown Library Hosting Legislative Breakfast

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Watertown LibraryThe Watertown Free Public Library. The Watertown Free Public Library announced it will host local elected officials during an upcoming Legislative Breakfast. The Library sent out the following announcement:

You are cordially invited to Watertown’s Library Legislative Breakfast on March 22, 2024 at 8:30 a.m. Breakfast pastries and beverages will be available at 8:30 a.m. The guest of honor is State Sen. Will Brownsberger. Our program begins at 9 a.m. We will offer a tour of the Bookmobile and building afterwards, at approximately 9:30 a.m.

Attending legislative breakfasts is a great way to show your support for libraries and speak with local elected officials. We would love to see you.

Around Town

Watertown Library & Wayside Youth Offering Workshops for Communicating with Your Teen

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The following announcement was provided by the Watertown Library:

All parents can, on occasion, use help in communicating with their children, especially with teens. Wayside Youth and the Teen Department of the Watertown Free Public Library will be offering a free series for parents who sometimes get stymied when they try to talk about the difficulties, high expectations, and other stressors their teens experience during adolescence. The workshops will be held March 7, April 4, and May 2 at 6:00 p.m. at the Watertown Free Public Library. Discussion topics on these evenings include how and why there are such difficulties communicating, how parents can deal with their stress when they talk to their teens, and what resources in Watertown are available to assist them. One evening, there will be a panel of teens who will talk about their perspective and about the barriers they experience when talking to their parents.

Around Town

Watertown Library Gives Teens a Chance to Learn Weaving, Metalworking & Mural Making

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The following announcement was provided by the Watertown Library:

The Watertown Free Public Library Teen Department is offering a five-part art series for area teens during the months of February, March, and April. Beyond our Experience: a Free Art Series for Teens is funded in part by a grant from the Watertown Cultural Council, a local agency which is supported by the Mass Cultural Council, a state agency. Through this funding, those in grades 6–12 will have the opportunity to experience kinds of art not normally a part of the typical school curriculum. The series kicks off on February 29th with a weaving program. Participants will get the opportunity to try out weaving on multiple types of looms. On March 7th, a drawing bootcamp will include warm-ups and the ability to try out different drawing methods including how to draw portraits.

Entertainment

Bestselling Author Appearing at Library, See How to Attend

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The following announcement was provided by the Watertown Library:

On Thursday, March 21, The Watertown Free Public Library will welcome New York Times bestselling author Celeste Ng for a conversation about her novel Our Missing Hearts, the importance of libraries, and the present-day fight for the right to read. This event is free and open to all, with registration opening on March 1. ASL and CART services will be provided, courtesy of the Watertown Commission on Disability. Ng’s visit marks the 16th year of One Book, One Watertown, a community-wide event organized by the Watertown Free Public Library (WFPL). In January, the Library announced Ng’s Our Missing Hearts as the 2024 selection and made extra copies available for patrons.

Around Town

February at the Library: Winter Concert, Photography, See Packing Party & More

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Watertown LibraryThe Watertown Free Public Library. The Watertown Free Public Library has many programs coming up in February. See details from the newsletter provided by the WFPL. Watertown artist and fine art photographer Archy LaSalle is the founder of WHERE ARE ALL THE BLACK PEOPLE AT, a grassroots organization whose mission is to bring attention to and help art institutions rectify past injustices of under-representing Black and Brown artists in their permanent collections. On Wednesday, 2/28, he’ll join us for an invigorating presentation about cultural institutions and representation at WFPL!

Around Town

Library Chooses Best Selling Author’s Title for One Book, One Watertown

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The following announcement was provided by the Watertown Library:

This year, the Watertown Free Public Library’s One Book, One Watertown selection invites us to consider what happens when we reject hostility and dread to embrace compassion and curiosity. Our Missing Hearts by bestselling author Celeste Ng is a poignant tale of family survival, and a powerful refusal to abandon hope. All community members are invited to check out the book from the Library, and join in themed programs during the month of March. This year’s community read will culminate in “An Evening with Celeste Ng” on Thursday, March 21 at the Watertown Free Public Library, free to all. Registration begins on March 1st. Our Missing Hearts can be reserved in the Library catalog at watertownlib.org.

Entertainment

Watertown Artist Shares Artwork & Artist Books at Library Exhibit

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The T. Ross Kelly Gallery at the Watertown Free Public Library is hosting “Constructed” – an exhibit featuring artwork and artist books by Watertown resident, Julie Fei-Fan Balzer, January 3, 2024, through February 28, 2024. All of the artworks in this exhibit were constructed – from the literal forming of flat paper into three-dimensional books, to the careful placement of shape, line, and color in the abstract work on display. Julie Fei-Fan Balzer

Balzer shares her perspective on the creative process, stating, “For me, the process of making art is the process of bringing together various elements and discovering how they change each other once in combination. These visual constructions are similar to the experience of forming a lively dinner party, where you must consider how to seat guests.” Art enthusiasts, patrons, and the community are all invited to visit “Constructed,” now through February 28, 2024

A bathroom cabinet with stone basin byJulie Fei-Fan Balzer.