"Make It Mighty Ugly" Night at VH Library

On Tuesday, November 18th at 7pm, Vineyard Haven Library will host a special evening workshop inspired by the new book “Make it Mighty Ugly : Exercises & Advice for Getting Creative Even When it Ain't Pretty,” by author and blogger Kim Piper Werker. Participants are invited to make the ugliest creature they can as a means to unlock their creativity, get unblocked, or free themselves of expectations. Jennifer Rapuano will lead the program and the book’s author, Kim Piper Werker, will be participating remotely via Skype. The workshop is free and materials are provided.

According to Kim Piper Werker, “the point of the exercise is to do something we usually avoid when we make stuff – by deliberately making something ugly (not cute-ugly, ugly-ugly!), we’re able to confront the creative demons that try so hard to make us feel bad when we try to make stuff under normal circumstances. And it allows us to gain some perspective on our general experience of making stuff. No matter who we are or how we think of ourselves – as artistic or untalented or creative or not at all creative – we all make stuff, whether it’s dinner for our family, blankets for charity, or art to sell through exclusive galleries.”

Kim Piper Werker is a writer and freelance editor who tries to make something--anything--every day. Many of those things are awful; some are not. Originally from Brooklyn, NY, she lives in Vancouver, BC. Learn more about her work, teaching schedule, and rag-tag adventures at KimWerker.com. For more on Mighty Ugly, including links to resources and a book-club guide, visit MightyUgly.com.

Winter Craft Series for Adults and Teens Starts November 9th!

For the fourth year, The Library will be hosting a series of crafting classes for adults and teens, offered monthly on Sunday afternoons throughout the winter. The classes are supported by the Friends of the Library and led by our artist in residence Jennifer Langhammer. The classes are free of charge and most supplies are provided.

Past programs have included instruction on making handmade books, marble paper, block prints, jewelry, snow globes, and a host of other projects. Jennifer chooses simple crafts that anyone can do and get beautiful results. Participants do not need to be experienced crafters or artists to come to these classes. The programs offer something for the beginner as well as the expert, and are a great opportunity to get to together with friends and other members of the community and spend a few hours creating something.

This year’s Adult Craft series at the Vineyard Haven Library will begin Sunday November 9th. At 1pm, Jennifer will demonstrate a variety of image transfer techniques, and participants will complete a project. This is a great technique to use to make personalized homemade Christmas presents or cards. Participants are invited to bring in their own images to transfer, as well as any surface they would like to transfer images onto including cloth, wood, glass, paper, and stone.

Upcoming Adult Craft programs at Vineyard Haven Public Library are listed in the newspaper’s Calendar section, and on the library’s website, www.vhlibrary.org. To receive email invitations for future programs, send an email to Jennifer at jrapuano@clamsnet.org, with “Craft” in the subject line.