“Any form of art is a form of power; it has impact, it can affect change – it can not only move us, it makes us move.” ~ Pablo Picasso, quoted in Life
Join your St. Croix Valley neighbors in reading “The House of Broken Angels” by Luis Alberto Urrea. Urrea explores themes of love, loss and triumph. His 2018 novel The House of Broken Angels is a masterpiece swirling around death, celebrating living, touching sorrow, and embracing joy. Find the book at your local library. A limited number of free READ & RELEASE copies have been made available by ArtReach St. Croix. Additionally, ArtReach is collaborating with area libraries to offer activities that celebrate the arts related to the themes found in Urrea’s book. Look online, https://www.stcroixsplash.org/categories/valleyreads/ to learn about other activities happening around Valley Reads. In April, St Croix Falls Public Library and Wilberg Memorial Public Library are hosting Art on Tour: Borderlands; watch for the dates here and on those library websites. Maybe a little art can help us heal our hearts.
The purpose of Valley Reads is to “have as many people as possible finding connection through reading a common book,” said ArtReach executive director Heather Rutledge. For the 10th year in a row, ArtReach has chosen the St. Croix Valley to participate. The community program brings together residents from throughout the lower St. Croix Valley in Minnesota and Wisconsin around a common book. Art programming in 2024 will be centered on themes of death, celebrating living, touching sorrow and embracing joy Urrea’s book. Tell us what you think. Please join us to discuss the book at either Valley Reads Book Club Meet-up. April 24th at 6:30 @ St. Croix Fall Public Library or April 29th at 6:30 in Dresser at the Geraldine E. Anderson Village Library @ 6:30.
As we reach month-end, don’t forget that March is Women’s History Month and we celebrate the countless, often unsung, contributions women have made to history, science, art, and government. Just as importantly, women play a vital, frequently overlooked, role in ensuring the success of homes and families worldwide. Help us celebrate. Stop at your library and pick up about one or more books or videos about historical women. Everything at your library is free with your absolutely free library card.
“Women are the real architects of society.” ~ Harriet Beecher Stowe, author and abolitionist
