“ArtNow” at Your Library
This winter, the Metropolitan Library System is partnering with the Oklahoma Contemporary Arts Center to celebrate “ArtNow 2025: Materials and Boundaries.” Curated by Alexa Goetzinger and Virginia Sitzes, the exhibition features new works by Oklahoma artists exploring place, identity and materiality through innovative materials and perspectives rooted in the state’s culture. It is on display at the Oklahoma Contemporary Arts Center through Feb. 16, 2026.
To bring these ideas into the community, our libraries will host a series of free, hands-on programs inspired by the exhibition and funded by Kirkpatrick Foundation. These programs reflect the library’s ongoing commitment to art literacy, helping community members engage with creativity as a form of reflection and connection.
Throughout December and January, libraries will offer take-home kits and creative workshops that invite participants of all ages to explore their own connections to place and identity including:
Yarn Painting Take-Home Kits - available across several library locations: Create fiber art landscapes inspired by artist Irmgard Guel, combining paint and yarn to express how we shape, and are shaped by, our surroundings.
ArtNow: Kids Art Time - Belle Isle Library, Dec. 30: A drop-in afternoon of artmaking and exploration, where young artists can experiment with materials and styles.
Identity Collage Station - Warr Acres Library, Jan. 2-9: Kids can create textured self-portraits and explore self-expression through color and mixed media.
REPRINT: Second Lives for Our Own Materials - available across several library locations: Inspired by artist Sarah Sullivan Sherrod, participants can transform old fabric into new works of art through painting and Gelli printing.
Mini Inflatables - Choctaw Library, Jan. 15 and Southern Oaks Library, Jan. 24: Join artist Katelynn Knick to discover the fun of inflatable art! See her colorful installation "Space for Joy," from the ArtNow exhibition, then create your own mini-inflatable sculpture using everyday materials.
Embroidery Painting – Northwest Library, Jan 14 and Ralph Ellison Library, Jan 17: Meet Oklahoma artist Irmgard Geul as she shares her mixed media and fiber art techniques, then create your own artwork inspired by her process.