Book + Art: A Mash-up for Art and Book Lovers
Palm Beach County Library System, Fla.
Innovation Synopsis
In early 2016, the Palm Beach County Library System was approached by the Norton Museum of Art to create a new series of book discussion groups paired with exhibitions and works of the Norton’s permanent collection. A year later, the series is flourishing and has expanded to an offshoot series for children.
Challenge/Opportunity
“Book + Art” provides an opportunity to deepen community members’ understanding of literature and the visual arts. Through this unique partnership, the Norton and Library System seek to increase the visibility of the vast cultural resources that can be accessed through our organizations. Studies show that arts education improves critical thinking, creativity and innovation, and we hope that “Book + Art” will help residents develop the skills needed to make the Palm Beaches prosper.
Key Elements of Innovation
“Book + Art” events are collaboratively organized to pair Library-led book discussions with Norton-led tours of exhibits. Each event requires concerted efforts from both institutions to ensure that the connection between literature and art is seamless and thought-provoking discussion ensues. The series was expanded to include one event in Spanish, and an offshoot bilingual series for children held at the Main Library that connects work(s) of art with children’s literature and a craft project.
Achieved Outcomes
Since April 2016, ten “Book + Art” events have attracted over 425 individuals, making it one of the most successful book discussion series the Library organizes. The subsequent bilingual series for children, “Mini Book + Art” has attracted 73 individuals to four events. In two surveys conducted by the Norton, 75 percent to 90 percent of attendees learned about “Book + Art” through the Library System, which promotes both series through flyers, its monthly newsletter and website.
