Cherry Hill Sun

Tag: summer reading

  • Library lets young artists compete with their art

    Abigail Twiford/The Sun
    Art contest attendees review works on display outside the library. The theme was “Color Our World,” as it was for the summer reading program.

    Summer reading for all age groups at the Cherry Hill library has come to an end.

    A final event for the kids and teens who participated in the seasonal challenge was an art contest on Aug. 12 based around the 2025 reading theme, “Color Our World.”

    Katie Helf is a youth service librarian.

    “We just wanted to have a good night to celebrate art at the end of our summer reading program, and then give families a good place to gather and have fun playing some of the games, vote on the art and have just a nice family event,” she said.

    The contest was separated into divisions based on the wide range of ages present. One was for kids 7 to 9, one for preteens 10 to 12, another for participants 13 to 15 and the last for teens 16 to 18. 

    The contest took place under a tent outside of the library called Friendship Grove, with art pieces lined up on tables on either side. Another table was set up at the back of the tent for refreshments, with seating available in the center. 

    The library received a total of 25 submissions for the contest, most in the division of 7- to 9-year-olds.

    “We had 25 art submissions, which is wonderful,” Helf noted. “And everybody who’s here seems to be having a wonderful time.” 

    The works ranged in style and medium, including several drawings and paintings – some featuring mixed media elements – a photograph and a three-dimensional sculpture. Next to each piece was a tag with the artist’s name, age division, title of the piece and the inspiration behind it.

    To decide the winners in each category, the young artists themselves, parents and family members and passersby who chose to drop by got paper ballots to make a selection from each age division. Teen library volunteers tallied the votes.

    Each winner received a $25 gift card to Maple Shade Arts & Drafting, while first- , second- and third-place winners could have their work displayed in the library. 

    The youngest winner – from the 7- to 9-year-old group – was Will Zemaitis, for his painting, “Peace Begins With Me,” a circular canvas split down the middle by a rainbow peace sign, with day depicted in the gaps on one side of the symbol and night on the other. 

    Courtesy of the Cherry Hill library.
    Will Zemaitis shows off his winning painting after the art contest, called “Peace Begins With Me.”

    His father, Dan Zemaitis said the family’s faith helped inspire elements of his son’s artwork.

    “We’re Quakers, and so that’s why he went with the peace sign,” he explained. “He also picked the night and day and the Yin and Yang part of it. So it was great. We’re really excited.” 

    Winning pieces from the other divisions included a painting of a landscape called “Eyes of Illusion” and a work titled, “Color Within,” by Jimin Jun, from the 13- to 15-year-old category. 

    “I believe that inside of our hearts there’s endless colors that can bloom and flow out,” she said of her inspiration. “The world becomes more colorful and warm.” 

    Courtesy of the Cherry Hill library.
    Jimin Jun displays her art piece after being announced as the winner for the 13 to 15 division.

    The event ended with winners given a choice to take their works home or have them displayed in the library.

  • Library kicks off summer reading with festival

    The end of the academic year signals the start of summer reading for students. Whether they choose an assigned book or a title of their choosing, reading is meant to prevent the “summer slide,” a significant decline in skills that can occur over the season.

    To kick off its summer reading program and mark 20 years in its present location, the township library held a Color Our World Art Festival on June 14 that emphasized why summer reading isn’t just for kids. Its reading program is broken down into four categories: early literacy for infants to children up to 4 years old; children from 5 to 11; teens and students in grades six through 12; and adults 18 or over.

    All four categories feature prizes that include gift baskets and cards, museum and amusement park passes and eReaders. 

    “It’s just getting more people aware that you can sign up and all the great prizes that we have at the end of the summer,” said PR and marketing coordinator Hope Holroyd.

    To further emphasize the reading program’s appeal to library patrons of all ages, the Color Our World Festival featured a variety of activities, crafts and food trucks aimed at different demographics. While rain meant the event didn’t go exactly as planned, the library team was able to make necessary changes so the rain or shine event could continue.

    “We were all set up outside, and it was great,” Holroyd noted. “And then it started to rain, so we moved the crafts inside, but left the food trucks and the performances outside. So we pivoted. But it’s great. I mean, seeing all the people do the bracelets and get the Henna art, it’s been a good day.”

    Stations in the library were used for creating friendship bracelets and decorating tote bags, and A Flick of the Wrist Splatter Paint mobile unit was set up outside the library entrance. A blackout poetry station was also set up on the library’s main floor. The activity has participants take a used book from a pile, choose an anchor word and others on one page and black out all other text on it. 

    Guests could also have caricatures of themselves drawn by artist Bruce Blitz.

    “The festival day was great,” he observed. “Even though it rained outside, we didn’t care about that, because we had a good time inside. I was drawing cartoon portraits and I had a great time doing it. The people have been sweeter and nicer and the kids were great, so I had a great time today.”

    Artist Bruce Blitz concentrates as he draws the caricature of a child at the festival.

    Henna hand art was also available from a professional, and those who wanted temporary tattoos could choose a design from a selection of templates. 

    Four food trucks were set up in the library’s parking lot. Dan’s Waffles sold a variety of both sweet and savory waffle-based dishes, the Food Bus sold classic festival foods like fries, chicken tenders and burgers, Kona Ice sold shaved ice that attendees could flavor themselves. Also on hand was the township’s Mechanical Brewery.

    “We’ve had a few people that were very engaging,” reported its brewer, Rick Vickers, “and it’s been a nice event, talking to people … We like the event and would be happy to do something like this again. Because we like to interact with the community in this way.” 

    Music was available throughout the festival at the back of the library building. Live performances included April Mae and the June Bugs, Mister Boom Boom Play Patrol Company and DJ Hunt.

    Photos by Abigail Twiford.
    Library patrons make their way around the Color Our World Art Festival, engaging with the several different activities and crafts.