From the Harford County Public Library:
Harford County Public Library (HCPL) is exploring Harford’s Car Culture this spring with For the Love of the Car, a juried fine art photography exhibition, author event, and car show. The transportation-themed showcase was developed in conjunction with the Smithsonian exhibition Journey Stories, coming this May to the Abingdon Library, and is the first of the six Journey Stories’ partner exhibitions to open in the County. The Journey Stories exhibition and accompanying programs are offered to the public through a partnership between Harford County Public Library and the Harford County Department of Community Services.
Festivities will be in high gear beginning April 13th with a weekend of special events honoring that maddening, lovable, iconic, truly American object…the automobile!
On Friday car enthusiasts and history buffs alike will enjoy HCPL’s 2012 A Night Out @ the Library from 7 PM to 9 PM at the Jarrettsville Branch. Five-time Pulitzer Prize nominee, PEN finalist, and Fulbright fellow, journalist Earl Swift comes to the county as the first Journey Stories speaker to discuss his newest book The Big Roads: The Untold Story of the Engineers, Visionaries, and Trailblazers Who Created the American Superhighways, a New York Times editors’ choice. The Virginia-based journalist is the author of two other non-fiction books and a collection of short stories which have earned him a reputation for powerful narrative and scrupulous reporting. Swift’s account of the creation of the superhighway and how it transformed travel in the U.S. is called “Well-focused and lively…” by the Los Angeles Times, and “Engaging, informative…” by the Washington Post.
“Earl Swift was a perfect choice for this year’s event,” said Amber C. Shrodes, HCPL Foundation Director, “Big Roads examines one of the ultimate creations devoted to journeying, the interstate.”
Tickets for A Night Out @ the Library are $30 general admission and $50 for VIP tickets, which include reserved seating and an invitation to a pre-event reception with Swift. Please go to www.hcplonline.org to purchase tickets or to get additional details.
A Night Out @ the Library also heralds the opening of Cars: A Harford County Love Affair, a juried fine art photography exhibition exploring local photographers’ views of Harford County’s car culture. Photographic works included in this exhibition will be for sale with proceeds benefitting Harford County Public Library. Photographs can be submitted to Bethany Hacker at hacker@hcplonline.org for consideration for the exhibition through March 15th. Cars: A Harford County Love Affair opens April 13th and runs through May 19th and is being held in cooperation with the Harford County Cultural Arts Board.
The weekend culminates on Saturday, April 14th, with Romancing the Chrome, a car show presented in partnership with the Jarrettsville Lions Club. Auto lovers are invited to enter their obsession in categories ranging from muscle and sport to Jeep to “Journey Story” cars, which would be any auto that has a good journey story behind it! Cars can be pre-registered online at www.hcplonline.org or on Saturday starting at 8 AM. The event will be held at Jarrett’s Field on Norrisville Road across from the Library from 10 AM to 3 PM, and will also feature live music, vendors, and pit beef.
Keene Dodge is the Headlining Sponsor for the April exhibition and activities. Additional sponsorships are available and start at $500 for Contributing Partners. For more information regarding sponsorships please contact Amber Shrodes at 410.273.5600 x 2283 or shrodes@hcplonline.org.
Journey Stories is part of Museum on Main Street, a collaboration between the Smithsonian Institution and the Maryland Humanities Council.
Leave a Reply
You must be logged in to post a comment.