Jazz bassist Warren Oree performs a Library Act of Culture

If you’ve stepped into your local library recently, you know that it’s a vital community resource and a vibrant hub of creativity – a space that is as much about creation as collection.

A recent article in the Pacific Standard touted the importance of libraries saying, “the best-kept secret about America’s libraries is that they are wildly, deeply, and incontrovertibly popular. They are as actively used as ever, if not more.” Now, Knight Foundation and the Free Library of Philadelphia are bringing the arts into more neighborhoods with

 at over 50 neighborhood libraries. These pop-up performances have featured flamenco dance, jazz and classical music performances, to-date.

Upcoming performances are scheduled for locations such as the Kensington, Haverford and Torresdale neighborhood libraries and will highlight the talents of dancers from BalletX, actors from Lantern Theater Company, choreographer Kate Watson-Wallace, musicians from Black Pearl Chamber Orchestra and more.  “Libraries are amongst the most democratic community spaces we have, used by people from every walk of life, in every age group.  Because they are so deeply rooted in their neighborhoods, we thought they were an organic way to bring the arts into people’s daily lives,” said Dennis Scholl, vice president of arts for Knight Foundation.

The events are an opportunity to showcase what a lively and surprising place a library can be, said Siobhan A. Reardon, president and director of the Free Library of Philadelphia.

”Indeed, this effort highlights the fact that we are not just the Free Library of Philadelphia—We are the Free Library of Inspiration,” Reardon said.

Library Acts of Culture  kicked off in Miami last year and has branched out to Philadelphia; St. Paul, Minn.; Macon, Ga.; and Akron, Ohio with more to come. The performances follow Knight Foundation’s popular Random Acts of Culture ™ series, which brought performers to malls, train stations and other public spaces to great acclaim.

We hope you’ll share your #LibraryActsofCulture experiences with us on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram. Stay tuned for more surprise performances in the coming weeks! – Megan Wendell, Canary Promotions