11th District Art Competition Student Entries to be Featured on New Stockton-San Joaquin County Public Library Cards

August 29, 2008

Washington, D.C. – Today, Congressman Jerry McNerney (CA-11) announced that artwork submitted by San Joaquin County students who entered the 11th District Congressional Art Competition this spring will appear on a new series of Library ART Cards to be introduced by the Stockton-San Joaquin Public Library.

Set to coincide with National Library Card Sign-up Month, the new library cards will be unveiled at 11 a.m. on September 4 at the Cesar Chavez Central Library in downtown Stockton.  Congressman McNerney will be present for the unveiling, along with Natalie R. Rencher, Director of Library Services for the Stockton-San Joaquin County Public Library, and several of the student artists.

“The level of talent and quality of work demonstrated by our student artists in this year’s Art Competition was impressive.  I’m excited that residents all across San Joaquin County will soon be able to experience these creative and innovative works of art on new Library ART Cards,” Rep. McNerney said.  “The Stockton-San Joaquin County Public Library has a lot to offer and I hope residents will not only come and get a new library card, but will learn about the Library’s resources that are available to the community.”

“We are excited to have artwork created by the youth in our community represented on the face of our new Library ART Card as a way of demonstrating to the public our desire to connect with the community and to bring them new and exciting information,” Natalie Rencher said.  “The vibrant and creative look of the card is reflective of what we offer the community.  The Library is a vibrant, creative and essential resource offered to our many communities of the Stockton-San Joaquin County Public Library.”

The artists whose work was chosen to appear on the new library cards are:

Bilal Houseyni, winner of the 11th District Arts Competition.  Houseyni, a graduate of Merrill West High School in Tracy and now a student at San Joaquin Delta College created an oil pastel drawing entitled “George Meets Picasso”.
Mary Theobald, also a West High graduate and Delta College student, won second place in the Art Competition for her ink, prismacolor, color pencil and graphite work entitled “Artisan Dreamer”. 
Chrislynn Carter, of Tracy, who created a graphite pencil drawing entitled “Priorities”.
Rebecca Martin, a former Stein High School and current Delta College student, who painted “Otters”.

As the winner of the 11th District Art Competition, in addition to having his innovative work now shown on library cards across the county, Houseyni and his family also traveled to Washington, D.C., earlier this year to see “George Meets Picasso” hung on the wall of a walkway between the Cannon House Office Building and the U.S. Capitol.

As for the new Library ART Cards, Library patrons will have the opportunity to select the library card with the artwork of their choice.  As always, new Library users will receive their first library card for free and existing customers may purchase a new card, with any of the four designs, for a nominal fee.

About the Stockton-San Joaquin County Public Library

The Stockton-San Joaquin County Public Library is working toward meeting the needs of the community by designing and offering programs that are geared to meet local needs.  Creating a new look to the Library Card does so many things, but one of the core goals is to get residents to take a second look and absorb how the Library can work for them.  With the nation facing tough economic times, residents should know about what the Library offers and are invited to experience the value of local public libraries.

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