Watch and experience the creative process! Willow Gentile will be live painting outside the library. Her subject matter? The library itself. She will paint a portrait of the library with her vibrant and bold approach of oil painting on August, 7th at 10am – 2pm.

At 2:30pm the painting will be donated to the Winona Public Library.

Willow received an Individual Artists Grant through the Minnesota State Arts Council (SEMAC). She will be traveling to a total of three historic Southeast Minnesota Libraries.

“I like to think of each one of my plein air paintings as a time capsule; a literal one when I am painting and also a symbolic one. To paint at the same spot so many others have stood and to see the same views and the differences is a huge inspiration for me. I have come to learn that art is an ice breaker- it draws and brings strangers together to meet the artist, watch and discuss. It creates a special moment of community engagement.”

This activity is made possible through a grant from the Southeastern Minnesota Arts Council thanks to a legislative appropriation from the arts & cultural heritage fund.