More Napa Reads SHIFTY-Themed Planter Boxes

Please take a look at some more cool SHIFTY-themed planter boxes and artist statements by Napa Valley students and professional artists. Pretty amazing, don't you think?

These were on display at the Napa Main Library.
These SHIFTY-themed planters and MORE will be displayed for silent auction at the free Napa County Reads Public Event on Wed. Oct. 27th at the Napa Valley Opera House. Learn more about 2010 Napa Reads SHIFTY! here.

I love how many different scenes, themes and characters in the book the artists have chosen to depict. Which is your favorite? Please leave a comment below. And of course please join me at the Napa Valley Opera House this Wednesday evening, October 27 for the Napa Reads Reception and Silent Auction to support literacy.

I was so impressed by the artists' statements. Take a moment to read them and then look at their art.


Here are Soli & Sissy as shape-shifters. Soli is depicted as Coyote and Sissy, now a Rabbit, is wearing her sweater. How cool are these animal renditions of the characters in SHIFTY? Totally cool, right? The artist is Hugo Corro. I peeked at his website. He says he is taking commissions. I like his art and I like his attitude. And I tell you, his rates for portraits are very reasonable!

Soli above, Sissy below.
(Sorry for the slight blurriness of the one above.
I must have been so excited to see these that I was shaking!

The planter below was on display at the Gessell Gallery and I couldn't find the artist statement. Still, I love this image of Lester, Martha, Sissy & Soli. I was delighted to see how many planter boxes had portrayed Lester, too. It makes me very happy that Lester's personality must have come through in the story. Meowp! Scroll down a bit more to see the Fish Heads for Lester mosaic planter and artist's statement below.

Meowp! Another of my favorite literary cats!

I'm a big gardener, so I really enjoyed seeing all the plants, flowers and seeds painted on these planters.

Here's my favorite bridge. So glad to see it here.

I've enlarged the Family sign because I really like the definition!

I am also so happy that home schoolers were involved with reading SHIFTY and creating planters with Napa Reads .







Don't you love the bright and cheery joyfulness of all that orange--and the planter boxes, flowers and curtains in the window? Feels like home!

Okay, I know it is hard to choose favorites, but which planter boxes or artists' statements do you like best? And why?

Forecast: Even more Shifty-themed planters at the Napa Valley Opera House on Wed. night, October 27th.

These SHIFTY-themed planters and MORE will be displayed for silent auction at the free Napa County Reads Public Event on Wed. Oct. 27th at the Napa Valley Opera House. Learn more about 2010 Napa Reads SHIFTY! here.

SHIFTY-Themed Planter Boxes--SNEAK PREVIEW!!

Here is a sneak preview of some of the amazing SHIFTY-themed planter boxes and the equally amazing artist statements. A few of the planters are already on display at the Napa Main Library. I was so touched to see them and read the artists' thoughts on what parts of Shifty's story inspired them to create their art. These SHIFTY-themed planters will be displayed for silent auction at the free Napa County Reads Public Event on Wed. Oct. 27th at the Napa Valley Opera House. Learn more about 2010 Napa Reads SHIFTY! here.

Wow, just wow!
Take a look.

Here are the two long sides of Emily Freiman's planter box.

And here are the 2 paintings on the shorter ends of Emily's creation.

Here's another colorful planter with an artist statement by Darlene Meltzer.

I'll post some more (sneak preview) planter box photos tomorrow.
They are pretty amazing, don't you think?

Napa County Reads SHIFTY!!!

Here's my exciting news!

I am jazzed, honored, and very excited that Napa County Reads has chosen SHIFTY as their selection for 2010!

What does this mean?

Students galore (and the Napa Valley Community) will all be reading and discussing SHIFTY!


I'll be speaking to students at 9 (!!!!!!!!!) different middle schools, high schools, and to youth at community court


Napa Reads is hosting a SHIFTY-themed bookmark contest with the winning bookmarks being distributed by Napa County Libraries


Artists (both student and professional) are creating SHIFTY-themed planter boxes to be auctioned off in a fundraising event to support literacy on Oct. 27th at the Napa Valley Opera House

I'll be speaking at the historic Napa Valley Opera House for "An Evening of Art, Music, Food and a Great Book." Panelists joining me include a foster parent, a former foster youth, a foster youth advocate from VOICES, a social worker, a probation officer and a Napa County judge. Wow!

Students from the Napa Valley Childrens’ Chorus, under the direction of Kim Markovich, will entertain with a short program of favorite songs.



Oh, and I hear there is some kind of student writing contest, too!

Please join us:

Wednesday, October 27
at the Napa Valley Opera House
It's FREE!
6:00 p.m. Reception & Silent Auction
7:00 p.m. Program Begins

Here is the Napa Reads Press Release:
(Note: I'm speaking mostly at middle schools and a few high schools so I'm not sure about the "5th graders" part. Of course I'd be happy for a zillion 5th graders to read SHIFTY, too!)

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Napa County Reads Public Event: October 27, 2010
Annual Literacy Program Announces 8th Annual Silent Auction Fundraiser
BY CHRISTY BORS

Napa, CA -Napa County Reads, an annual literacy program fundraiser co-partnered by Napa Valley Office of Education (NCOE) Napa City-County Library and Arts Council Napa Valley (ACNV), kicks off another successful year with the 2010 selection of Shifty, a young adult novel by Bay Area author, Lynn E. Hazen.

Now in its eighth year, Napa County Reads combines art and literacy education by selecting an inspirational book to be read by 5th grade students and the community. Along with reading the book, students are encouraged to create a bookmark themed after the selection. As in years past, four bookmarks, this year's inspired by Shifty, will be chosen to be the official "Napa County Reads" bookmarks and distributed throughout Napa County libraries for 2010.

Napa County Reads helps foster a love of reading because everyone is reading, talking about, and sharing the same book, including many adults in the community," explains Barbara Nemko, Superintendent of Napa County Schools. "Students are further motivated by knowing they will meet the author and get to ask questions about the writing process, and why the subject matter of the book was chosen."

Additionally, on display at Napa City-County Library are original artworks by local visual artists, ranging from student to professional. Arts Council Napa Valley brought this additional artistic component into the literacy program back in 2007 by presenting an interpretive art project that allowed local students and artists the chance to illustrate portions of the Napa County Reads selected novel on unique canvases.

As a finale to the program, the artwork is auctioned at the Napa County Reads Reception each fall. This year's free public reception, presented at Napa Valley Opera House as part of Napa Valley ARTS 2010, features a reading and book signing by the author as well as a special panel discussion by former foster youth. 100% of the event proceeds benefit Napa County Reads.

Shifty is the story is about a 15-year-old boy in foster care. Author Lynn Hazen, a resident of San Francisco, incorporated her love of the Bay Area into her young adult novel, bracketing Bay Area landmarks around main character Soli's misadventures as a foster teen. Shifty includes themes of resiliency, loss, love, and redefining family. Hazen's work has won numerous awards, including the Top Shelf Fiction Award from the Voice of Youth Advocates magazine, and a Smithsonian Notable Book Award. Kirkus Reviews praised Shifty as, "a realistic story that resonates."

The artists who created work inspired by the novel couldn't agree more. Thematic interpretations of Shifty were placed on planter boxes, this year's unique "canvas" chosen by ACNV. Planters were selected because they nurture the growth of roots, much like foster homes across America. With varied approaches and individual styles, the planter boxes each touch on different themes of the book. Materials used on the planters range from steel to encaustic wax.

This year's Napa County Reads Reception and Silent Auction will be held Wednesday, October 27th, beginning at 6:00pm at Napa Valley Opera House. The event is co-sponsored by the Napa County Office of Education, Napa Valley Opera House and Arts Council Napa Valley.

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As I said at the start of this post, I am jazzed, honored, and very excited! I'm also in awe of the series of events planned by Napa Valley Reads Committee.

Next blog post up--a sneak preview of some of the totally amazing SHIFTY-themed planter boxes and the equally amazing artists' statements.

I'm Baaaaack!

Well, hello there, Imaginary Readers!
I've been away awhile, haven't I?
Life has been busy. And good.
I traveled a bit over the summer.
I had a busy start to the school year but all is well.
I'll have some summer pics to share a bit later from New York and Vermont, but for I now just wanted to say hello and that I'm back with exciting news coming up next.