Library clerks make art on the job
February 1, 2024 at 1:32 a.m.
Visitors to the Port Chester-Rye Brook Public Library are often greeted with two things: a quiet hello from a library employee and a view of a mural behind the circulation desk.
The artwork, which spreads across the back wall of the center island of the library, has been a staple of the building for over 10 years, according to the employees behind the project.
“We started after we had the renovations,” recalled Sindy Lopez, who is starting her 24th year as a library clerk. After unveiling a more spacious floor plan in 2012, she and fellow clerk Mark Parham, who has been with the library for 27 years, came to the same realization.
Apart from the frosted glass behind their desks, there wasn’t much to look at in the main room. “It was just too plain back there,” Parham said. “So we decided to put something up on it.”
A previous mural made by Mark Parham and Sindy Lopez depicts New York City at sunset. It was given away to a visitor of the library after it was taken down.Courtesy of the Port Chester-Rye Brook Public Library
So, they pitched the idea to their boss.
“We went to Robin [Lettieri], and told her we needed something for patrons to look at,” Parham said. Lettieri, the director of the library, agreed and gave the two free rein on how to decorate their work area.
They started making murals on large sheets of paper by gluing and taping smaller sheets to create images. One of their earlier works was themed for Halloween and used light coming in from the east-facing window to give their piece an eerie glow.
According to Parham, each one takes about two weeks to complete. “We work on it in our free time here,” he said. “We sit at our desks between helping patrons and cut out what we need.”
Though they have a general idea of what they want to create while going into a new project, it’s not something that’s rigid for them. “We don’t have a set blueprint for this,” Lopez said. “Sometimes it just comes to us as we go.”
Children visiting the library during holidays can take photos with cutouts like this one, featuring Linus from the Peanuts comic strip. It was drawn and painted by Mark Parham and cut out by Sindy Lopez.Courtesy of the Port Chester-Rye Brook Public Library
Parham stated the one thing they keep in mind while making art is making sure it can be appreciated by all.
“Because it’s located right at the entrance, I want to make it something children and adults will like,” he said.
They’ve included characters from the Peanuts comic strip, Star Wars, Dick Tracy and more. Their efforts have drawn the attention of the library’s regular patrons.
“We just had a patron come in and take a picture of our wall when we started and they said they wanted to come back to take a picture of when it’s done,” Lopez said. The current mural features a landscape of a snowy night, with white silhouettes of trees and other animals. Because they sit right in front of the wall used for the murals, they essentially have front row seats to how people react to them.
“We’ll get compliments on them, and it’s nice to hear,” Parham said. Lopez added their reputation has reached the point where murals are expected.
“If the wall is empty, people will ask me: ‘When are you guys going to start your wall?’ or say that they can’t wait to see it,” she said.
So far, they’ve even had a visitor ask to take home one of their pieces.
“A patron came up and asked us to keep it when we took it down,” Lopez said. They saw no reason to deny them, as the alternative was to throw it away, though Parham said it required a delicate procedure.
“It’s harder to take down in one piece. With all the paper and tape, it starts getting heavy,” Parham said. They said that if anyone were to ask for one of the murals in the future, they’d be more than happy to give it away.
The project has seen them expand their artistic abilities into other parts of the library. During the COVID-19 pandemic, both were featured on the library’s YouTube channel. Parham had a series on painting, whereas Lopez made a tutorial on crafting homemade facemasks.
Since then, they’ve also been responsible for creating holiday cutouts for kids to take photos with.
The Port Chester natives expect to keep making the murals as long as they can. “We do this because we love it,” Parham said.
“We’re going to until the supplies completely run out,” Lopez added.
Until then, patrons of the library can expect a new mural for the major holidays and the changing of seasons.
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