After a preview party Friday evening, the two-day Red Bank Public Library book sale gets underway Saturday morning. Below, ‘The City and the Shore’ come alive as graphic artist Mike Quon open an exhibit of his works at Middletown Library.
September means time for a shout-out to the Red Bank Public Library — and, rather than shushing some of the more enthusiastic shouters, the Friends of the Red Bank Public Library are encouraging all citizens of the greater Green to come out to support this community resource during a used book sale that stands among the area’s most anticipated such annual events.
Much more than just a casual card-table-and-cashbox affair, the sale kicks off with a special preview party at the library on Friday evening, when, for an admission charge of $25 (free to member Friends), attendees can enjoy first dibs on the selection of books, CDs, DVDs and more — as well as wine, appetizers, raffles and a performance by Red Bank’s own jazz legend trio, the Al Wright Unit.
The sale proper commences at 10 am on Saturday, September 13. It’s free to get in, and book lovers have the option of paying $10 for an earlybird session that begins at 9 am. And as past attendees can confirm, it ain’t over until the traditional Bag Sale on Monday, September 15, during which patrons can pay a flat fee of $5 to fill a provided bag with as many remaining sale items as can be toted home in one haul. Bag sale hours are 10 am to 4 pm, and more details can be had by calling (732)842-0690.
While the past couple of years have presented challenging times to many of the local area’s biblioteques, Middletown Township — where budget considerations forced the closing of all satellite branch locations — continues to host an impressive range of cultural offerings in the Community Room of its always-impressive location on New Monmouth Road. On Saturday, September 13, Middletown Township Public Library hosts a reception for one of redbankgreen‘s favorite local creatives — graphic artist and designer Mike Quon — as the latest in the library’s monthly display of visual art.
The son of golden-age Disney animator Milton Quon (who just marked his 101st birthday last month), and a student of pop-art paragon Ed Ruscha, Mike has become a favorite of Red Bank area art lovers — and Red Bank has become a favorite subject of the artist, whose vividly colorful acrylic paintings of local scenes and landmarks have been seen on display at No Joe’s, the Oyster Point and numerous other venues. Between 2 to 4 pm, Quon will be present at MTPL to introduce The City, the Shore and More — a collection of abstract and interpretive paintings and drawings that include his impressions of Manhattan, the Jersey coast and of course, the Green. The exhibit continues on display during regular library through Friday, October 3.
