The Keene Memorial Library will host a dedication ceremony Monday, Nov. 14 at 1:00 p.m. to honor the late Jane Kreymborg, her artistic talents and her service to Keene Memorial Library. Her watercolor of the present library building, donated by daughter Susan Reeder Cheney Ralston, will join Kreymborg’s rendering of the former Fremont Public Library at Military Avenue and Park, previously obtained from the artist herself.
“We greatly appreciate Jane Kreymborg’s service and support to the library throughout the years and welcome her artwork to our collection,” said Library Director Tina Walker. Kreymborg was a member of the Friends of the Library, served on the Friends of the Library Board, and helped with the annual book sale.
She was also Fremont’s elementary art supervisor for many years, belonged to the Fremont Art Association and instructed classes for their children’s summer program. When Kreymborg retired from her career in art education in the ‘90s she found time to explore her passion for both art and history. Inspired by memories of her childhood at 1424 North Nye Avenue, she began painting her legacy to the community, a series featuring homes and buildings important to her, among them, Fremont’s libraries.
“My mother would be pleased to be known as a contributor to Fremont’s history,” her daughter said. “She had a wealth of information about the community and the people who have lived here.” A number of Kreymborg’s Nye Avenue works, some painted from memory, are accompanied by her stories about the homes and their residents.
Portions of Kreymborg’s collection are displayed at Fremont’s Nye Square Wellness Center. Her paintings have been featured at the local Gallery 92 West and commissioned works are enjoyed in private collections.
The two watercolors of Fremont’s libraries past and present will be installed side by side in the genealogy section to honor the artist’s love of history and its influence in her work.