Artist Amelia Furman invites the children of Loveland to help her connect the dots – and reconnect the community – with a collaborative art project that will hang at the Loveland Public Library.

Together with Beth Gudmestad, Supervisor of Children’s Services at the Library, and as part of the Library’s Summer Learning Program, Furman launched ‘Connecting the Dots’ for children of all ages, as she said babies to teens.

“Let’s give the kids a chance to do something, to be part of a community again because of their isolation,” said Furman, a Loveland artist and mother of two.

The idea for ‘Connect the Dots’ actually came from spending time at home with his two sons – Lucas, 7, and Ethan, 10 – during the pandemic when residents were asked to stay home and with only their households. Furman would have her sons put different numbers of dots on a page, then she would connect those dots into an abstract shape and creatively color the shapes she had created.

Some were angular, others curved.

And with each one, the Furmans would examine the patterns and shapes and name what they saw, much like looking for shapes in the clouds above. One might see a turtle and the other a teddy bear.

That’s the beauty of the project, it’s personal and perception, but it’s also made together as a connection, according to Furman.

When Gudmestad reached out to Furman to perhaps teach an art workshop as part of the library’s summer learning program, the idea of ​​using his dots connecting exercise went from a workshop to a large 4ft by 4ft artwork that Furman designed with the community.

The first step is to create the canvas that Furman will eventually paint on. His style is to paint on a collage of elements attached to a painting or canvas in the background. For this project, its background will be pages of books that children in the community love, stories that touched their lives.

Right now, children can select pages from a stack of books that are no longer used in the library, at a table in the children’s section. Or they can take a photo of a page from their favorite book and email it to [email protected] by June 30. These will become the base, or the canvas, of the painting.

During the month of July, Furman will take the pages to his studio in Loveland and paste them onto the large board which, when completed, will serve as a canvas for “Connect the Dots”.

The second opportunity for youth to participate will be on July 30, during the 5-7 p.m. final of the library’s summer learning program. Each youth will receive a one point sticker with a number that they can place anywhere on the board. The total number of points will depend on the number of people who choose to participate.

Next, Furman will connect the dots in numerical order, creating a shape that will be the basis of his abstract piece. The outcome will only depend on which residents participate and where they place their points on the large board.

“I totally rely on the creativity of the kids,” Furman said. “We rely on the spontaneity of children.

From there, she will paint a colorful pattern inside the lines in her studio. The final piece, which will be unveiled on August 28 during the Roast Corn Festival, will then be hung on the wall of the staircase leading from the teenage area to the second floor of the library for residents to enjoy, for visitors to enjoy. families can see something they helped do, and for dreamers to share what they see in the shapes.

Furman isn’t sure what the final piece will look like, it depends on where the kids place their points, but she is sure it will be “fun, satisfying and beautiful”.

But for the project to work, Furman needs the young people to participate and she needs the support of the community. She set up a GoFundMe account to raise $ 2,000 to pay for the costs of the project and to strengthen ties with the community, she will post time-lapse videos of the project on her social media sites.

She thinks the collaborative project will be fun, and she and Gudmestad hope it will connect new families to the resources the library has to offer and reconnect others after the pandemic is isolated.

Furman is excited to see how the final project goes, based on which pages community members choose for the background and where the youngsters decide to place their points.

“They can call the shots,” Furman said. “I’m just their hands to make it happen. It’s terrifying, but really exciting.

How to participate

June: Visit the Loveland Library and choose a page from a book that has been taken out of circulation, or send a photo of your favorite book’s page to [email protected], to help set the background for the work of art.

July: Attend the final of the Summer Learning Program from 5 p.m. to 7 p.m. at the Loveland Public Library, 300 N. Adams Ave., during which youth will be allowed to place a numbered dot anywhere on the Web. Furman would later connect the dots and paint the shapes to create “Connecting the Dots”.

Make a donation: Donations to support the project can be made to https://gofund.me/c0c67ad3 . Donors will receive a recommended reading list for adults and children, and those who donate $ 75 or more will receive a limited edition of the final piece.

Watch online: Details on the progress of the project, including time-lapse videos, will be released @ameliafurmanmixedmedia on Facebook and Instagram.

Learn more: Project information can be found under the “Connect points” tab at ameliafurman.com.