A striking mural stopped me in my tracks as I walked through a side passageway to the entrance of Mount Dennis Library. I saw a man and a woman facing each other in the middle of a green field. A community of daffodils gathered in the foreground, and two trees framed the scene, transforming actual pillars into brown trunks. Painted wooden creatures had been riveted to the surface of the mural, creating a bulky appliqué effect. The riveted animals included a seagull, a cardinal, a raccoon looking at a ladybug, a wolfish dog, a bee hive on a branch, and a chipmunk (also on a branch).
After I passed through the main doorways, I noticed a curious detail on the vertical jamb between the two doors. Someone had painted a giraffe’s head near the top of the jamb, its ears and horns jutting into the lintel. Yellow and orange dots cascaded down the length of the jamb, suggesting a long neck. I liked how the artist had seen a giraffe in the shape of an ordinary door jamb, celebrating whimsy in the day-to-day experience of passing through a door.
The main floor of Mount Dennis branch was one long rectangle in soft cream, demure yellow, and brown. With wide aisles and plenty of open space, the interior was restful. High windows facing Weston Road provided a sunlit view of a wooden trellis that called out for grape vines and a paint touchup, echoing some interior shabbiness in which paint was peeling here and there. I also noticed that water damage had taken out a chunk of the ceiling near the checkout desk. However, the main level was still a pleasant place to borrow materials in English, Spanish, Korean, Portuguese, or Vietnamese.
The basement level contained the children’s section and a series of giant wooden jigsaw pieces on the east wall. My favourite puzzle piece had a dark red background and was decorated with a diverse circle of children’s faces surrounded by painty handprints in green, purple, black, yellow, and blue. Lining the walls of a narrow corridor just outside was an art display called the “100 Dreams Project,” which complemented the jigsaw piece. Inspiring kindergarten artists such as Adesh, Ashanti, Caleb, Demetri, Issacher, Jenny, Jah-Shy, Lotus, Megan, Shivani, Yasmin, and Zipporah had painted kites, monsters, ice-cream cones, volcanoes, babies, guinea pigs, and a purple ball on small square canvases.
With its welcoming and art-friendly vibe, Mount Dennis Library served as an ideal host for the exuberant 100 Dreams exhibit by students from Dennis Avenue Community School. Long may they colour the walls with their dreams!