Events Calendar

Caregivers and children (5 & under) are invited to come and play together in a movement friendly environment. Different play prompts will be set up each week to encourage crawling, climbing, balancing and more in an open play setting!

Discover your creative side and join artist Christina Theobald every Monday in October from 10:30am-12:00pm at Alicia Ashman Library as she leads participants through this four-week exploration of acrylic paints, watercolors, brush techniques, and more. Whether a beginner or an experienced artist, each class is designed to build on skills learned in the one prior while leaving plenty of room for experimentation and improvement, which means they can also be taken individually, so come to one or come to them all. 

Space is limited and registration is required. Registration opens for ALL 4 classes on September 23 at 10:00AM.

Week 1: Intro to Acrylic Paint – Monday, October 7

• discussion about color wheel, and the different color schemes
• step-by-step demo and hands-on experience of mixing colors to create own palette
• create three small, abstract paintings based on different color schemes, principals

Weekly goal: to be introduced to the materiality of acrylic paint, get familiar with mixing colors, building compositions based on shape and color relationships

Week 2: Brush Techniques, Layering Color – Monday, October 14

• continuing with acrylic paint
• experimenting with different brushes, brush applications to learn how to create textures  blending, sense of space
• reviewing of mixing own color palette, focus on creating beautiful, neutral colors
• intro how to paint from observation, create paintings by looking at real, fall leaves that I will bring in!
• mixed media option at the end to turn leaf illustrations into collage

Weekly goal: to build off of color skills from previous week, learn how to layer color to create textural and spatial effects, learn how to create rich, neutral colors, how to work from “real life”

Week 3: Intro to Watercolor – Monday, October 21

• overview of differences, similarities between acrylic and watercolor
• discussion of Impressionists, Fauvism art movements
• introduce idea of making “master copies”, using a pre-existing work of art as basis for own painting
• introduce using ViewFinders as a way to find compositions
• use print-outs of Fauvist artworks as inspiration for personal works

Weekly goal: to try applying the painting skills we’ve been learning into watercolor, learn about famous art movements, learn a new way to approach creating compositions, continue pushing compositions by further exploring mixed media options

Week 4: Mixed Media Still Life/Open Studio – Monday, October 28

• do a demo of different ways to approach working from a non-photo reference
• work from a fall-theme still life
• try doing one or two different viewpoints, room to experiment with approach and combination of materials

Weekly goal: try working from ‘real life’ references, opportunity to revisit and practice techniques and combination of techniques learned up to this point

READ and PLAY together with children 5 & under! Engaging with books, songs and playful experiences all help children develop communication skills, patience, empathy, and pre-reading skills​ and helps to build a lifelong love of reading. Library programs are always free. Siblings and childcare groups are welcome.

Find help navigating application processes and filling out forms required for housing, immigration, food, health, and other community support services.

In partnership with the City of Madison and Madison Public Library, the African Center for Community Development provides in-person assistance. Examples include: 

• Disability
• Employment
• Housing
• Passport
• Social security
• Unemployment
• WIC

For questions about the program or to schedule an appointment, please call the African Center at 608-957-5623 or 608-294-0066.

*Neither The African Center for Community Development nor Madison Public Library can provide legal assistance or advice.  We cannot fill out applications on your behalf or assess program eligibility.
 

Visit the Dream Bus to browse books and other library materials, place or pick up holds, and sign up for a library card.

Learn more at dreambus.org

In partnership with the City of Madison and Madison Public Library, the African Center for Community Development provides in-person assistance* to help offset housing costs by assisting residents with applications for services, jobs, and other financial benefits.
We provide help for people navigating application processes and filling out forms required for housing, immigration, food, health, and other community support services. For questions about the program, please call African Center at (608) 957-5623 or (608) 294-0066.

*Neither The African Center for Community Development nor Madison Public Library can provide legal assistance or advice.  We are not able to fill out applications on your behalf, or assess program eligibility. 

Visit the Dream Bus to browse books and other library materials, place or pick up holds, and sign up for a library card.

Learn more at dreambus.org

Navigate this new world as Season 2 comes to a close. A new threat looms over the horizon will our heroes be brave enough to stop what comes? Will they be wise enough to solve the mystery? How many fart jokes can I squeak in?? Find out in A Ballad of Interesting Events. This campaign is geared towards middle and high school age youth and takes place on Monday afternoons at Meadowridge Library. 

The River Food Pantry's Munch Truck will be stopping outside Goodman South on Mondays from 3:15PM - 3:35PM.

About River Food Pantry & Munch Truck

Launched in 2016, Munch is our mobile meals program that delivers free healthy meals to children and adults in over a dozen low-income neighborhoods throughout Madison. Each meal contains a sandwich or main menu item, a fruit or vegetable, a grain, a treat, and a drink. Everyone is welcome to take home a free meal. No registration or ID is required.

Neighborhoods served by Munch have large populations of children eligible for free school lunch. To bridge the gap that exists when school lunch is not available, Munch operates up to 6 days per week, Monday–Saturday, any time school cafeterias are closed (including breaks and periods of remote learning).

For any questions or comments, please contact the Munch staff at munch@riverfoodpantry.org or (608) 661-1223.

Visit the Dream Bus to browse books and other library materials, place or pick up holds, and sign up for a library card.

Learn more at dreambus.org

Drop-in and play games on the library's iPads, MacBooks, and Nintendo Switch. Minecraft, Roblox, Mario Kart, & more! There is a limited number of devices, so participants will take turns as needed. Regular attendees can choose to participant in Gamer BINGO and earn prizes!

Family and friend groups are encouraged to attend and play together. 

Youth 8 years and younger must have a caregiver with them during the program. 

Play Minecraft in both survival and creative worlds!  There is a limited number of computers, so participants will take turns as needed.

Mondays, September 9 - November 18, 4:00-5:30pm.

The Madison Writing Assistance (MWA) program offers free, one-to-one writing support for community members at library branches throughout the city. Our friendly, experienced writing coaches are happy to help with writing projects across a wide range of genres, including resumes, cover letters, application essays, grant proposals, fiction writing, memoirs, and more.

Schedule an appointment online with the link below, by phone, or in person.

MWA services are made possible through generous donations from the Evjue Foundation and UW Anonymous Fund, along with administrative and program support from the UW-Madison English Department, the UW-Madison Writing Center, and our Library and neighborhood center partners.

WELCOME • KARIBU • E KAABO • AKWAABA • SIYAKWAMUKELA • أهلاً و سهل 

The African Studies Program at the University of Wisconsin-Madison is proud to present the Children’s African Story Hour series. Join us each week in a fun and relaxing atmosphere as we share award-winning children’s literature that celebrates the diversity of art, culture, food, and language across the African continent. Participants will engage in hands-on creative activities and will have the opportunity to sample different African cuisines. Each week promises to be fun and enriching!  This program is free and for all ages of children & their families.

Visit the Dream Bus to browse books and other library materials, place or pick up holds, and sign up for a library card.

Learn more at dreambus.org

The Madison Writing Assistance (MWA) program offers free, one-to-one writing support for community members at library branches throughout the city. Our friendly, experienced writing coaches are happy to help with writing projects across a wide range of genres, including resumes, cover letters, application essays, grant proposals, fiction writing, memoirs, and more.

Schedule an appointment online with the link below, by phone, or in person.

MWA services are made possible through generous donations from the Evjue Foundation and UW Anonymous Fund, along with administrative and program support from the UW-Madison English Department, the UW-Madison Writing Center, and our Library and neighborhood center partners.

Chess meets the second and fourth Monday of every month. All ages and skill levels are welcome.

The Madison Writing Assistance (MWA) program offers free, one-to-one writing support for community members at library branches throughout the city. Our friendly, experienced writing coaches are happy to help with writing projects across a wide range of genres, including resumes, cover letters, application essays, grant proposals, fiction writing, memoirs, and more.

Schedule an appointment online with the link below, by phone, or in person.

MWA services are made possible through generous donations from the Evjue Foundation and UW Anonymous Fund, along with administrative and program support from the UW-Madison English Department, the UW-Madison Writing Center, and our Library and neighborhood center partners.

So many home repair projects begin and end with one easy-to-use, yet intimidating power tool - the drill. Demystify drills and drivers in this beginner class where you’ll learn the basic functions for both drilling holes and inserting or removing hardware, along with best practices for using both drills and drivers. You’ll walk away being able to easily locate studs, hang picture frames, fix railings, and make any number of countless other simple home repairs that rely on the humble drill!

This class is recommended for adults. Registration is required and opens two weeks prior to the event on September 30, 2024.

This program is part of the Care & Repair program series, which is made possible thanks to support from Beyond the Page, National Endowment for the Humanities and Madison Community Foundation. See all upcoming programs at madpl.org/careandrepair.

About the artist: Sylvie Rosenthal received a BFA from RIT’s School for American Crafts in Woodworking, and received a MFA in sculpture from the UW-Madison. She owns and operates Lower Astronomy Studios, a woodworking, design, and sculpture studio in Madison. Sylvie teaches woodworking and design thinking in many settings, nationally at university, college programs, and craft schools, and in the local community with Madison Public Library. Visit Sylvie's website to learn more: https://www.lowerastronomystudios.com

Are you struggling to carve out time to write that novel, screenplay, or other work of fiction you've always been meaning to write? Are you battling writer's block? Are you looking for people to read what you've written and provide feedback? Try Pen Pals, an all-experience-levels-welcome group for fiction writers and fiction writer hopefuls!

Once a week, bring in a laptop or notebook and surround yourself with other writers striving toward similar goals. The first hour will be dedicated to organizing feedback-swaps, discussing our projects, and collectively brainstorming solutions to story problems. The remaining hour is just for writing! Pen Pals is captained by local fanfiction author Linea Kemsley, who will provide baked goods and warm beverages every week to help promote that perfect cozy writing atmosphere.