Topsfield Town Library

Art at the Library

∞From its earliest days, the Topsfield Town Library has been dedicated to supporting the arts in many forms to enrich the cultural life of Topsfield. Plans for the 1935 library incorporated fine art as a permanent part of the building. The central square-shaped lobby with skylight became a viewing room surrounded by murals painted by the architect of the building, Mr. Harold Fields Kellogg. The space was meant to represent a typical New England town common around which the rest of the settlement could be seen. The series of eleven murals depict the life of the town from the 1600s to the 1800s. In the first two murals, Topsfield’s roots are traced to its sister town of Toppesfield, England and the arrival by ship of the first settlers. The activities required to found the community occupy the next eight murals. In the last two murals, Topsfield is a well established town. Some of its sons are shown departing to join the battle of Lexington and Concord in 1776. The final scene is of Topsfield Academy opening for the instruction of students.

∞Mr. Kellogg also fashioned three muses from plaster and mounted them above the door leading to the stacks. These muses represent the three branches of knowledge. The upper floors of the original library had separate exhibit rooms on either side of the atrium. One was used for display of historical materials, the other for fine and decorative arts. In addition to these features of the original building, musical performances were held at the Library.

∞In later years, local artists were encouraged to display their work throughout the building. Through the kindness of Family Bank, Richard Wyman’s painting of the Topsfield Common joined the historical mural in the lobby. A wide variety of music and art appreciation programs, performances, and writing workshops have been held at the library. These programs are sponsored by the library, the Friends of the Library, and community groups.

Current Displays

Topsfield’s history is celebrated throughout the second floor. Fifteen framed historical photographs circa 1900 hang in the Topsfield Room, the work of Topsfield resident Otto Lake. The 1794 library bookcase with its original collection is displayed in the Library’s periodical room.

A permanent collection featuring local artists is housed in the balcony gallery on the second floor. This collection has been developed by the library’s Art Committee, and includes significant works by nationally known artists. These paintings are displayed alongside DeCordova artwork that is replaced every six months to give the Library cultural interest and enrichment.

The Topsfield Town Library welcomes you to enjoy the artwork on display throughout the Library. Thanks to the Gould Trust Fund, the library is able to exhibit fine art for public enjoyment. Please remember that many works are on loan from the DeCordova Museum and Sculpture Park and should be treated as though they are in a museum setting. Please do not touch the art and no photographs are allowed without permission of the Director. Photographing of Artwork Policy

The DeCordova Corporate Program

The Topsfield Town Library began the Corporate Program with the DeCordova Museum in 2001. At the time, the library’s Art Committee had made some significant investments in fine art that developed the library’s own permanent collection. However, the desire to fill eight identified spaces with fine artwork led the Art Committee to seek a reasonable solution. The DeCordova Museum’s Corporate Program developed a proposal to fill those spaces and rotate the collection every six months, giving interest and variety to the program. The DeCordova Museum Corporate Program is funded by the Gould Trust Fund. In addition to the fine art installations, other benefits with the program include free museum passes for all Topsfield residents and Town employees, a yearly scholarship to the Museum School for a Masconomet High School student entering their senior year at the High School, and special invitations to Museum events.

For More information on the DeCordova Corporate Program, visit www.decordova.org