Brooke Matson, executive director of Spark Central, came into the SPR studio to talk with E.J. Iannelli about their "Little Libraries, Big Stories" project, which received funding during the second application round of 2022 for the Spokane Arts Grant Awards (SAGA).
The first part of the project involves little libraries, which are tiny outdoor bookshelves stocked with free books for the borrowing or taking. Spark will design three of them in collaboration with local artists.
Each of the little libraries will be themed in some way, and school-aged children from the area will write stories that tie into the different themes. Using their smartphones, passersby will be able to scan a QR code on each library and hear readings of the children's stories.
The little libraries will be auctioned off at Spark Salon, Spark Central's annual fundraising event. Spark Salon is scheduled to be held on April 28, 2023.
SAGA is an annual competitive grant process administered by Spokane Arts. It’s on track this year to allocate nearly $150,000 in financial support directly to artists and organizations.
