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The Library offers free public classes, programs, and exhibitions at its 7 locations throughout the city of Hartford. Below is a selection of upcoming events.

Jump to:

July 2019 Adult Calendar

July 2019 Teen Calendar

July 2019 Youth Calendar

EXHIBITS

To submit a public program or exhibition proposal, click here.

   

  

 

World of Sounds Concert Series

Take a musical trip around the world with HPL's World of Sounds Concert Series. All concerts are free and open to the public.

Boogie Chillun: Saturday, June 15th, 1pm, Downtown Library

PUERTOMINICANA: Wednesday, July 17th, 3:30pm, Park Library

Blessings Divine: Thursday, August 1st, 3pm, Barbour Library

Caribbean Vibe: Friday, August 2nd, 1:30pm, Camp Field Library

The Millennial Showcase: Friday, August 16th, 3pm, Albany Library

Souls of Zion: Thursday, August 22nd, 6pm, Dwight Library

Big Read Kickoff: Monday, September 9th, 5pm, Downtown Library

Dee-lish: Saturday, September 14th, 1pm, Pridefest on Pratt St.

Hartford Public Library's World of Sounds concert series is funded by the Evelyn W. Preston Memorial Trust Fund and Bank of America, N.A. Trustee.
 
 

 

Black Out Poetry

Friday, July 26, 2 - 3 pm 

Peters Reading Room, Downtown Library, (1st Floor)

Sit back and let the words flow right through you! The participatory poetry event will consist of ripping pages from old books and crafting poems based on the words that speak to you. Artistic expression and all levels of expertise are welcomed. Have something you already want to say? No problem! Crafting of original poetry is embraced! Learn through others voices as there will be time to share poems.
 
 
 

 

The Funkiest Camp in Hartford in Concert

Friday, July 26, 12 noon
 
Downtown Library, Terrace

In the summer, the Funky Dawgz, the University of Connecticut's famous brass band, hold a camp for aspiring young musicians at the Charter Oak Cultural Center, just up the road from HPL. To mark the end of the camp, the young musicians and their teachers from the Dawgz will play a live concert on the library terrace. The theme will be the music of New Orleans and it's free and open to the public.
 
 

 

Dinner & a Story with PuppeTree - 14 Carrots (A Rabbit Tale)

Tuesday, August 6, 6:00 pm

Downtown Library, Center for Contemporary Culture (1st Flr)

Dinner is provided along with a show by PuppeTree. 14 Carrots is the story of Aunt Swelly, a mature rabbit trying to enter the job market after years of babysitting. the show is filled with visual surprises, puppets and audience participation for the youngest of children while older kids learn to look critically at the balance between home and work. Dinner & a Story is primarily for young children and their families. Sign up at the youth services desk downtown is requested.
 
 

 

African American Literature Book Club

Monthly 1st Tuesdays
6-7:30 pm, Classroom 141, Downtown

August 6: Hopes and Expectations: The Origins of the Black Middle Class in Hartford, by Suzanne Holliday-Thomas

Sept. 3: The Sellout: A Novel, by Paul Beatty

The AAL Book Club is for anyone interested in reading and discussing African American literature, both fiction and nonfiction, as well as sharing information and learning about the African American experience.  It is an opportunity for us to get to know each other while we engage in lively and stimulating discussion of topics of interest to us all.

Please RSVP to Carolyn Korber at cjkorber@gmail.com.

Storytime in the Park

Monday, August 12, 11 am - 12 noon
 
Bushnell Park (Near the Carousel)

Join us for a great time in beautiful Bushnell Park. Enjoy fun games and activities and then listen to a wonderful story, read by one of your favorite librarians from the Children's Department. Bring your blanket, relax with your family and friends and enjoy the great outdoors. 
 
 

 

Toastmasters

Monthly 2nd, 3rd, 4th Tuesdays
6-7:45 pm, Classroom 140
Main Floor, Downtown

Do you need help speaking in public?

Toastmasters International can teach you to give a speech that is organized, has vocal variety and is inspirational.  By regularly giving speeches, gaining feedback, leading teams and guiding others to achieve their goals in a supportive atmosphere, leaders emerge from the Toastmasters program. Every Toastmasters journey begins with a single speech. During their journey, they learn to tell their stories. They listen and answer. They plan and lead. They give feedback—and accept it. Through our community of learners, they find their path to leadership.

No registration necessary

Poets on Poetry Series

The Connecticut Poetry Society's monthly poetry book discussion is free and open to the public.
For further information, visit www.ctpoetry.net.
To nominate a poet for discussion or volunteer to moderate, contact:
Christine Beck
christinebeck90@gmail.com
860-655-3263
 

 

  


Linda Martin, Sharing Stories

Reception: Saturday, August 17, 2-4pm
On Display June - September 2019 
Hartford History Center, 3rd floor, Downtown Library

Quilts have a long tradition in the African American community of being used to tell stories and as a form of resistance. Before slavery was abolished, quilts were used as covert messages, marking escape routes and houses of refuge for people seeking freedom.

Many contemporary fiber artists, such as Hartford native Linda F. Martin, use quilts as a way to commemorate important figures, tell folklore, share history, and speak to contemporary social justice issues.

Join us in learning about Martin’s quilts and see if you can find the images within the larger images that give layer and complexity to each story. For the reception, there will be recitation of poetry and dance.
 
ART WALK

ArtWalk at Hartford Public Library offers one of the largest and most stunning exhibition spaces in greater Hartford and the opportunity for Hartford residents and others to view art in a magnificent setting in our city.

 
 

On the ArtWalk: Among Friends Ed Johnetta Miller

Exhibit runs July 19 - September 28, 2019
Closing Reception: Friday, September 20, 5:30pm
Artist Workshop (Quilt Cards): Saturday, September 21, 2:30pm

ArtWalk Gallery, 3rd Floor, Downtown Library, 500 Main Street

Among Friends is a retrospective of my life work with a focus on pieces that speak to my close, beloved ties to the Hartford community. 

A fiber artist, quilter, teacher, author, curator and lecturer, I am acknowledged to be one of the most creative and colorful improvisational quilt makers in the U.S. Widely exhibited here and abroad, my work can be found in museums, and corporate, private, and permanent collections including: the Smithsonian American Art Museum in Washington, D.C.; the Rocky Mountain Quilt Museum in Golden, Colorado; Michigan State University; Folk Art Museum in NYC; US Embassy in Benin, West Africa; and locally, in the State of Connecticut; Burgdorf Health Center; St. Francis Hospital; Hartford Hospital; Burgdorf Health Center; Yale New Haven Children’s Hospital, Oncology Department; and the Wadsworth Atheneum Museum of Art. I received the State of Connecticut's most prestigious artistic award, the Governor's Arts Award; the Wadsworth Atheneum Museum of Art President’s Award; the Leadership Greater Hartford’s Polaris Award; the Vision Award for Arts and Culture; the Capital Community College Heritage Award; and the Apple for the Teacher Award given to me in NYC by actress Phylicia Rashad, Debbie Allen and their Mother, Vivian Ayers.

Thanks to Bank of America and the Edward C. & Ann T. Roberts Foundation for funding the 2018-2019 ArtWalk season.


Photo Gallery: Around The World

On Display through June
X-Room, 1st floor, Downtown Library

Visit Hartford photographer Viviane Grady's exhibit "Around the World," featuring 27 framed photos from around the world including photos from Morocco, Tibet and Rome. On display this Spring. Viviane Grady is a Montreal native, who has been living in Hartford  for the last nineteen years since her return from South East Asia, where she spent eight years.

 

Chief Teale's The Tools of Learning

Tutorials across library branches available upon request

Join Charles S. Teale, former Chief of the Hartford Fire Dept. to learn strategies on how to learn, understand, and remember information for academic and professional success. Program is for beginning to advanced readers 18+.. Register: jeagosto@hplct,org or 860-695-6367.

To view a video version of the presentations, watch them On Demand at http://www.hpatv.org/vod/. Click "Playlists" and then find "Chief Teale's The Tools of Learning."