Visitors to the Henry F. Schricker Public Library may have noticed a bit of a change about the place, as the lobby is now plastered with all kinds of art, courtesy of artists Wesley Dolinski and Darius Mirza.
Sculptures, photographs, and paintings are on display at the library. Dolinski explained that most of the work was done by him and Mirza, but three or four pieces on display were purchased from art teachers of his past. More than 40 pieces are being displayed.
Photographer Darius Mirza says when he moved to America in 2006, he tried to capture the urban life settings of big cities such as Chicago, New York, and Los Angeles, but he also wanted to share some other settings as well, such as European architecture and landscapes. As a result, his photography collection – and many of his works on display – include images from Switzerland, Romania, and other countries.
The last such art display in Knox was more than two years ago, and Dolinski says that this exhibit is unique to Knox because he has no plans to exhibit it elsewhere. He has been doing these exhibits for the last several years.
The exhibit is the fulfillment of a promise Dolinski made to 13 other artists from his home country Romania, which he fled because of Soviet oppression. He says he made a pact with his friends that, should any of them leave the country and find freedom, they would display their works and share them with the world.
While Romania has since been freed from Soviet control, Dolinski’s friends have not left the country. His previous exhibits featured works from his fellow Romanian artists, but he has since returned those pieces and now his own work makes up the majority of the exhibit.
The art will be on display through the end of July.
