Libraries mean different things to different people. They can be places of inspiration, refuge, joy, growth, and discovery, often all at once.
To celebrate libraries and their importance in our community, we recently partnered with four past, present and upcoming Artists-In-Residence at The Hive and invited them to reflect on how the library has shaped them, translating that impact into original works of art.
Local artists Hannah Charlton, Sarah Louise Windisch, Genie Maples, and Katie Creyts, offered distinct and personal interpretations of how Spokane Public Library inspires, empowers, informs, and connects our community. Each artist approached the prompt through their own creative lens. The resulting pieces reflect the many ways the library shows up in people’s lives – sparking inspiration, offering a space to grow, providing joy and refuge, or nurturing a love of reading.
Now through the end of March 2026, stop by Spokane Public Library and pick up a new bookmark, stickers, get a limited-edition library card, or drop by one of our partnering breweries for a custom coaster: Brick West, Iron Goat, Perry Street, Whistle Punk, and Four Eyed Guys. Not only that, but keep your eyes peeled in the community for special billboards featuring the artist’s work, paid for by the John Cotton Dana Award – a prestigious national award won by the library in 2024.
Want to purchase items with these designs on them? Visit our online store here!
GET TO KNOW THE ARTISTS!
Genie Maples moved from Asheville, NC to Spokane just about a year ago. Her work consists of large oil paintings, sculptural and 2D fiber works, and illustration in pen and ink or digital media.
“This piece was inspired by a painting that I made in my last studio in Asheville, which I then made into a digital work. I see my piece almost as an open book that people come to with their own experiences and emotions, and hopefully use the prompts within the painting as a springboard to explore and reflect on their own stories.”
Katie Creyts is an artist and Professor of Art at Whitworth University. Her work explores landscape and human and animal interactions. Creyts has exhibited her work nationally.
“I recently completed a residency at The Hive, which was such a creatively rich time for me. I wanted to make a piece that featured animals while also inviting play and inspiration drawn from the library itself. I spent time in the Inland Northwest Special Collections, scanning items with interesting textures, and used those scans to build the animals in this work. My hope is that it encourages a sense of play, helps people reconnect with their own creativity, and sparks inspiration.”
Hannah Charlton studied art at Whitworth University, where she first became interested in medieval art. She creates medieval-style illuminated manuscript pages using traditional techniques and modern materials.
“All of my work is inspired by other works of art from the Middle Ages, particularly forms of art that you don’t really see anymore, like illuminated manuscripts. That is the main inspiration for this piece and I hope when people see it they are delighted to see something just simply pretty to look at.”
Sarah Louise Windisch creates bold, neon art blending joy, rebellion, and humor, featuring cheeky critters and sharp social commentary. She carves lino blocks, slings ink, and presses out limited-run prints.
“As a library kid, I loved the READ posters that had characters and people like Yoda, Lavar Burton, and Spock that were seemingly everywhere in the 90s. I thought creating one for Spokane Public Library would be awesome, so I combined fun magazine clippings to form the word READ and added it to one of my most popular block print characters—a screaming marmot!”
