‘FREE TO THE PEOPLE’
4 artists show what Carnegie’s motto means on new library card
What does “Free to the People” mean to you? Four local artists answered that question by designing new library cards to celebrate the Carnegie Library of Pittsburgh’s 125th anniversary. Takara Canty, Cue Perry, Janel Young and D.S. Kinsel each created a card representing their visual interpretations of Andrew Carnegie’s motto inscribed on the public libraries he endowed.
Since 1895, the libraries have remained free to anyone who wants to use them. The library cards are free as well.
“It is an honor to have the artwork of four of the region’s talented artists showcased on our 125th anniversary library cards,” said Mary Frances Cooper, president of Carnegie Library of Pittsburgh.
Canty said her connection to the library goes back to her childhood.
“I grew up in the East Liberty library,” she said. “My mom would take me and my siblings to the library, and we would spend the majority of the day there.”
The librarians and the staff came to know them well.
“We were very close to the librarians, and we partook in all reading contests and every movie, play or activity that went on when we were there!” she recalled.
Now a teacher known to kids as “that art lady,” Canty has taught at Pittsburgh Public
Schools and nonprofits and is currently teaching at ACH Clear Pathways. “I still go to the library and bring black 10-20 books for our arts program biweekly.”
Hoping that her students develop a similar love of reading and books, her library card design references Van Gogh, Dr. Seuss creatures, and characters from “The Very Hungry Caterpillar” and “Chicka Chicka Boom Boom.”
“I have the images coming out of a book to show the possibilities of exploring different worlds but also the knowledge that you gain from just opening and reading a book,” she explained.
Young said she also grew up in Pittsburgh using the Carnegie Library. She now lives in New York City.
“I enjoyed going to the specialty library branches like the Schomburg Center for Research in Black Culture,” she said. “I’m excited to be back in Pittsburgh and inspired to re-explore the libraries again.”
Her childhood inspired her library card design.
“I approached this project as my younger self, in this case, my popular pink-haired character ‘Coco,’” she explained.
“I was intentional with using a simple design loaded with symbolism — standing on books to reach something higher, modifying the original phrase of ‘Free to the People’ to take a stance on using literature and art as a form of liberation, especially for Black and brown kids.”
Kinsel, the co-founder of BOOM Concepts and a selfdescribed cultural agitator/ creative entrepreneur, put his heart into the project.
“I knew I wanted to utilize my signature hearts,” he said. “I did some research to find some song lyrics that had a good connection to the prompt. Once I had the text confirmed and selected, the graffiti-style design over the library card simply flowed.”
For Perry, libraries are all about love.
“Love is free, and I wanted to connect that concept with the free use of libraries,” he said.
He remembers going as a child to the old Carnegie library on the North Side with his mother, a teacher. Perry said his library card design reflects all the love and positive vibes he associates with those trips to that historic building.
“I would climb the statues out front, and then we would go to get a [shaved] ice cup,” he recalled.
More than an anniversary celebration, the colorful cards point toward a brighter future for the library, Cooper said.
“It has been a challenging year for all of us, and we hope these cards and their messages of love, empowerment, exploration and creativity will inspire, especially in a time when our community is feeling the stress caused by the current pandemic crisis,” she said.