EAST BRUNSWICK–Designed in a three-dimensional glass conglomerate, the East Brunswick Library’s newest sculpture highlights elements of the township’s information hub.
The glass sculpture titled “The Library” was created by artist Emily Block and donated to the library by former library director Sharon Karmazin, according to a statement from the library.
“I have lived with and enjoyed this work of art in my home for 15 years but decided that in honor of the library’s 50th anniversary, I want to share it with the whole community by gifting it to the library,” Karmazin said in the statement.
The piece was commissioned by Karmazin and created by Brock in 2003 to explore a fantasy library. It includes hundreds of tiny glass books, computers, figures, a sculpture and garden, as well as the library logo used at that time, all entirely made from glass, according to the statement.
“Libraries aren’t just a space to find information, they are a place for inspiration as well,” Library Director Jennifer Podolsky said in the statement. “In the past two years, the library has been renovated to become a more modern place, both physically and visually. This piece fits in with that vision, and we are thankful that Sharon is sharing it with our community.”
A New Mexico based artist, Brock’s work is featured in museums worldwide, including the Columbus Museum of Art, The Toledo Museum of Art, The Hokkaido Museum of Modern Art in Sapporo, Japan, and the High Museum of Art in Atlanta, according to the statement.
Karmazin spent her entire 32-year library career at the East Brunswick Library, starting as an intern while attending the Rutgers University graduate school program for her Master of Library and Information Science degree, and retiring as library director, leading the library in that capacity for 11 years.
“It was a joy to be associated with the hard-working, creative staff, as well as the dedicated members of the library board and the Friends of the Library,” Karmazin said in the statement.
Karmazin looks back at her time as library director very fondly.
“During my tenure, the library established many innovative programs, experienced record-setting circulation, and garnered numerous honors and awards including two John Cotton Dana Library Public Relations Awards,” she said in the statement.
Since retiring from the library in 1999, Karmazin has been quite active.
“Following my retirement I pursued my lifelong interest in theater by becoming a Broadway producer,” Karmazin said in the statement. “I have co-produced more than 20 plays and musicals on and off Broadway and in the West End and have won four Tony Awards.”
Her most recent Tony Award was the 2018 Best Musical for “The Band’s Visit,” according to the statement.
Karmazin is very active in the philanthropic world, serving as the president of her family foundation, the Karma Foundation. She is also currently the chair of the board of the Yiddish Book Center in Amherst, Massachusetts, and a board member of the Actor’s Fund, George Street Playhouse, the Art Alliance for Contemporary Glass and Moment magazine, according to the library.