Permanent Activations

Neon Library emits a warm glow and flanks the chandelier in the William and Norma Horvitz Art Reference Library with two neon brackets, quoting the history of the Center and demonstrating that artists can engage historic spaces. Amanda Keeley is an artist with an archivist and activist approach. She studied the collection, pulling books of interest and taping the bindings of approximately 40 books with pink tape. Titles include Multum in Parvo, An Essay in Poetic Imagination By Carl Zigrosser and Word and Image, Posters from the Collection of the Museum of Modern Art. The library was originally developed by Center board trustee, Nina Nissenfeld, who raised funding by hosting Sunday afternoon music concerts at the Center from the early 90s to mid-2000s. By selling donated books from music goers, the board then purchased books for the library. Keeley has permanent activations at Vizcaya Museum and Gardens that reference Roman Poet, Horace. Her work is humorous, direct, and contemplative. Keely is the founder of Exile Books, an experimental artist’s bookstore and project space that now has a brick and mortar space in the Little Haiti neighborhood of Miami.

Credit: Exhibition overview from museum website