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Join us as award-winning storyteller Motoko tells delightful folktales and leads hands-on origami activities. Motoko’s step-by-step instructions make the ancient Japanese art fun and accessible. No registration required. This event is intended for school-aged children and is open to drop-in attendees while space and supplies last. Funding for Vacation Week Programming: Live at the Library has been generously provided by the Cambridge Public Library Foundation.

Join Tessa Bachi Haas, ICA/Boston Assistant Curator, for a deep dive into Stanley Whitney: How High the Moon, the first retrospective to trace the evolution of Stanley Whitney’s unique and powerful abstractions. In this talk, discover how Whitney developed his iconic gridded format and explore 50 years of powerful, color-saturated painting. Stanley Whitney: How High the Moon is on view at ICA/Boston now through September 1, 2025. The exhibition organized by the Buffalo AKG Art Museum and curated by Cathleen Chaffee, Charles Balbach Chief Curator, Buffalo AKG Art Museum. The ICA/Boston’s presentation is organized by Ruth Erickson, Barbara Lee Chief Curator and Director of Curatorial Affairs, with Tessa Bachi Haas, Assistant Curator. This is a hybrid event. A Zoom link will be sent to all registered participants 1 hour before the event. Registration is not required for in-person attendance. Photo by Mel Taing: Installation view, Stanley Whitney: How High the Moon, ICA/Boston, 2025. © Stanley Whitney

The 1% for Public Art component of the Kendall Square / Main Street project was the creation of artist designed bike racks. Six artists were chosen by an art jury to participate in this project. Each of the selected artists created three or four designs that were represented in a gallery exhibit by drawings, models and artists’ statements. The artists had to balance his or her artistic mission with factors of successful functionality, ease of maintenance, compliance with the Americans with Disabilities Act, and economy of cost. During the exhibit and at the April 10, 2012 Kendall Square Public meeting, members of the public were asked to comment and vote on the different designs. Approximately 650 votes were received. On June 4, 2012 the selection committee met and selected 5 bike racks to be used in Kendall Square. The selection committee included city staff, a member of the Bicycle Committee and two members of the Kendall Square Advisory Committee. In making their selection, the committee considered the public input (voting and comments), functionality of the racks, appropriateness for Kendall Square, and artistic interest. Since the initial installation, some of the artist designed bike racks have been moved to new locations throughout the City.

Vote for the Halloween movie to watch: The Nightmare Before Christmas or Hocus Pocus! Painting supplies also provided for an art activity. No registration required. The City of Cambridge does not discriminate, including on the basis of disability. We may provide auxiliary aids and services, written materials in alternative formats, and reasonable modifications in policies and procedures to people with disabilities. For more information contact us at library@cambridgema.gov, 617-349-4032 (voice), or via relay at 711.

Join Conservation Coordinator Alison Cariens for a closer look at pigments in the Harvard Art Museums' famed Forbes Pigment Collection. In this illustrated talk, Alison will discuss the history of the collection, the function of the materials within the conservation labs, and the significance of the collection as a “library of color.” Together, we will also delve into the story behind each featured pigment and discuss how each lends a unique window into the history of human creativity.

Join us for a demonstration of capoeira, a unique Afro-Brazilian art form combining martial arts, dance, music and acrobatics. Following the performance, children will have the opportunity to learn basic capoeira movements. Recommended for children of all ages and their caregivers. This program will occur in the Cafeteria at King Open. Funding for Summer Reading has been generously provided by the City of Cambridge, Cambridge Public Library Foundation and Friends of the Cambridge Public Library.

Don’t think you have what it takes to use a sewing machine? Think again! In this FREE workshop, teens from the Cambridge Community Art Center will teach you how to properly thread a machine, sew a straight stitch, hem and unfinished edge, and secure your stitches. Practice by sewing colorful shapes onto small flags. Following the workshop, the flags will be made into a banner and displayed at the Library. No experience necessary. Sign up for your 30-minute slot now!

Families with elementary school-age children join us for hands-on activities focused on Science, Technology, Arts, Engineering and Math. Adults and children will learn and play together! In December, Science Heroes will present "Adventure of the Missing Color!" Through hands-on experiments and fun, interactive stories, kids will get excited about the science that’s all around us as we celebrate the scientists who color our world with art! Featuring amazing experiments all about: chemical reactions laws of motion air pressure and more!

Hangout with other teens in the Valente Branch Community Room after school: socialize, unwind, play a game, make some art - your choice! No registration required, drop-in between 3:30-5pm. The City of Cambridge does not discriminate, including on the basis of disability. We may provide auxiliary aids and services, written materials in alternative formats, and reasonable modifications in policies and procedures to people with disabilities. For more information contact us at library@cambridgema.gov, 617-349-4032 (voice), or via relay at 711.

Hangout with other teens in the Valente Branch Community Room after school to socialize, unwind, play a game, or make some art - your choice! No registration required, drop-in between 3:30-5pm. The City of Cambridge does not discriminate, including on the basis of disability. We may provide auxiliary aids and services, written materials in alternative formats, and reasonable modifications in policies and procedures to people with disabilities. For more information contact us at library@cambridgema.gov, 617-349-4032 (voice), or via relay at 711.