NEA Big Read: Orland Park

Orland Park Public Library Wins NEA Big Read Grant

The National Endowment for the Arts Big Read is designed to broaden our understanding of our world, our communities, and ourselves through the joy of sharing a good book. Orland Park Public Library is one of 60+ nonprofit organizations to receive a grant to host an NEA Big Read project.

NEA Big Read is a program of the National Endowment for the Arts in partnership with Arts Midwest.

The Orland Park Public Library was awarded $10,000 from the National Endowment for the Arts to provide the community with copies of the book Circe by Madeline Miller, and a companion title Athena: Goddess of War and Wisdom by Imogen and Isabel Greenburg. The library will be hosting a variety of events around these two titles throughout the months of March and April in partnership with local schools and businesses.

Circe retells ancient Greek mythology from the perspective of one of its most infamous women. The library is partnering with the National Hellenic Museum to bring the residents of Orland Park a traveling display of breathtaking and meaningful textiles from the NHM collection showing residents the way that modern Greek women have shared their stories.

NEA Big Read Programs

• • Kick Off – Saturday, March 4 at 11 a.m. : All Ages
    Join us for a day of music, crafts, food, and fun as we kick off our NEA BIG READ program! Patrons will get the opportunity to chat with Zeus, as portrayed by Terry Lynch, build Lego mazes, sample delicious food from Greece, see traditional dancing, hear live music, participate in a large-scale art project, and receive a copy of our Big Read title, Circe by Madeline Miller. Younger patrons can pick up a copy of the companion title: Athena Goddess of Wisdom and War by Imogen and Isabel Greenberg. While supplies last.

Youth Programs:

• • Find the Minotaur – March 1 to March 31
  • Mythical Monster Mash – March 14 at 4 p.m.
  • Time Traveler Tales: Alexander the Great – March 28 at 4 p.m.
  • Reader’s Theater – March 29 at 4 p.m.
  • You’ve got the Midas Touch – April 5 at 6:30 p.m.
  • Mini Myths – April 6 at 4 p.m.
  • Greek Easter Celebration – April 11 at 6:30 p.m.
  • Hand Building Pottery Workshop – April 15 at 11 a.m.
  • Aesop’s Fables – April 18 at 6:30 p.m.
  • Heracles and the 12 Labors – April 28 at 4 p.m.

Teen and Youth Programs:

• • Percy Jackson: Adventures At Camp Half Blood (A Teen Escape Room) – April 22 at 3 p.m.

Teen Programs:

• • Teen Epic Poetry Competition – March 1 to April 15
  • Take Make and Bring Back: Big Read Greek Masks – Month of February
  • Big Read Zine Submissions – March 1 to April 28
  • Big Read Traveling Book Club – March 1 to April 28

Adult Programs:

• Mythical Monsters Group Art Show – Month of March
• Clay Amphora Style charm necklace – March 3 at 10 a.m. or March 3 at 1 p.m.
• Astronomy and Greek Mythology – March 9 at 2 p.m.
• Greek Myth in Art – March 10 at 2 p.m.
• History of the Olympics – March 16 at 2 p.m.
• Mini Loom Weaving class – March 18 at 10 a.m. or March 23 at 6 p.m.
• Greek Cooking Demo – March 24 at 7 p.m. or March 25 at 1 p.m.
• Circe: Chat and Craft – April 12 at 10 a.m. or April 12 at 6:30 p.m.