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By John Maruskin

Clark County Public Library

Now that the Clark County Public Library can no longer host art exhibits and displays, a new Facebook group, “CCPL Virtual Gallery,” has been created to provide a place for local artists to exhibit their work online and for local collectors to display their collections.

Thanks to Winchester artist Kenneth Williams for allowing the Library to use his painting of a deer for the gallery image and to reference librarian Jeff Gurnee for setting up the group.

Everyone is invited to post to the Virtual Gallery. It is open to professional and amateur artists of all ages. The work can be two or three-dimensional, audio or video.

Think of the Virtual Gallery as a digital community open, one in which you can display as many pieces as you like with your own commentary, how it was done, for example, and your perspectives on art. There is no age restriction for posting. Children, tweens, teens, and young and new adults, are all encouraged to post.

The virtual gallery can turn out to be the most thorough representation of the Clark County art community we’ve ever had.

The group will, of course be monitored, and the same guidelines will apply to posts that applied to all exhibits at the Library. Overtly violent, sexist, racist or derogatory visuals or recordings will be taken down along with any written commentaries that accompany them.

Find some of your best digital images and recordings and post them to the CCPL Virtual Gallery.

There’s a new Library Facebook group for writers and thinkers, too. It’s called Winchester Meeting of Minds. It’s an extension of the Library’s discussion group, Meeting of Minds, and it’s a place where people can post and discuss ideas.

Thanks to Meeting of Minds member Adra Fisher for letting the group use one of her drawings as the image for this Facebook group, and Pete Koutoulas for setting up the group.

Just like Meeting of Minds, there is no agenda for topics; all viewpoints are welcome. The purpose of Meeting of Minds is to promote dialogue about important, interesting or even facetious ideas. This virtual group will be used for the same purposes.

Want to discuss current topics, philosophical ideas, aesthetics, SETI or books you’ve been reading? Post your thoughts to Winchester Meeting of Minds. The forum is open to everyone. Again, however, overtly violent, sexist, racist or derogatory posts will be removed from the news feed.

Meeting of Minds, the living group meets at 6:30 p.m. today, June 30. It’s an open session tonight. We’re going to let the conversation take us where it will. There will be one special attraction. SueZ Early got a new microphone for her computer. She has been unable to communicate with the group for the past two months. Tonight, SueZ is going to provide a light show and an inaugural address to the group before the discussion begins. That will be groovy.

If you’d like to join in, send an email to john.clarkbooks@gmail.com before 5:30 p.m.

At 6:30 p.m. July 7, Jennifer Mattern and Angela Turner present another Zoom session of Pageturners Book Group. They’ll be discussing “Dear Sister” by Hannah Mary McKinnon.

When Eleanor Hardwicke’s beloved father dies, her world is further shattered by a gut-wrenching secret: the man she’s grieving isn’t really her dad. Eleanor was the product of an affair and her biological father is still out there, living blissfully with the family he chose. With her personal life spiraling, a desperate Eleanor seeks him out, leading her to uncover another branch on her family tree-an infuriatingly enviable half-sister.

Perfectly perfect Victoria has everything Eleanor could ever dream of. Loving childhood, luxury home, devoted husband. All of it stolen from Eleanor, who plans to take it back. After all, good sisters are supposed to share. And quiet little Eleanor has been waiting far too long for her turn to play.

For a Zoom invitation email jennifer.clarkbooks@gmail.com or angela.clarkbooks@gmail.com. They will send reminders as well as answer any of your software questions.

There’s never been a better summer to spend time reading at home.

John Maruskin is director of adult services at the Clark County Public Library. He can be reached at john.clarkbooks@gmail.com.