A New Guest in the Secret Garden
March 2007
A new piece of art has been added to the Columbia Public Library’s Gene Martin Secret Garden. “The Shell Seeker,” a sculpture by Sabra Tull Meyer, was commissioned by the Friends of the Library as a further memorial to Mr. Martin.
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| "The Shell Seeker" by Sabra Tull Meyer |
The Garden space is tucked away on the southwest end of the library off the children’s area. You may have visited it for one of our programs like Reading to Rover or Party With the Stars.
Artist Sabra Tull Meyer and Gene
Martin's wife
Marian sit with
"The Shell Seeker" during the
dedication on March 15, 2007.
“The Shell Seeker,” a life-sized bronze, portrays a young boy holding a seashell as he looks into a book in his lap. Martin was an avid shell collector. He and wife Marian spent many vacations at the beach collecting shells to display in their home.
You can meet and even sit down with “The Shell Seeker” during National Library Week, April 15-22. We plan to open the Garden during the daytime that week, so you can see the sculpture, take in some fresh air, read a book outside, or even have a picnic in the grass.
Emma Jean McKinin and Debbora
Jones of the Columbia Friends group
stand with artist Meyer (center) and
“The Shell Seeker."Both the Garden and the sculpture help us remember and honor the late Gene Martin, director of the Daniel Boone Regional Library from 1966 to 1991. During Martin’s almost 25 years of service, our system became known as one of the premier libraries of its size in the nation.
Martin believed that public libraries should offer the highest level of service possible, and he sought to achieve this through a well-selected, well-trained and highly skilled staff. He was, in turn, highly regarded and adored by library staff. Martin believed in the public library. He gave his best to DBRL and expected the same of the staff; and that belief is what has made DBRL the great library system it is today.
Former library director
Gene MartinSculptor Sabra Tull Meyer also created a portrait bust of longtime library trustee Virginia G. Young in 2004. That piece is displayed in Columbia Public Library board room that bears Young’s name.
The Secret Garden is already home to the “Tree of Knowledge,” a pair of large metal sculptures by Joseph Falsetti which were moved from the previous library building and are now mounted on the wall above the Garden. The “Gates to the Garden,” which form the entrance from the parking lot, were also a commissioned art project. The Columbia Library District board commissioned the wrought iron panels from local blacksmith George B. Robb, II when the new library was built in 2002.
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