Free Art Exhibit At Brooklyn Public Library

Photographs by Lourdes Delgado

The public is invited to the Central Branch of the Brooklyn Public Library (BPL), located at Grand Army Plaza, to enjoy six, free exhibitions - Jazz in Brooklyn: A Community of Visions, Brooklyn Beats, Mask: A Present Past, The Borrower's Name, Chess-tizing and Chess - on view from November 28 through February 11, 2007.

The exhibitions in the Grand Lobby explore Brooklyn's diverse musical scenes.

Jazz in Brooklyn: A Community of Visions features photos by photographer Lourdes Delgado that examine how jazz musicians live in Brooklyn. Away from the typical locations common in iconography-the bandstand or studio-her images capture these artists in a more personal and revealing space: their homes.

Brooklyn Beats features photos by one of the pioneering photographers of hip-hop's golden age Al Pereira. His photos portray rap and hip-hop artists in the 1980s, including Jay-Z, Monie Love, Das EFX and Salt 'n' Pepa, among other music giants.

Jay-Z

Mask: A Present Past consists of a series of wooden masks by Italian artist Daniel Rossi. By combining woodworking techniques with woodcarving, he has created masks that reflect diverse artistic practices in Brooklyn, as well as the influence of ancient Mexican, African and European cultures. BPL invites the public to attend a free artist talk with Rossi on December 12, at 6 p.m. in the Lobby Gal-lery.

Exhibitions in the Youth Wing are inspired by the game of chess and its history.

Chesstizing displays original hand-carved chess pieces by Daniel Blake that he created for his game Chesstizing, which is played the same way that the traditional game of chess is played. His chess pieces replicate an important person who has played a key role in African-American and African history, and help educate those who play the game.

Chess , an exhibition by Marina Kalinovsky, also on display in the Youth Wing, consists of pen, ink and black tea drawings on handmade paper. These drawings are a result of her fascination with the game and its history, and each drawing relates to a certain chess rule.

Mask by Daniel Rossi

For more information on BPL's exhibitions please go to: brooklynpubliclibrary.org.