For the first time together the Beck Family will be permanently exhibiting their art at the Bloomingdale Library Teen Center. Since 1968, Bobbi and Ner Beck and their daughter Melinda, each with their own distinctive style, spent most of their lives just two blocks from this welcoming and friendly branch. As with most of their neighbors, they have relied on it as a source of knowledge and joy.
Teens come to the Teen Center to take classes, do crafts, make artwork, read, do homework, play video games, and use a bank of computers always at their disposal. A wall-size monitor is always on to view movies and play games. Also, a 3-D printer is constantly humming away making fun and fanciful objects and creatures. Welcome all teens!
Melinda Beck’s Murals
Melinda Beck’s murals are now installed in the new Teen Center at The Bloomingdale Library in the neighborhood where she grew up. Originally, she created a series of six murals for the interior walls of the recently renovated Stavros Niarchos Foundation Library located at 40th and 5th Ave. They are now installed in Teen Centers at library branches throughout the city. Melinda commented, "I am a mother who has raised two teenagers in this city as a native New Yorker, who was greatly affected by growing up in this exciting, cacophonous, diverse, ever-changing city. These murals are a celebration of being a teenager in New York. In this mural, we see a group of teens in the carefully choreographed dance that is walking on the crowded streets of New York without bumping into anyone. The interlocking figures are reminiscent of the Wild Style graffiti that adorned the subway cars of my youth. Teens carry their world in their backpacks, in this mural, each backpack has been transformed into an object inspired by their diverse interests.”
Bobbi Beck's Dreamer
This large painting on the interior far wall titled Dreamer expresses the future that lies ahead for the next generation. This painting was done when she was a much younger artist. It represents the hope and optimism we were all bursting with in our younger years. The seated figure with her electric colors and time travel suit is ready to be transported into her future. Her wings are ready to fly, as she is metamorphosing from youth to adulthood. Even though we were not sure of what would be next in our lives back then… we could still dream.
Ner Beck’s Found Faces
This series of photographs of found faces was shot on Ner’s daily walks around New York City and abroad. People have been seeing faces in inanimate objects throughout history. This face-finding obsession is called Pareidolia. Once you see your first one, they seem to pop up everywhere you go. Look around and see if you can find and capture your own hidden faces staring right back at you.
Melinda Beck may be contacted at studio@melindabeck.com
Ner & Bobbi Beck at ner.beck@verizon.net
