Alexander Starkey was one of the youngest participants in the showcase at just 18 months old.
By: Andy Kozlowski | Madison-Park News | Published September 14, 2025
MADISON HEIGHTS/HAZEL PARK — The American Library Association is promoting September as Library Card Sign-Up Month with the theme, “One card, endless possibilities.”
To spur interest, the Madison Heights Public Library, 240 W. 13 Mile Road, is rolling out new cards featuring illustrations by local teens.
Young artists also got to flex their creativity at the Hazel Park District Library, 123 E. Nine Mile Road, with the recent unveiling of paintings created for a gallery there.
Vanessa Verdun-Morris, the director of the Madison Heights library, said that the idea for patron designs came about when the library needed to order new cards.
“Since the summer reading program was art-themed, staff thought it would be fun to have a design contest as part of the program,” Verdun-Morris said.
The contest was open to all ages. This year’s winning illustrators are Lillionna Louwers, 13, and Chloe Brown, 14, both from Madison Heights.
Louwers’ piece depicts a girl riding on the back of a fire-breathing dragon as it soars through stormy skies over a castle. Brown’s piece depicts a rainbow spilling forth from the pages of a book, surrounded by dreamlike sparkles.
The library ordered 500 cards for each design, available while supplies last. To claim one, swing by the library or go to madison-heights.org/library.
The Madison Heights library also accepts cards from the libraries in Hazel Park and other neighboring cities. A card provides access to physical books and e-books, multimedia databases, and even a makerspace offering a variety of tools for arts and crafts.
At the Hazel Park library’s Young Artist Showcase Sept. 6, kids 12 and younger celebrated their own love for the library with paintings they made over the summer.
Amy Beem, a librarian at the Hazel Park library, and Laura Weidman, an artist volunteer, oversaw programs in July and August where the paintings were made on 11-by-14-inch canvases.
At the gallery unveiling Sept. 6, the artists were treated like stars, each receiving a gift bag, certificate and special cookies. There were also crafts, a scavenger hunt with prizes, a concert and a backdrop for photos. The kids even walked a golden carpet for the gallery’s ribbon cutting.
Since then, some of the paintings have gone home with the kids while others can still be found throughout the building. Beem said it was a huge boon for the kids’ self-esteem.
“The whole goal was to make the kids feel special and boost their confidence,” Beem said. “They really did an amazing job on these paintings.”
Some of the artists were very young. Asniha Alam, 3, painted a picture of a bumblebee.
“We were so happy she was able to paint for this,” said Asma Alam, the mother of Asniha. “She did it all by herself.”
For Beem, some of the highlights included a painting of the cartoon character Bluey by Bryan Lorion, 6, “where he used his fingers, strokes with a paintbrush and smeared some of it for a layered look,” and a piece depicting an island at sunset by Madilene Fiore, 10, “which looks so professional — watching her make it was like watching an instructor on TV,” Beem said.
Beem also noted a painting by Eva Worcester, an elementary school student.
“She started drawing something, then wasn’t happy with it, so she covered the whole canvas in black and started putting stars and circles and rainbows on it, and the contrast in color really makes it pop,” Beem said. “She called it ‘The Blob.’ A lot of textures and colors.”
The librarian said that events like the Young Artist Showcase are an example of how libraries have diversified beyond simply offering books and computers.
“We like to think of our library as a community center. The kids come in after school, and I do story time for the little ones,” Beem said. “I just hope it makes a difference for them in their lives and helps them to grow.”