By Andy Furman
Point/Arc
Kelly Bowling has found a new canvas for her creative talent. She is an artist. That is, when she’s not working as a Barista at the Point-Perk – a full-service coffee shop run by the non-profit organization, The Point/Arc.
And her artwork was put on display this week when Little Free Libraries unveiled their newest book-box – with Kelly’s art serving as borders for the new box.
“Our vision,” said Mary Kay Connolly, director of Read Ready Covington, “is a Little Free Library in every community and a book for every reader. Our mission is to be a catalyst for building community, inspiring readers, and expanding book access through a network of volunteer-led Little Free Library book-exchange boxes.
“We are,” a global take-a-book, share-a-book network of miniature, neighborhood-based book exchanges.”
The Queen City Book Club provides the boxes, according to club Marketing Director, Laura Martin., “We call it, ‘The Little Free Library Kit.’”
She said there are 260 boxes in Greater Cincinnati, 36 of them in Covington.
Some of the boxes are sponsored by the Kenton County Library, others by Read Ready Covington, Connolly said.
But why at The Point-Perk Coffee Shop in Covington – one of several social enterprises owned and operated by the 54-year-old Covington-based non-profit organization.
“It’s a gathering space for children and adults in the center of town,” Connolly said. “I had a conversation a while back with Rachelle Ungerman — General Manager of the Point-Perk – and thought this would be a perfect spot.”
And Kelly Bowling would be perfect to add the final touches on the new box.
“Kelly is no stranger to art, as well as painting and sculpture,” her dad Jerry said. “She started painting early – when she was about two or three.”
And that’s when Jerry was told Kelly was Autistic.
“At first, I was in denial,” the single dad said, “but facts were facts. We had a great support system.
“Kelly’s been at The Point for just about five years, a nd it’s been a godsend for our family. She came at the end of COVID and loved it.”
As for her latest work of art, the 25-year-old Kelly says, “I was asked to do it, because of my talent. The project took about three weeks for me to finish.”
Ungerman says Kelly works two-days-a-week at the Perk, but came on her off days to complete the sketches for the project.
“Her dad actually let us know she did art work,” Ungerman said, “and when we approached Kelly for the task, we told her we wanted to collaborate with the city of Covington.”
And she did.
Little Free Library book-sharing boxes are open 24 hours-a-day, seven days-a-week, and are freely accessible to all – removing barriers to book access. One does not need a library card to use these book-sharing boxes – it’s simply take a book, share a book.
And if you’re trying to find the newest box on the corner of West Pike Street and Washington – just look for the artwork, by Kelly.
The Point/Arc was founded in 1972 by a group of parents fighting for the educational rights of their children, who were diagnosed with an intellectual and developmental (I/DD) disability. The mission – to help people with disabilities achieve their highest potential educationally, socially, residentially, and vocationally, more than this, The Point/Arc has been an organization that identifies gaps in services and provides care and support to fill these gaps – even when government funding sources are not available.