Community Impact
In its first year, Creative Collaborations offered:
- 320+ Open Studio Hours hosted at Headquarters Library, allowing patrons to observe the artistic process, ask questions and engage with the artist outside of scheduled programming.
- 20 Public Programs for children, teens and adults with 324 participants.
- Collaborations with Three Title I High Schools in Cumberland County, including:
- Free classroom art supplies
- A unit of study tied to NC Essential Standards designed specifically by the artist for the high school students
- 3 classroom artist visits
- 3 library field trips where students visited the artist’s studio and got one-on-one assistance in completing their projects
- The opportunity for students to display their completed works at their local public library during a month-long exhibit
- 23,687 Library Visitors experienced the culminating exhibition, Woven Connections, during its month-long installation in the Headquarters Library lobby.
- 212 Take-Home Embroidery Kits were distributed during the exhibition, extending the creative experience beyond the gallery.
Meet Kia Love, Our First Artist in Residence!
The Library proudly welcomed textile artist Kia Love as its inaugural Artist in Residence from November 2025 through June 2026. Through hands-on workshops and community-inspired creations, Kia weaved stories, sparked connection and celebrated creativity across all eight library branches. Her residency culminated in Woven Connections, an exhibit honoring the voices and heritage of Cumberland County.
This program was supported by grant funds from the Institute of Museum and Library Services under the provisions of the Library Services and Technology Act (LSTA) as administered by the State Library of North Carolina, a division of the NC Department of Natural and Cultural Resources (IMLS grant number LS-259195-OLS-25).
Contact Us
For questions regarding the Creative Collaborations program, please email us 
(creativecollaborations@cumberlandcountync.gov).