BY ALICE THOMAS

Special to The Pilot

This month a gaggle of dinosaurs, dragons, giraffes and lions began parading across the walls of the children's section at the Moore County Library in Carthage.

"We're thrilled," says Clara Bernicken, president of the Friends of Moore County Library. "It's a great opportunity for kids to showcase their artwork, and the library is a great venue for it."

The Friends recently undertook a project titled "Moore Masterpieces," which creates an opportunity for local students to display their artwork while beautifying the library.

The Friends were awarded a grant from the Moore County Unrestricted Endowment Fund, a component fund of the North Carolina Community Foundation, to assist with the project.

During the year, Moore County Library will partner with several local schools in order to provide an ever-changing children's art display. The first exhibit, currently under way, was furnished by Sandhills Farm Life Elementary School.

"The students had a great time making their artwork," says Jill Hartsell, art teacher at Sandhills Farm Life. >"Watching the students' >eyes light up when they were told their art would be shown in the Carthage library and for them to see their art framed was reward enough for me."

In the coming months the library will display art by students from New Century Middle School (December-January), North Moore High School (February-March), and Carthage Elementary School (April-May).

"This is a great way to get parents, educators and the community involved in the arts," Hartsell says. "Showing student artwork >really is great for art enrichment, but also for the art appreciation it has instilled in my students."

Bernicken saw the benefit to the library as well.

"By forming partnerships with local schools, the library is reinforcing its role as a community anchor," she says.

The artwork is available for viewing anytime the library is open. The Moore County Library is open Monday through Friday from 8:30 a.m. to 6 p.m. and Saturdays from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.

For more information call (910) 947-5335 or visit the Moore County Library's Facebook page.

Moore County Library is a member of the Sandhill Regional Library System.