Public Art Projects

Mary Jane Bank Memorial

Artist : Ed Rosko
Year : 2025
Location : FireWise Demonstration Garden @ The CQ Library Annex
Funder : Friends of the Copper Queen Library
Mary Jane Bank Memorial 2025
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Poetry Banners in Bisbee

Poets : Alison Williams, Gretchen Hill, Sharon Strachan, Tina Quinn Durham
Year : 2025
Location : Main Street & Vista Park
Funder : Friends of the Copper Queen Library
In celebration of National Poetry Month, the Copper Queen Library created poetry banners to line Main Street and Lower Vista Park featuring poems about Bisbee written by poets in the CQL's Poetry Critique Society.  Sponsored by the Friends of the Copper Queen Library, the banners will be hung every April to help celebrate our library, poetry, and Bisbee!
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Ben Dale Sculpture -- Annex

Artist : Ben Dale
Year : 2025
Location : Copper Queen Library Annex Patio
Funder : Arizona Community Foundation
In 2025, Ben Dale finished his tribute to the flora and fauna of our unique desert with an incredible sculpture installation on the CQ Library Annex Patio.  Featuring scenes from a desert playbook, each pedestal tells a story with our desert neighbors as the main characters. 
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Copper Queen Library B.R.A.T.

Artist : Peter Gaffer
Year : 2024 B.R.A.T. (Bisbee Rolling Art Transport) Parade
Location : CQ Library Annex
Funder : Peter Gaffer
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Stratas of Time Water Feature

Artist : David Neufeld
Year : 2023
Location : Copper Queen Library Annex / FireWise Garden
Funder : Arizona Community Foundation

The Copper Queen Library Annex's Statas of Time Water Feature demonstrates the stratas of time, with different layers of the sculpture representing different periods of geological time.  Layers include : fossils, bones, pottery shards, and artifacts from the mining era of southern Arizona.  The sculpture/water feature uses water from the Annex's rain catchment system.
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Southwest Photo Mural

Artist : Bridget Shanahan
Year : 2020
Location : Copper Queen Library | Old Bisbee
Funder : Bisbee Arts Commission

The Copper Queen Library's Southwest Photo Mural was designed by graphic artist Bridget Shanahan and features historic photographs of Bisbee from the CQL's permanent collection.

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Stained Glass Window

Artist : Nicole Piper
Year : 2022
Location : Copper Queen Library | 6 Main Street | Old Bisbee
Funder : Bisbee Arts Commission & The Friends of the Copper Queen Library

Designed and crafted by Bisbee artist Nicole Piper, this art project was created to commemorate the Copper Queen Library's 140 years of service to the Bisbee Community in 2022 and celebrates the flora and fauna of unique desert environment.
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Patio Mural

Artist : Bill Mead
Year : 2023
Location : CQ Library Annex Patio | 519 W Melody Lane | San Jose
Funder : Arizona Community Foundation

In the spring of 2023, Bisbee artist Bill Mead was commissioned by the CQ Library to create a mural on the Annex's Patio, a project sponsored by the Arizona Community Foundation, the City of Bisbee and the Arizona State Library.
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Bisbee B.R.A.T.S. Parade

Artist : Gretchen Hill
Year : 2023
Funder : The Friends of the Copper Queen Library

In 2023, the Copper Queen Library participated in Bisbee's annual B.R.A.T.S. Parade (Bisbee Rolling Art Transport Society).  The art was created by Bisbee artist & CQL Early Literacy Coordinator Gretchen Hill and library patrons during the library's Open Art Studio Program.

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Freedom to Read - A Community-Led Inside Out Action

Group Leader : Alison Williams
Photographer : Ember Gulden
Location : Bisbee Road | Bakerville
Year : 2023

After winning the TED Prize on March 2, 2011, the French-artist JR launched the Inside Out Project, in his first TED Talk. Using his own artistic practice as inspiration, this participatory platform helps individuals and communities to make a statement by displaying large-scale black and white portraits in public spaces. Through their “Actions,” communities around the world have sparked collaborations and conversations. 

Freedom to Read is a community-led Inside Out Action that showcases local Bisbee youth holding their favorite book and celebrates our freedom to read.

To view all portraits, please visit the Inside Out website by clicking here.

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Imagine Your Story / Imagina Tu Cuento Mural

Artist : Suzanne McKee, Steve Miller, Bisbee Youth/Library Summer Reading Participants
Year : 2020
Location : Copper Queen Library Annex | 519 W. Melody Lane | Bisbee
Funder : Friends of the Copper Queen Library
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Copper Queen Library Signage

Artist : Ben Dale
Year : 2020
Location : Copper Queen Library | 6 Main Street | Bisbee
Funder : Prize money for being named Best Small Library in America by the Library Journal, 2019.
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Welcome to the Copper Queen Library - Elevator Entrance

Artist : Bill Mead
Year : 2023
Location : Copper Queen Library | 6 Main Street | Bisbee
Funder : Friends of the Copper Queen Library
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