Category Archives: What’s New

Teresa Grana to present at WPL

Winfield Public Library Posted on by

Winfield Public Library, in partnership with Winfield Arts and Humanities and the USD 465 Foundation, is excited to host Teresa Covacevich Grana for Impressions of Mexico:  the Journey of Sue Jean Covacevich at 10:00am on Saturday, November 8. The presentation traces Covacevich’s creative journey, her marriage to businessman Nicolas Salazar Covacevich, and her community projects which involved the children of Winfield. The program will also explore the rich traditions of Mexican art and how it infused Sue Jean’s own artwork. Special consideration will be given to the influence of artists Francisco Cornejo, Gerald Murilo, Diego Rivera, and Birger Sandzen. Sandzen visited Covacevich during her time in Mexico, and was a lifelong friend and mentor.

Teresa Covacevich Grana is the daughter of the artist and a cultural historian.  A collection of Covacevich’s art, Mexican Impressions, is on loan from the USD 465 Foundation and will be on display at the library through November 15.

The USD 465 Foundation has a collection of over 200 works of art that have been graciously given to our Winfield School District for the purpose of education through exposure to quality works of art. The collection began in 1933 with a gift of a print from Birger Sandzen, as a prize for the winning Winfield student and their school, through a state-wide contest. With over 80 artists currently represented, much can be learned from art principles and design, from various techniques, and as expressions of human creativity that apply to cross-curricular learning.

Legacy Regional Community Foundation Supports Local Libraries with Book Donations Through Child Care Capacity-Building Grant

Winfield Public Library Posted on by
Tabatha Rosproy, Tabitha Hogan, Yazmin Wood, and Jo Brazil holding books donated by Legacy

Winfield, KS — The Winfield Public Library and Arkansas City Public Library have each received a collection of 17 early childhood caregiver books made possible through the “Communities in Action: A Community Child Care Capacity-Building Project” grant awarded to Legacy Regional Community Foundation in January 2025.

This grant opportunity was designed to provide funding for Kansas communities working to address access to affordable, high-quality child care. Locally, the grant supported coalition-building efforts led by Legacy staff to establish and develop the Cowley County Early Childhood Collaborative (CCECC), a nonprofit organization dedicated to fostering public-private partnerships to optimize local resources, funding, and expertise to help area children and families thrive.  The grant also provided funding to engage Tabatha Rosproy to further the work started with Cowley ACTS – Childcare focus group toward establishing a childcare center in Cowley County.

The book donations to the Winfield and Arkansas City Public Libraries reflect the grant’s broader mission to support early childhood development and community engagement. Some titles of books added to the library collections included:

The basics of starting a child-care business: the business of childcare (2020) by Marnie Forestieri

The encyclopedia of infant and toddler activities: for children birth to 3 (2017) by Donnat Wittmer, PhD.

The playful classroom: the power of play for all ages (2020)  by Jed Dearybury and Julie Jones.

Each of the library directors noted the importance of grants in expanding library resources. Mendy Pfannensteil, Director of the Arkansas City Public Library, shared that the grant significantly expands the library’s offerings on this topic.  Tabitha Hogan of the Winfield Public Library added that collaboration between community organizations will help make the collection more visible.  Both libraries emphasized their shared goal of providing information related to community initiatives and supporting learning for child care providers, aligning with the broader objectives of the grant and the libraries.

“Funding provided by Child Care Aware of Kansas in partnership with the Kansas Children’s Cabinet and Trust Fund. We are dedicated to building quality child care in communities for Kansas families.”

For more information, please contact:
Tabitha Hogan, Winfield Public Library
Mendy Pfannenstiel, Arkansas City Public Library