Irene Pijoan (1953-2004) earned a Master of Fine Arts from University of California, Davis. She had been a professor at San Francisco Art Institute since 1983. She received her first public commission in 1999, having previously concentrated on studio works in a variety of media. Her work has been exhibited in museums and galleries in the United States and Europe. Whether working in her studio or in the public arena, a love of materials, an interplay between two and three dimensions, and a sense of the physical and spiritual world characterized her work.

The most significant public work of Irene’s career, this work is composed of six interior pieces that are installed along the entire length of the interior boulevard spanning both entrances. The title and the artworks refer to the act of reading the written word as an activity, allowing the viewer to move across and through different time periods and cultural boundaries. This suite is united by the use of text and images to express the existence of the Library as a central focus for the diverse segments of the community to come together around shared interests and curiosities.

"I selected quotations from a variety of periods and cultures, addressing the delight of reading, the spirit of inquiry that brings people to books, the power of knowledge and information to feed the heart and mind, and the mystery of poetry. Through books, people learn about each other’s experience and boundaries break down.”

Various dimensions, Hand-painted aluminum, 2004