If you have been thinking about a visit to Central Library, Stampede is a great time to venture downtown. The adjacent Olympic Plaza and Stephen Avenue mall are lively places that feature music, dancing and other street performances during Stampede. You could also include a visit to the Glenbow while you're at it.

In a new exhibit that opened in June, the Glenbow Museum celebrates Charlie Russell’s connection to the first Calgary Stampede. The “Famous Cowboy Artist” exhibited twenty paintings that were a popular attraction. The Glenbow has tracked down seventeen of these works and brought them together again.

Fans of his western art will enjoy a new addition to our collection: The Masterworks of Charles M. Russell: A Retrospective of Paintings and Sculpture. The book is a catalogue from an exhibit at the Denver Art Museum in 2009 – 2010. It includes eight essays that examine key aspects of Russell’s art and the culture in which he lived and worked.

You can find other wonderful books in the collection by subject searching “west in art”, “cowboys in art”, “horses in art”, "Indian art" – you get the drift.

I have been enjoying Contemporary Native American Artists which popped up from one of these searches. It introduced me to the colourful work of artist Malcolm Furlow who lives in northern New Mexico. I am enchanted by his Reclining Coyote which is pictured in the book.

“Too American,” you say? I’m not a purist. So much of our Stampede celebration traces its roots south of the border. It’s all good.

-Jane

Today the library is having a party at every branch to celebrate our 100^th birthday. At the Central Library, we have painted the windows and created an wall of artworks by talented staff members from the whole system. There will be music, games, dance and face painting. And, of course, there will be cake.

It takes takes enthusiam and a lot of planning to create a great bash. Here are two books from the collection that just might turn you into a party animal.

CelebraTORI: Unleashing Your Inner Party Planner to Entertain Friends and Family comes from super party person, Tori Spelling. Although she grew up in a home that was famous for over-the-top, lavish gatherings, Spelling has learned that creativity, passion and smart planning are the key to entertaining on a budget.

She loves themed parties and offers a list of dos and don’ts to make them successful. One of her party prescriptions is a perfect fit for summertime Calgary.

The Cowboys and Lace party combines the rough and rustic western aesthetic with the softness of lace. She gathers hay bales, daisies and lace curtains together with a campfire, banjo music and games of horseshoes. Food includes summertime favourites like baked beans and barbecued ribs. Everyone in Calgary has the western duds to pull this off.

In Parties that Wow: Setting the Stage for Creative Entertaining, Jonathan Fong outlines a honky-tonking Western party for urban cowboys. His décor includes a saddle on a bar stool and cowboy boots stuffed with bright yellow mums. Coloured bandannas are wrapped around beer bottles to provide guests with drink markers.

Stampede is happenin’ soon and this year it's their 100th birthday party too. It’s Calgary’s time to party.