The Town Hall Theatre Lobby Gallery

Lafayette's historic Town Hall Theatre is dedicated to fostering a thriving community that brings together performing artists, students, and audiences through creative and accessible experiences. Since 2022, the theatre has also served as a venue for local art exhibitions, thanks to a collaboration that enables the City to expand its cultural arts programming. The gallery, open to the public during theatre hours, provides an inviting space for art lovers to appreciate and engage with the work of local artists. The theatre's warm and welcoming lobby is an ideal location for receptions, where the public can mingle with artists and fellow art enthusiasts.

Hopak is a Ukrainian folk dance that originated in the 16th century among the Zaparochian Cossacks. Hopak derives its name from the verb “hopaty” to hop, to jump. The Dance is structured around complex acrobatic skills: jumps, leaps and turns in the air and on the ground. It was practiced among the Ukrainian warriors as a competitive  martial art that required energy, speed, strength and resilience. Over time, the dance evolved into the dance that is choreographed and performed on theater stages as a national dance of Ukraine. Hopak is considered to be one of the most difficult dances in the world.

On February 24, 2022 Russia started its full-scale invasion of Ukraine. It is the biggest ongoing war in Europe since WWII. Because of the courage of Ukrainian people and Ukrainian armed forces, Ukraine is still standing. This exhibition is an attempt to celebrate life, movement and dance. Dance as a resistance against imperialism, destruction and killing. It's a fight against Russian fascism, that is trying to completely destroy and erase Ukraine, its people and culture. This body of paintings is an invitation to viewers to stand with Ukraine and to hop to the roots of Ukrainian dance. Dance Dance Dance with Ukraine!

Yana Verba was born in Ukraine, studied at the School of Visual Arts in New York and received a BFA from OCAD University in Toronto. She grounds her art practice in a language of abstraction, using rhythmic patterns, colors, and movement. Inspired by Modernists of the early twentieth century, Verba is currently working on a series of paintings that echo Ukrainian Monumental Mosaic Art. Her work was in a private collection of Christo and Jeanne-Claude. Verba’s work has been shown in Canada, the United States, and the Middle East. She lives and works in the East Bay. 

How to Apply

Exhibits are selected by the City of Lafayette Public Art Committee. Artists interested in displaying artwork must submit a complete Exhibit Packet, including executed Art Gallery Release, an exhibition statement and an artist biography. Please contact Public Art Liaison Jenny Rosen for more information.

Applications shall be reviewed by the Public Art Committee at its regular monthly meetings. Scheduling of exhibitions is dependent upon availability. No alternate works may be substituted for accepted works.

---

Space and Guidelines

The gallery wall dimensions are 19' long x 7' high. All artwork must be suitably framed and equipped with hanging apparatus (D rings and wire) that will enable the artwork to be installed on the Gallery’s picture rail hanging system. Work that is fragile in nature or whose framing or display arrangement is of questionable durability may be rejected. Absolutely no nails, hooks, and/or mounting tape will be allowed to install any exhibit.

---

Location

• The Town Hall Theatre, 3535 School St. (at Moraga Rd.), Lafayette, CA 94549
• www.townhalltheatre.com

---

Hours

The gallery is open to the public when there are public events occurring in the Town Hall Theatre.