Library Public Art Galleries
The Lafayette Library and Learning Center Art Galleries
The Lafayette Library and Learning Center features two gallery spaces that are designed to support rich and diverse artistic expression, provide the opportunity for local artists to display their works, and to encourage the appreciation of the visual arts in Lafayette's cultural center.
Exhibits are held in the Community Hall Gallery, located in the Don Tatzin Community Hall (adjacent to the library), and in the Homework Center within the library. Exhibits are selected by the City of Lafayette Public Art Committee.
Winter Exhibitions
The Public Art Committee is pleased to feature three compelling exhibitions this winter season, each offering a unique perspective and medium:
Lois Reynolds Mead – On the Table | Homework Center
Lois’s collages explore the textures, colors, and personal connections of family table-top still lifes, reflecting on gatherings missed during the pandemic.
Stephen Elbert – Lines. Planes. Volumes. Shapes. | Community Hall
Stephen’s photography captures geometric patterns and urban structures, highlighting the graphic qualities of human-made environments.
Suzanne Rogge – Swerving In and Out of My Lane | Display Case
Suzanne’s jewelry blends traditional metalsmithing with experiments in diverse materials, reflecting her playful exploration of form and technique.
These exhibitions are on view at the Lafayette Library and Learning Center from December 2, 2025, through February 1, 2026.
An artist reception will be held Monday, January 12, from 5–6:30 pm in the Community Hall Gallery Meet the artists and view the full range of work.
Stephen Elbert: Lines. Planes. Volumes. Shapes.
Updated on 12/11/2025 6:08 PM
Community Hall Gallery
December 2, 2025 – February 1, 2026
Exhibition Statement
Geometric elements define our environment - whether natural or man-made. Images in this exhibit are urban, frequently discovered in industrial districts, alleys or along railroad tracks. My visual goals have evolved from documenting aging, urban detritus to generating images that capture that which humans have created.
My eye is drawn to patterns - both irregular and repetitive – either natural or by human hands. I see repeating architectural elements and diagonal shadows. How can one resist capturing old versus new, or expressions of human individuality?
Tightly cropped, these compositions emphasize key visual elements and reduce distracting backgrounds. I believe that each image must possess a strong graphic quality. Trained in black and white photography, I tend to first see an image as monochrome: black, white and shades of gray. Color, whether intense or muted, is a plus for the final image.
For inquiries: Email se@stephenelbert.com
Lois Reynolds Mead: On the Table
Updated on 12/11/2025 6:41 PM
Homework Center
December 2, 2025 – February 1, 2026
Exhibition Statement
Our family table has always been central to our family life. In small ways it has allowed me to express color and texture within the welcoming space of sharing family time and connection. I was able to use the isolation time of the pandemic to broaden my skills and techniques in the area of collage, but I found sharing family holiday dinners over zoom calls were less than satisfying. My collages began to reflect how much I missed the in-person collection of people and objects around that central table.
Originally a ceramic artist, in retirement from public school teaching, (for many years I was the Art teacher at Joaquin Moraga Intermediate School in Moraga) I began to paint in acrylics. My art has always been vibrant and colorful whether in clay or in paint. My theme became table-top still-lives acknowledging the loss of family gatherings with my adult children around our communal table during the isolated time. Family heirlooms also began to appear in the collages.
I continue to make collages around this theme. My inspiration is texture and color as well as exploring perspective. I use thin transparent papers I paint and print as well as papers I have collected traveling to other countries. I have always found that interacting with art, whether creating or observing it, brightens my day and I hope my artwork shares that with you.
Artist Bio
After college and receiving a teaching credential, I taught Special Education in California public schools for multiple years until I began enrolling in art classes. This led to becoming a ceramic artist and then returning to teaching as an Intermediate School Art teacher. I was the art teacher at Joaquin Moraga Intermediate school for thirteen years. After retirement from teaching I began to create collages using acrylic paint and paper. For more than ten years I served as a board member of the Lamorinda Arts Council, helping to bring art in its many forms to the community where I lived. After living in Orinda for thirty-six years, last year my husband and I moved to Concord to a house without stairs but with a garage sized art studio. My art has always been vibrant and colorful whether in clay or in paint. During the isolation of the pandemic, I concentrated on painting and developing my style of collage. My theme became table-top still-lives acknowledging the loss of family gatherings with my adult children around our communal table during that time.
For inquiries: www.loisreynoldsmead.com
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.
The exhibition calendar is divided into four seasonal shows—Winter, Spring, Summer, and Fall—with a fixed deadline application process. Application deadlines are as follows:
- October 15 for Winter (December - February)
- January 15 for Spring (March - May)
- April 15 for Summer (June - August)
- July 15 for Fall (September - November)
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 Community Hall gallery features approximately 32 linear feet of exhibition space. The Homework Center features approximately 20 linear feet of exhibition space. Works may be installed in a single row or salon-style. All two-dimensional 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 at the Gallery.
Location
The Don Tatzin Community Hall and the Lafayette Library and Learning Center are located at 3491 Mt Diablo Blvd, Lafayette, CA 94549
Hours
The Homework Center is open to the public during library hours. The Community Hall Gallery is open to the public only during public events occurring in the Community Hall.