Arapahoe Libraries is proud to host art exhibits each month at Eloise May, Koelbel and Smoky Hill libraries. Library galleries offer the community a place to view a variety of art at no cost while also providing visibility to local artists. A volunteer art selection committee selects exhibits based on artistic quality, variety of exhibits and the suitability of format for each exhibit space.
Have a question about the galleries or interested in showcasing your art? Visit the Art Galleries page for more information.
Beth Thomas
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Beth has been a freelance artist for 20+ years specializing in custom pen & ink drawings and acrylic paintings. She earned a B.A. in Studio Art from the University of Richmond and created art in Richmond, VA until she moved to Longmont in 2024. After moving to the Front Range, she fell in love with prairie dogs and was inspired to create a series of drawings to raise awareness around saving the species. A portion of the proceeds from the sale of her pen & ink prints will be donated towards prairie dog preservation in Colorado.
What is your favorite piece in the show and why?
The entire series is inspired by beautiful places I’ve visited in Colorado that I love, so they are all meaningful, but my favorite is probably Lacie and LaRue in Loveland because it showcases a quintessential Colorado landscape, Columbines, and two cute prairie dogs kissing!
What motivates you to create?
This quote by Pablo Picasso hangs in my home studio and inspires me every day: "The meaning of life is to find your gift. The purpose of life is to give it away." I love creating art that makes people happy and celebrates the simple pleasures in life – like art, nature and love.
What message do you want your art to convey to viewers?
Prairie dogs are a keystone species and they are critical to our ecosystem. I’m passionate about raising awareness around saving these cute creatures and I'm hoping my art inspires others to do the same. A portion of the proceeds from the sale of my prints will be donated towards prairie dog preservation in Colorado.
Alison Flannery
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On my best days I exist in a dreamy state of awe at the natural world with a tendency toward fairy tales and imagination. My art is an expression of those layers of perception - what I see and imagine brought together to revel in everyday magic.
I work in a variety of mediums. I love the richness of oil paint as colors blend to convey mood and experience. The complexity and secrets of collage and paper assembly lend themselves beautifully to my artistic expression and fuel my perpetual love affair with patterns.
The complicated tension of the human experience is inescapable for me, and it finds its way into all of my work. Beautiful mountain meadows made out of catalogs and plastic dinosaurs. The wildness of a coyote at sunset, in the middle of the suburbs.
Alexander Zinn
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I am excited to share this small collection of Colorado landscape photographs with those who appreciate the outdoors- its beauty, its power, and the importance of preserving it in the face of climate change.
What is your favorite piece in the show and why?
My favorite piece in the show is “Four Seasons”. Attracting more than one million people annually, the Flatirons are breathtaking. I was lucky enough to call Boulder home for a few years. I graduated last May and was able to create a a side by side of the infamous Flatirons in every season of the year. I love how time tells a revolving story here.
What motivates you to create?
People motivate me to create. I am inspired by people, their thoughts, how they communicate, how people express themselves. There is something to be learned from everybody. I feel that the more I expand my mind, I expand my vision. Life moves fast, photographs give us a chance to reminisce on a past time that bring us memories, and get us thinking.
Who are your biggest artists influences?
Ansel Adams
Vivian Maier
Marc Adamus
What message do you want your art to convey?
These photographs are windows from my perspective, capturing the raw unique biomes that Colorado offers. I found myself fortune enough to often be the first on unbeaten paths to capture some of these moments in time. Through this gallery, I aim to evoke emotion and connection, blending familiar landscapes with more hidden, untouched scenes. Each image is a tribute to the versatility that is, Colorado. I encourage all who take the time to view photographs, to find the time to go and enjoy the places our great state has. We are blessed to live in such a scenically stunning state.
Exhibition Info
This show depicts unique photographs of Colorado. I hope to shed light on environmental impact and climate change. Growing up as a native Coloradan, the outdoors are a part of my life, I am always fascinated by exploration, history, and stories. Understanding the place in which you are is imperative. I encourage anybody to pick up a camera regardless of age or experience and play around with creativity. There is no right or wrong, there is only your eye and your creative interpretation. I wish that my collection inspires you to go out of your way to explore, and to learn and create new memories.