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.
Jack Wade
The makeup of our vision is based on the rods and cones in our eyes. Rods deciding the amount of light to let in, with Cones adapting to the amount of light, thus depicting the color and viewpoint of our world.
Rods & Cones peers through the lens of ostracization, adapting to economic turmoil, & bringing light to a lonesome city.
Benjamin Hummel
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Benjamin J. Hummel is a children’s book illustrator, 3D chalk artist, teacher, storyteller, and former puppeteer. Benjamin primarily works in a mixed media technique of acrylic and colored pencil. He has illustrated for large publishers and independent authors, as well as for his own young adult novel about time-traveling teenagers. Benjamin’s life is marked by the fact he was born with an aggressive auto-immune disorder that has resulted in two-transplants, multiple surgeries, and frequent hospital stays.
What is your favorite piece in the show and why?
I don’t really have a single piece that’s my favorite, but I did really enjoy working on the “Little Tales for Restless Charlie” children’s book. Every illustrator’s dream is to have the chance to give their take on the classic fairy tales. The author was very open to my own personal expression, and I had a blast developing the characters and putting them into comical and whimsical situations.
What motivates you to create?
I like to joke that as a young child, my mother discovered I had an aptitude for art and thus she did the unfortunate thing in encouraging me to pursue it. She definitely was a huge influence in my life, both as an early childhood educator and as one of my biggest fans. Beyond that, I also love to tell stories. One big reason I pursued illustration was so that I could tell stories with my drawings and paintings. Text. narratives, and literature, given to me by an art director, author, or friend provide plenty of motivation for developing worlds from my mind’s eye. Finally, my health issues are a major reason I create. Spending many hours in the hospital as a child, I found art was one thing I could do to get my mind off of my situation and that I could work on from a hospital bed. Honestly, with how much I deal with complications of this disease, I’m not sure I could hold any traditional type job. Being an illustrator is the perfect fit for me.
Who are your biggest artists influences?
Someone once looked at my work and described it as a cross between Edward Hopper and Norman Rockwell, and frankly, I can’t really disagree with them. Both are artists whose style and expression I studied extensively in college and as a young adult. As a child, I loved children’s book illustrators such as Bill Peet and Steven Kellogg. I love Van Gogh’s use of color and Gustave Dore’s intricate line work and unique storytelling.
What message do you want your art to convey to viewers?
More than anything, I want to convey a message of hope and of good humor. I understand that life is full of pain and disappointment. This auto-immune disorder can leave me in crippling physical pain sometimes. I don’t care to paint the pain and the heartache. I have enough of that in my life. I’d rather focus on the joys of life. If I can bring a chuckle or a smile to someone’s face as they enjoy my artwork, I feel I have succeeded.
Brass Wolf Workshop
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Love Letter to Colorado Exhibit Description: What would your love letter to Colorado say?
Love Letter to Colorado is a handcrafted tribute to the everyday magic of this state - the moments that don’t make the travel brochures but live rent-free in your soul. From trailhead sunrises to backyard tulips, each piece captures something fleeting and real - the kind of beauty you notice only when you slow down.
Every work is made from reclaimed wood - rich with history, grain, and imperfection - laser-cut, hand-painted, and assembled into one-of-a-kind mosaic panels. No two are alike. Because no two stories are the same.
Crafted in Denver with sustainable materials and deliberate care, this collection is about memory, place, and presence. Whether it reminds you of where you’ve been or grounds you in where you are now, Love Letter to Colorado offers something deeper than decoration — it offers belonging.
At Brass Wolf Workshop, we turn reclaimed wood into thoughtful, lasting pieces that reflect the character of place. Based in Denver, our studio blends craft, design, and sustainability to create one-of-a-kind home decor grounded in Colorado’s natural and built landscapes.
We work with materials that already hold memory - salvaged woods with history and grain that guide the form. Our goal is to create objects that feel lived in, loved, and ready to carry new meaning forward.
What is your favorite piece in the show and why?
Snap. Inspired by the Venus flytrap at the Denver Botanic Gardens - a plant that’s quiet until it isn’t. This piece is all restraint and tension - a reminder that beauty doesn’t have to be loud to be powerful.
What motivates you to create?
We’re inspired by the small moments that make up life in Colorado - mountain silhouettes, spring blooms, trail maps, and architectural patterns. Our work is a way to hold onto those fleeting impressions and offer them back in a form that lasts.
Who are your biggest artistic influences?
Paul Sellers for his mastery of craft. Shepard Fairey for the ability to distill message and impact into a single image.
What message do you want your art to convey to viewers?
Connection. To place. To memory. To something personal. Whether it sparks nostalgia or offers a new perspective, we hope each piece encourages people to slow down, look closer, and feel something real.
About Brass Wolf Workshop:
- Remus Ionescu - CREATIVE DIRECTOR AND TECHNICAL DESIGNER - Originally from Brăila, Romania, Remus spent his formative years in Philadelphia before embarking on his academic journey. He earned a Fine Woodworking AAS Degree from Red Rocks Community College and honed his craft further by obtaining a Bachelor of Science in Architecture from the University of Colorado. His work draws from both precision and intuition, blending structural thinking with a love for material.
- Jennifer Sickles - OPERATIONS DIRECTOR + CLIENT RELATIONS MANAGER - Originally from Pennsylvania, Jen pursued her academic journey at the University of Colorado, where she earned a degree in Business Administration. Despite her focus on Management and HR studies, Jen's true passion lies in the world of art and design, which she continuously explores and embraces.