About the Gallery

The Alice C. Sabatini Gallery curates four main exhibits each year including the Summer Art Exhibit for Children. In addition to the large exhibits, gallery staff curate several exhibits throughout the library each year giving visitors opportunities to explore a wide variety of art and artists. The gallery also includes the Reed Studio, a space for visitors to create art, learn new techniques and interact with Artists in Residence.

The gallery is home to Topeka’s oldest public art collection. The nucleus of this collection was created when library board member Edward Wilder purchased a large collection of Art Nouveau glass and ceramics for the library while on a tour of Europe in 1901.The collection has expanded over the years to include regional paintings and prints, American contemporary ceramics, glass paperweights, West African decorative arts, southwest reliquary woodcarvings and 19th century Chinese decorative arts. Popular annual shows include the Topeka Competition, the Printed Image: a contemporary prints exhibit and the Children’s Show.

The library gallery was formally renamed The Alice C. Sabatini Gallery in 2002 after the current library facility opened. The gallery is named to honor the memory of local artist, educator, designer and philanthropist Alice C. Sabatini.

Jerry Reed made a significant gift to name a unique space in the Alice C. Sabatini Gallery. The Jerry and Judy Reed Studio, named after him and his late wife Judy, will be focused on art creation, including the potential for multi-day projects and artists-in-residence opportunities where local artists can demonstrate their craft and teach classes. Jerry has volunteered in the gallery since 2002!

“The gallery is a wonderful space and these renovations have made it more interactive and attractive,” said Jerry Reed. “My family and I look forward to seeing how our community uses this space to bring art to life.”

Jerry took advantage of his former employer’s, (Phillips Petroleum, now ConocoPhillips) matching gift programs to enhance his contributions. The library has certainly benefited. Jerry said he encourages all donors of the library to check with the company they work for or have retired from to see if they might have a similar program. We are grateful to Jerry and ConocoPhillips for their long-standing support of the Sabatini Gallery at the Topeka and Shawnee County Public Library!