ART IN CITY HALL
Highlighting the Dynamic Artistry of Pinole’s Local Talent in Our Community’s Core
About Art in City Hall
The Art in City Hall Program, hosted by the City of Pinole and Pinole Artisans as the lead organization, aims to enrich the community by showcasing local artistic talent within the walls of Pinole City Hall. This initiative fosters cultural engagement, promotes local artists, and enhances the aesthetic environment of our civic spaces. The program invites artists to submit their work for temporary exhibitions, aligning with the City’s commitment to community beautification and public participation.
Program Information
- Eligibility: Open to artists residing in or with a strong connection to Pinole, California.
- Artwork Submission: Please contact President of Pinole Artisans: Nadine Laurent at nmlaurent@gmail.com.
- Artwork Requirements: All submissions must be original and suitable for public display.
- Exhibition Duration: Selected artworks will be displayed up to 2-3 months at Pinole City Hall, 2131 Pear Street, Pinole, CA 94564.
- Exhibition hours: Exhibits will be open to the public during regular City Hall hours: Monday to Thursday, 8:30am – 12:00pm & 1:00pm – 4:30pm and closed on weekends and holidays.
- You can find the full program guideline below:
Art in City Hall Program Guidelines
The City of Pinole’s Art in City Hall Program provides exhibition opportunities for professional and emerging Pinole artists and arts organizations, with the goal of supporting the local arts community, creating a memorable experience for the public, and celebrating Pinole’s diverse history and community.
The guidelines below describe the application process, exhibit schedule, artwork requirements, artist responsibilities, and other program details. These guidelines will be re-evaluated and refined, if needed, when the program concludes.
Program Overview
- The Art in City Hall program consists of two gallery spaces, one located on at the Atrium by the front entrance and another on the Hallway by the Council Chamber.
- The program is open to all professional and emerging artists living in Pinole, or arts organizations based in Pinole.
- Artists are encouraged to have a reception at City Hall. Receptions must be scheduled in advance with City staff to determine an available date and time. The artist is responsible for the reception, set-up, supplies, non-alcoholic refreshments, and cleanup following the reception.
- While every reasonable precaution will be taken during the exhibition of artwork, the City of Pinole, its officials, officers, employees, commissions, or volunteers do not assume responsibility for any loss or damage to the artwork incurred in connection with the Art in City Hall display. Artists must agree to look to their own insurance coverage for claims of loss or damage.
Exhibit and Installation Schedule
- Exhibits will be open to the public during regular City Hall hours:
- Monday to Thursday, 8:30am – 12:00pm & 1:00pm – 4:30pm.
- The City will not be responsible for storing any artwork at any time or for any reason.
Artwork Requirements and Artist Responsibilities
- Artists are solely responsible for the transportation, installation, and removal of the artwork and must be available on the designated installation and removal dates.
- Artwork may be hung on open wall space in the gallery area only, using the provided hanging system. Absolutely no nails, hooks, and/or mounting tape will be allowed to install any artwork.
- All artwork must be ready to hang, using the following specifications for the Rail Hanging System:
- All artwork must have two d-rings or wire loops mounted to the back of the piece, equidistant from the center.
- Maximum weight is 22 pounds. It is the artist’s responsibility to ensure that the wire and/or d-rings are rated the proper weight for the piece, as this weight rating is only for the hardware installed in City Hall.
- More information about hanging specifications will be provided at the Orientation meeting.
- Gallery size and capacity are as follows:
- Atrium gallery (front entrance): Four 3-foot of curve wall-mounted art rails, with hardware to hang up to 7-10 pieces of artwork. Hallway gallery (Council Chamber): 12-foot of wall-mounted art rails, with hardware to hang up to 6-10 pieces of artwork. A limited number of additional hooks for additional pieces may be available. The exact number of pieces that can fit in each gallery will vary based on the size of the artwork.
- The quantity and/or size of the artwork must be sufficient for the assigned gallery space.
- Any original creative work, including but not limited:
- Paintings
- Sculptures
- Photographs
- Drawings
- The City of Pinole retains the authority to remove any artwork that artists are informed may be considered politically sensitive or offensive, ensuring alignment with community standards.
- The artists must provide City staff with an exhibit name, artist statement, and, if desired, contact information to be included in the exhibit, at least three weeks before installation.
- Artist contact information will be provided on the City website and, if desired, as part of the exhibit.
- City Hall is a location where people of all ages, ethnicities, and religious affiliations gather and conduct business. No artwork depicting nudity, profanity, violence, religious symbols, or advertisements will be permitted.
- Artwork should be available to hang in City Hall for the duration of the exhibit. If a piece is sold or removed by the artist for any reason, the artist will coordinate the installation of a replacement piece with City staff within three days of removal of the previous work.
Liability
- Artists must submit a completed Artist’s Agreement prior to exhibit installation.
- The City recommends that artists arrange private insurance coverage for their exhibit.
- All artwork displayed in City Hall will be displayed at the artist’s own risk; the City does not accept responsibility for, and will not be liable for, any damage, destruction, loss, or theft of any artwork in connection with or arising out of the artist’s use of the City Hall galleries, regardless of the cause of such damage, destruction, loss, or theft as more fully described in the Artist Agreement.
- The artist will defend, indemnify, and hold harmless the City from any and all losses, claims, or liability in connection with or arising out of the artist’s use of the City Hall gallery.
- The gallery must be left in the same condition as it existed when the display was installed, as determined by the City in its reasonable discretion, and artists will be responsible for making any repairs to the gallery that the City determines are necessary as a result of the artist’s use of the gallery.
Artist Agreement & Waiver of Claims
Please complete the DocuSign agreement below.
Current and Upcoming Exhibits
Current Exhibit
December, 2025 – February 2026
- The Atrium/Hallway Gallery:
- Nadine Robbins- Laurent
- Penny Bledsoe
- Alan Vaughn
- Vickie Resso
- Gina Chin-Davis
- Maggi Jensen Prado
- Michael Resso
Artist’s Reception
Join us for an inspiring afternoon celebrating local Pinole artists! 🎨✨
📅 Tuesday, January 20, 2026
🕒 3:30 PM – 5:00 PM
📍 Pinole City Hall Atrium
2131 Pear Street, Pinole, CA 94564
Meet the artists, view beautiful original artworks on display, enjoy light refreshments, and soak up the creative energy in our beautiful City Hall atrium.
This is part of Pinole’s Art in City Hall program—supporting our talented local community!
Free & open to all. Bring your friends & family!
Current Exhibition:
December 2025 – February 2026
Pinole City Hall Gallery Space 1st floor – 2131 Pear St, Pinole, CA 94564
Hours: Mon. – Wed.: 8:30am – 12:00pm & 1:00pm – 4:30pm and closed on weekends and holidays.
Artists Bio:
Nadine Robbins-Laurent:
Nadine Robbins-Laurent, better known in the art world as Twisted Maker, is a self-taught creative whirlwind based in Pinole, California. She works with so many materials—acrylic, colored pencil, pastels, pan pastels, watercolor, clay, lino-printing, glass, laser cutting, and engraving—that one suspects she’s secretly trying to win a Guinness World Record for “Most Art Supplies Hoarded by One Human.”
Though art has always been her passion, Nadine didn’t fully dive into it until later in life, after a dramatic plot twist involving cancer. Instead of letting that chapter define her, she turned creativity into her superpower, discovering that making art was cheaper than therapy and far less awkward than talking to plants (though she does that too).
Her mixed media work is a mash-up of emotions, empowerment, mystical vibes, fantastical detours, and nature—basically, if you imagine a wizard, a feminist, and a forest having a jam session, you’re in the right ballpark.
When she’s not busy conjuring up new creations, Nadine can be reached at twistedmaker.nadine@gmail.com—though fair warning, she might reply with glitter still stuck to her fingers.
Gina Chin-Davis:
Gina Chin-Davis is a Bay Area artist whose work blends photography, collage, and playful surrealism to celebrate local landmarks and everyday magic. Working in mixed media—often incorporating shadowboxes, natural textures, and digital compositing—she creates vivid, story-rich pieces that blur reality and imagination. Gina’s work is inspired by her deep love of the East Bay and its hidden histories.
Vickie Resso:
Vickie has been a part of Pinole Artisans since it began to function as an organization, twenty-one years ago. Her greatest joy is providing art experiences for the kids in the area. She loves to get lost in a calm afternoon of painting landscapes or dogs. Her philosophy is that painting is good therapy for just about everyone.
Maggi Jensen Prado:
My name is Maggi Jensen Prado and I weave photos, paintings and echos of Frida Kahlo into collages and nichos that celebrate identity and emotion. After three decades as a silversmith and 11 transformative years living in Mexico, my work carries the textures of craft and the spirit of a culture that transformed and reshaped my artistic path.
Frances Bledsoe, MCT “Penny”:
Frances Bledsoe, known to her family and friends as Penny was born and raised in the San Francisco Bay Area, where she studied art throughout junior high and high school, with a preference for India ink sketching and oil painting. As an adult she studied Oil painting under Dana Jester a wildlife artist from Colorado. In 2000 she started taking classes in watercolor, from world renowned artist Terry Madden, where she rediscovered her passion for art in watercolor, she loves the vibrant colors. In 2005 she became a Terry Madden Certified Teacher, and has taught watercolor ever since. She has also studied with Birgit O’Connor, Nancy Collins and extensively with Jeannie Vodden in Portraiture.
Within her wide-ranging body of work, florals, landscapes, and commissioned portraits showcase her technical abilities, passion for vibrant colors and appreciation for nature.
Alan Vaughn:
These images grew out of time spent on the Mendocino coast, where the Pacific presses against weathered rock walls. With my background in scientific illustration for earth science and geology, I’m especially drawn to how these surfaces hold the marks of long-term change—layers, fractures, and textures shaped by wind, water, and time.
Michael Resso:
I have loved making things with my hands since I was a child. My wife and I took a paint class together over 40 years ago, and I found a new passion. My favorite subjects involve water and marine wildlife. I am focused now on carving wood figures, but I do still love to paint. Even at the age of 93, I can still find new things to learn.
Want to Purchase Artwork?
Please contact President of Pinole Artisans: Nadine Laurent at nmlaurent@gmail.com.
Questions?
To learn more about temporary display of your artwork at Pinole City Hall to strengthen Pinole Beautification process, please contact Prajwol Bhandari for more information.
Email: Pbhandari@pinole.gov| Phone: (510) 954-3468