Psst.
Let's be friends.
Everyone's invited.

sabatini myspace

The Alice C. Sabatini 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.

The Sabatini Gallery produces six exhibits annually: two national, juried art competitions (Topeka Competition for 3D work and The Printed Image for 2D original, fine art prints), an annual art exhibit for young people designed to ignite and maintain a love for art through enriching arts experiences, works from the TSCPL permanent collection and a variety of contemporary, regional artists.

Alice C. Sabatini (1931–1997) | Born in Lamar, CO and raised in Lyons, KS, Alice received a B.S. in architectural art from Kansas State University, a B.A. in art education and an M.F.A. in drawing from the University of Kansas. Alice was a life-long supporter of the Library and our fine arts community. Interest from the Alice C. Sabatini Endowment, created through The Library Foundation, helps fund our children's show as well as an outreach program targeting at-risk children and their caregivers in daycare settings.

Larry Peters | (Gallery Director 1968–2003) A prolific ceramist and active member of the Topeka arts community for many years, Peters steadily built our "clay body" of works in the Library's Permanent Collection for decades. Because of this commitment to excellence, the Library's permanent art collection has a broad sampling of work from many mid to late 20th-century artists: Voulkos, Eberle, Bohls, MacKenzie, Pharis, Garzio, Troy. Peters shows regularly in group and solo exhibitions throughout Northeast Kansas and has work on loan to the US Embassy in Athens, Greece. He is the founder and president of the Kansas Artist Craftsmen Association as well as a member of The Collective Gallery in Topeka, KS with his wife, reknowned Kansas artist and former Washburn University art faculty professor, Barbara Waterman-Peters.

Is there an entrance fee?

No. Sabatini Gallery programs, artist talks, exhibit openings, tours and services are free, casual and open to the public.

What are your hours?

We are open the same hours as the Library unless we're in-between exhibits. If our doors are closed and the rest of the library is open, we are taking down the past show and installing the new one. We're generally closed to the public about 2-3 weeks between shows, but you can always reach us at the main Gallery number, 785/580-4515. Leave a message and we'll call you back.

I'm an artist. How can I get a show at the Sabatini?

Exhibit proposal guidelines are located here in Artists Only. If you need more information call Sherry Best, Gallery Director at 785/580-4516.

Do you allow the public a place to display things?

Yes. When available, the Library has offered use of the rotunda, hallways and second-floor and various other spaces to people interested in displaying personal collections or groups who have created something together. Past examples have included: Tibetan cultural artifacts, handmade dolls, Books In Bloom (local group who interprets books through floral arangements), Topeka Riverfront Competition submissions, needlework, etc. Our Display Policy is located here in Exhibits.

What's your exhibit right now?

There are several ways of finding out what's currently showing. Pick up or download a copy of connectnow (TSCPL's monthly magazine), or stop by the Gallery for an exhibition schedule, check the Exhibits section here on the webpage, or call us at the Main Gallery number: 785/580-4515.

Is this art for sale?

Sometimes the work on display is for sale. Leave your contact information with a Gallery staff member and we'll pass it on to the artist. From there you and the artist will communicate. We are a non-profit gallery and are not involved in the sale of artwork.

I fould this at an estate sale/auction/on E-bay/in a closet, how much is it worth?

The Sabatini Gallery does not provide appraisal services. However, we can connect you with research tools and provide contacts to a variety of appraisers in the Northeast Kansas area.

Does the Library own this work on display?

The Topeka & Shawnee County Public Library has a 130-year-old permanent art collection comprised of nearly 5,000 art objects and artifacts, rare books, maps and documents. The Special Collections Department (Topeka Room and Sabatini Gallery) are committed to providing access to as much of the collection as possible. The public has many opportunities to see parts of the collection on a rotating basis via: gallery exhibits, rotunda and atrium displays, throughout the library space on walls, in offices, and generous hallways.

If the work you see is part of the Library's permanent collection, it should be accompanied by an identifying wall card or display text. It will often say, "From the TSCPL permanent collection" and will include the object(s) accession number(s): 2004.1.2, 68.20.375, for example.

What happened to the work from the previous exhibit?

The Sabatini Gallery hosts six exhibits per calendar year and strives to provide a diverse selection of art for our visitors. Shows run about 6-7 weeks and then the art comes down, is returned to its owner(s) and another show is installed. We currently do not have any permanent art exhibits. As this new Digital Branch grows and expands, so will our Archives section. Eventually you will be able to view aspects of past exhibits here online. For now, visit the Library's Flickr page to see pictures from past gallery programs.

Where do you keep the Library's permanent collection?

In the basement! We're very lucky to have museum storage which includes a temperature and humidity control system independant of the Library's heating and cooling system. It has compact storage shelving that expands to make aisles when art is pulled and condenses when no one is using the space. Special Collections storage is highly secured and is set to limited access. As our collection continues to grow, storage space is at a premium and eventually we will be expanding.

Where can I find out more about an artist / the art I own?

Google search: Today's working artists, art professors and museums almost always have a website or database with links to biographies, history, medium, body of work, artist statements, etc. Search using their names and if you know it, the medium, title of work, gallery who represents them, etc.

TSCPL collection: books, periodicals, DVDs, VHS, Moses Collection of fine art books (located in the Topeka Room, non-circulating), Topeka Room hanging files (if the artist is local or has connections to Topeka or Kansas), even microfilm will provide articles and information about artists sometimes.

TSCPL inter-library loan: If we don't have what you're looking for or you don't know where to begin, sometimes visiting Amazon will provide you with books and leads you hadn't thought of trying. If you still can't locate something in our collection, apply for an inter-library loan and we will borrow it from another library, often free of charge. Our ILL department can be reached at: 785/580-4425.

TSCPL databases: We provide access to many on-line resources and First Search is one which will connect you to articles (ArticleFirst), journal articles (ECO) and books (WorldCat) all around the world. We can help you search until you find what you need. It is from here most people will process what they find as an inter-library loan request. It sounds daunting, but that's where we come in.

Gallery Staff: Sometimes the best place to start is in conversation.

My family donated something to the permanent collection. Do you still have it, where is it and can I see it?

Our antiquated 4-card filing system and entire collection is being converted to MuseumPlus, the Special Collections database currently in development. We need advance notice to put you in contact with your piece as we do not have the ability to quickly reference it online. Call the Gallery at 785/580-4515 to set up an appointment.

Sherry Best
Director & Curator
785/580-4516
sbest@tscpl.org

Zan Popp
Collections Manager
& Lead Associate Curator
785/580-4586
zpopp@tscpl.org

ABOUT ME | I have been at the Sabatini Gallery for four fun-filled years, and yes, my name is really Zan. I am originally from St. Paul, MN. I'm an art historian and received my M.A. from The George Washington University in Washington DC and B.A. in art history and a minor in printmaking from Lawrence University in Appleton, WI. I really enjoy ancient, medieval, Renaissance and 19th-century art. When not in work mode, I like to curl up with a good book or, if a book can’t be found, watch Project Runway.

Heather Kearns
Associate Curator
& Digital Branch Services
785/580-4589
hkearns@tscpl.org

ABOUT ME | My career at the Library began in 2001 and I joined the Sabatini in 2004. My education is a blended University of Kansas–Washburn University B.F.A. with a focus in Painting & Printmaking and a minor in English literature. My work consists of research, curating exhibits, contributing to the digital branch (blog, myspace, artist file, gallery webpage, video demo production), educational outreach, programming, public speaking / relations, reference, graphic design and assisting with the maintenence of our permanent collection. Interests include: very old dogs, honey & bumblebees, horses, the bose-einstein condensate, illuminated marginalia, antlers, vintage taxidermy, handwritten letters, mutual soundtracks, the smell of frankincense, mat cutters and altering my environment as often as possible. LinkedIn and Facebook.

Trish Nixon
Associate Curator
& Volunteers/Education
785/580-4577
tnixon@tscpl.org

ABOUT ME | I came to the Sabatini Gallery in the spring of 2006. I lead the Volunteer and Education program in the gallery and am an Associate Curator as well as a full time artist. I received a B.F.A in photography from Memphis College of Art in 2003. My background is in fine art photography and modern & contemporary art history. Prior to the Sabatini Gallery, I was an artist-in-residence on a three month fellowship at the Contemporary Artists Center in North Adams, MA. Drawing is pretty much my passion and I love Popeye’s Chicken & Biscuits.