Adorning the walls of city hall

(Posted July 8, 2024)

By Kristy Zurbrick, Madison Editor

The white walls of London City Hall’s hallways offer a perfect backdrop on which to display artwork. Openings are available for anyone interested in showcasing their talents.

“We are open to anyone who wants to display their art, no matter where they are from,” said Kim Lattimer-Reeder, a local artist who has been coordinating the city hall exhibits for the last several years with her husband, Tony Reeder.

Participants have included a water colorist from London, a wildlife artist from Galloway whose primary medium is colored pencils, a collage artist from Springfield, and a West Jefferson man who uses charcoal, to name a few.

“Having Kim and Tony curate these art displays has been a pleasure,” said London Mayor Patrick Closser. “They do such a wonderful job, and it really adds something extra to city hall. The exhibits have been so great and are done by very talented artists.”

Two exhibits are on display currently. One features the artwork of Ivan and Jonah Payton, identical twins who grew up in London and moved to Texas when they were 9 years old. They are 20 now. They work in a variety of media, from drawing and painting to digital art, programming and graphic design, computer animation, and stop-motion videos. Their work has won many awards.

“I just think their artwork is amazing,” said Lattimer-Reeder, who had the brothers as art students when they were youngsters.

The other exhibit features the photography of the late Robert Rea. The London resident practiced his craft for 45 years. He had an eye for capturing landscapes far and wide and in color and black-and-white. He was one of the original members of the London Visual Arts Guild.

Later this summer, artwork created by students at Mandy’s Day Care in London will adorn the city hall walls.

Artists interested in displaying their work are asked to reach out to Lattimer-Reeder by phone call or text at (740) 506-2198. Arrangements can be made to drop off artwork at city hall, 20 S. Walnut St., after which a committee will review the submissions. If they are accepted, they will go up on the hallway walls. Pieces must be wired and ready to hang. Some display cases are available for three-dimensional pieces. There is no charge to display artwork at city hall, and artists are welcome to mark pieces for sale.

Lattimer-Reeder encourages area artists to take advantage of this opportunity.

“I think people are missing out if they don’t get their artwork out and show it,” she said.

To view the exhibits, visit city hall Monday through Friday, 8 a.m.-4 p.m.