2021 Purchase Award, Emeryville’s Art in Public Places Program: Ronald Davis’ Christian Sands and Reuben Rogers

In 2005, the City of Emeryville established a purchase award program connected to the Emeryville Celebration of the Arts, the annual juried exhibit for Emeryville based artists. The Exhibit Purchase Award Program has built the city’s permanent art collection through the yearly acquisition of an art work. The first artwork was purchased in 2006 and today visitors to City Hall can see an array of works created by local artists including a light sculpture by Therese Lahaie, a textile by Ana Lisa Hedstrom, paintings by Canan Tolon and Michael Murphy, and a ceramic wall installation by Cuong Ta. The program reinforces the city’s commitment to the arts and, at the same time, expands the city’s main government building to another purpose. City Hall now serves as a showcase for the engaging works of local artists to the delight of all those who work and visit the building.