Lobby Installations

Since 2017, local artist Adriane Binky Donley has dreamed up breathtaking installations for the library lobby. Our community has benefited from her wonderful work—every time people walk through the front door and are greeted by thousands of hand-painted butterflies soaring from the ceiling or dazzling red umbrellas during spring rains or gigantic delicate snowflakes.

Her latest installation, “Coral Connections,” will be on display for the 2025 Oceans of Possibilities! Summer Reading Challenge and will feature over 200 hand-painted fish!

Coral Connections

May–August, 2025

“Approximately a million years ago, I took a sculpture class. One of our assignments was to connect an item with a theme. The only catch? The theme and the item could not be from the same world. It was hard—there were too many choices! I found myself in a familiar position when considering this summer’s creation for “Oceans of Possibilities.”

The ocean is vast, and my mind was spinning. So, I thought about that old assignment and decided to see if I could merge my love for coral reefs with a mid-century modern aesthetic, in the ocean. They may seem different; however, both embrace bold color, create structure and beauty with a mix of different materials, and praise the natural form. They strike a balance between a variety of opposing elements, leaning towards self-made vs. machine-made, and creating a playful space or structure for living creatures.

Mid-century modern came out of a need for a simpler life, focusing on what’s important and not all the noise and chaos of the previous decades. Coral reefs provide a safe space for sea creatures to find food, build a home, create a family, or hide from predators. Both are complex with simple foundations. They are different—and yet somehow, they work well together. I guess the possibilities are endless!’ ”

—Adriane Binky Donley

Made possible with support from the Library Friends and Library Foundation.