In the piece “Lina and Celeste,” Alesandra Lipman draws inspiration from the vintage photographs she collects, and the relationship expressed between the two women.
By: Gena Johnson | Farmington Press | Published February 16, 2026
FARMINGTON HILLS — Visitors to Farmington Hills City Hall can now enjoy exhibits by 66 artists displaying 77 works of art, part of the city’s 2026-27 installation through the Farmington Hills Public Art Program.
City Hall is located at 31555 W. 11 Mile Road. The exhibits there include a mix of local and international artists who work in a range of mediums, from acrylic and oil paintings to mixed media pieces incorporating photography, fabric, sculptures and more.
“It seemed like everyone noticed the color and the vibrancy when they came in,” said Rachel Timlin, the cultural arts supervisor for the city’s Special Services Department. “(There is) artwork showing beautiful water and mountain scenery with vibrant colors. Maybe it’s a fun telling of what we all want right now.”
This is the eighth installation since the program started in 2010, providing décor for the newly renovated City Hall. The installation offers employees and guests an opportunity to engage with a variety of art that reflects the diversity of the community, Timlin said.
Alessandra Lipman is one of the artists whose work is on display. This is the first time she has been featured at City Hall, and she is the only artist exhibiting three pieces of work.
At the installation’s opening last month, those in attendance voted for their three favorite artists and Lipman was the top voter getter, winning the People’s Choice Award, which allowed her to have a solo show that will be on exhibit through March 20. Lipman will also lead an artist talk at City Hall, 6-8 p.m. Friday, Feb. 20.
Two of her pieces in the main exhibit are made with batik fabric and colored pencils while the third is a painting. She described her feelings when she was told she’d be part of the exhibit.
“I am so thrilled that Farmington Hills has such a cultural art program that I get to be a part of it,” Lipman said.
She describes herself as being an artist all her life, but one who had difficulty being “prodigious” while working and raising her children.
“I would want to spend a lot of time making art, but I didn’t have a lot of time,” she said.
The 57-year-old Plymouth resident is also a member of the Plymouth Artists Collective and works out of a shared studio space in Plymouth. She said that having studio space outside her home allowed her to create the 44 pieces for her solo show.
“If I ever have a moment where I’m feeling like, ‘Should I really be doing this,’ here is the proof: ‘Yes, I should be doing this,’” Lipman said.
Timlin said the installation is a juried exhibit where she and her team serve as judges looking for nuanced pieces that are beautiful, calming and inspire conversation.
“We like to select pieces that celebrate our local culture and our local history,” Timlin said. “We love it when we get paintings of Heritage Park or photos of our local parks.”
One piece, “Finale,” by John Nagridge, is an oil and brush painting of Heritage Park at sunset during winter. Nagridge has been teaching an introductory course on acrylic painting for more than eight years through the city’s Special Services Department.
Nagridge is known for painting with knives, two of which are now on display at The Hawk, the city’s cultural and recreational center, but he decided to return to the medium where he started.
The 64-year-old Royal Oak man said he is a self-taught painter who has painted for more than 20 years, taking a few classes here and there. He works professionally as a graphic designer.
“Painting makes me a better graphic designer, and graphic designing makes me a better artist,” Nagridge said.
He gets inspiration from teaching.
“(Teaching) changed my life,” he said. “I fell in love with it. (My students) inspire me as much as I hope to inspire them.”
Nagridge was “elated” when he was notified his work would be on exhibit at City Hall, but it was other news that made him even more excited.
“I saw the list of all the other artists in (the exhibit). There are a lot of artists I admire greatly, and I was very proud to be amongst them,” he said. “Then I saw a bunch of people who had taken my class or who are taking it right now who are also in the show. And that put me on top of the world.”
Nagridge has about eight former or current students in the exhibit.
“They did the work,” he said. “I’m just so proud.”
The current installation will be on display through 2027. Those interested in purchasing any of the pieces can call (248) 699-6709, but each piece will have to stay in City Hall through the conclusion of the exhibit.