LAMORINDA WEEKLY | All stars art exhibit - real people at the ballpark


Senior Community Library Manager Vickie Sciacca, left, and artist Ellen Reintjes pose for a photo in front of their portraits, behind them. Photo Pippa Fisher

More than just art that appeals to baseball fans (although it does), the unique exhibit hanging in the Lafayette Library and Learning Center is a celebration of relationships - of people to teams, to towns, to each other and even to pets by local artist Ellen Reintjes. A special reception was held for the public Nov. 12 to give people a chance to meet the artist and several of the faces featured in the artwork.

The exhibit is called "All-Stars: Fans, Fams, and Friends." It is a series of portraits of real individuals - nine family members, friends including several community leaders, and yes, Reintjes' dogs - all wearing team baseball caps. There is even one of Reintjes' father painted from a photo of him as a child at the 1926 World Series at Yankee Stadium with Babe Ruth visible in the outfield behind him. The collection features many connections - Reintjes knows all the individuals and, furthermore, each of the individuals knows at least one of the others.

All portraits were painted in acrylic on a six-inch square canvas. Reintjes has since given the originals to the painting's subject but had made high-quality digital reproductions, which she framed and hung on Louisville Slugger bats - a project she worked on with her husband, Former Mayor Don Tatzin.

"Despite working on the framing project together with Don," says Reintjes with a smile, "we are still married."

Reintjes has had work exhibited throughout the Bay Area at wineries, galleries, shops and libraries. She is a member of the Bay Area Studio Artists and paints animals and nature, landscapes and seascapes.

Further information on the Bay Area Studio Artists can be found at https://bayareastudioartists.com/