In Marin County, lunchtime art workshops at the Civic Center cafeteria brought county employees from San Rafael, Novato, Tiburon, and beyond together. They created self-portraits for a moving exhibit titled The Art of Public Service.
Employment analyst Erika Powell and library administrator Juliet Schiller guided the project. They encouraged folks to let go of perfectionism, get curious again, and try things out, even if the results weren’t technically perfect.
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Twenty-one people joined in. Some had art backgrounds, while others insisted they weren’t artists at all, but each piece told a personal story about what it means to be seen as a public servant in Marin’s towns.
A snapshot of The Art of Public Service
The exhibit hangs outside the Board of Supervisors chamber in San Rafael and runs through September 24. It’s a pretty striking example of how art can restore and recharge public workers.
They pulled it off with a modest $2,000 county-supported budget and help from ARTT, a San Rafael store that specializes in recycled art supplies. It’s proof that you don’t need a ton of money to spark creativity in a civic space.
In a county that links communities from Mill Valley to Fairfax, the project gave employees a rare “oxygen mask”—a pause from routine and a jolt of creative energy. Organizers kept the focus on honesty and emotional resonance, rather than technical skill.
Among the participants, Supriya Menon, an information technology specialist, made her self-portrait with dried chili peppers, burlap, and embroidered chiffon saree. She wanted to reflect her Indian heritage and said the process helped her push past creative discomfort.
Powell crafted her own portrait with green eyes and layers of fabric images to represent her Black, white, and biracial ancestry. She hoped viewers would consider the hidden, intimate stories we all carry.
Schiller, who identifies as Chicana, stitched an intentionally unfinished self-portrait. She said it signals ongoing cultural reclamation and conversation.
Artistic approaches and participant voices
Inside the Marin County center, the self-portraits ranged from mixed-media collages to tactile, textile-based works. Participants came from all sorts of departments and towns, but everyone wanted to honor their own narratives and the work of public service through approachable art.
The pieces invite viewers to see public servants as people with layered histories and personal journeys, not just job titles. For many, making art during the workday felt like a rare, honest moment in an otherwise structured environment.
Since the exhibit sits outside the Board of Supervisors chamber, residents from San Anselmo, Sausalito, and even Napa County-adjacent communities get to see a different side of public service. It’s a side that’s curious, vulnerable, and willing to take a creative risk.
Impact on Marin workplaces and culture
The project struck a chord with Marin County teams searching for more humane, restorative experiences. These workshops showed creative experimentation can fit right alongside public administration.
It’s a pretty practical model for future professional development in places like Corte Madera, Larkspur, and Novato. Many Marin organizations seem to agree: honesty and personal meaning matter more than technical polish when it comes to meaningful work.
For County Supervisor staff and employees scattered from Kalifornia–area towns to the bay’s edge, the self-portrait project offered a fresh look at teamwork, identity, and civic pride in towns like Fairfax and San Rafael.
What the art says about serving the public
- Honesty over precision — participants cared more about sharing their personal truth than showing off technical skill.
- Community through creation — shared spaces like the Civic Center cafeteria brought people from different departments together.
- Continuity of culture — unfinished works and layered fabrics hint at ongoing cultural reclamation and open dialogue.
- Inspiration to continue — a few participants, like Menon, felt inspired enough to keep making art even after the exhibit ended.
If you’re curious about the exhibit, maybe take a walk through San Rafael and check out the Board of Supervisors chamber. There’s something special about seeing Marin’s public servants through the eyes of artists.
From Marinwood to Mill Valley, it feels like public service really comes alive when creativity becomes part of daily life. Marin County towns seem ready—maybe even eager—to bring that spirit into the next season of civic life.
Here is the source article for this story: Marin gallery exhibits self-portraits of county workers
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