The torch has been passed from one generation to the next at Temecula’s first and longest-operating public art gallery.

The gallery, which doubles as the entrance to Temecula’s original library, is expected to receive a facelift as it approaches its 20-year anniversary.

In the meantime, the rotunda will continue to showcase regional artists and photographers as it transitions from one coordinator to another.

"It’s elegant," said Simmone Arnould, a Murrieta artist who is now coordinating shows at the rotunda of the Grace Mellman Library in Temecula.

Arnould recently took over the task from fellow artist Florence Unkeless, who opted to step down when she turned 92.

The two women, as well as Mellman and the rotunda itself, were feted at a recent reception that recognized artists, photographers and collectors who have shown works there during the past two years.

The event also spotlighted the future of the rotunda, which is slated to receive new flooring and other decorative flourishes over the next two years.

The reception attracted about 35 people.

Mellman and many of the other participants praised Unkeless for her years of service and predicted Arnould would follow closely in her footsteps.

"We’ve had wonderful art exhibits in the rotunda since 1992, which is the year the library opened," said Mellman, whose fundraising efforts prompted Riverside County supervisors to name Temecula’s first library after her about two years ago. "We’ve had wonderful art works here."

The art gallery concept emerged once the design for a rotunda, which features a cathedral ceiling and large display areas, became etched into the library’s blueprints.

Unkeless began coordinating art shows on a volunteer basis in the bright, expansive area soon after the library opened.

"I love to come into the rotunda. When you walk in the door you get the feeling that you’re in a special place," Mellman said. "No matter how busy you are, you stop and look."

Mellman, who is president of the nonprofit Friends of the Temecula Libraries, said she hopes to eventually augment art shows there with musical performances.

The Friends group might host concerts in an adjacent community room in conjunction with art show openings or other public functions, she said.

The library, which is a short distance from Ynez Road on Temecula’s north side, typically ranks as one of the busiest in the county.

It was Temecula’s only public library until a larger facility opened along Pauba Road in December 2006.

For more than a decade, the original library was also the only public building in Temecula where artists could arrange shows featuring an array of their works.

The second such venue – the historic Mercantile Building in Old Town – also serves as the entrance to a larger facility.

That Main St. building, where art shows are also featured, opened in October 2005 as the ticket booth and entrance to Temecula’s 362-seat community theater.

While the Old Town gallery was quickly embraced by artists, the rotunda in the Mellman Library has retained its panache and popularity due to the way sunlight and shadows seem to dance around the room.

"The lighting is amazing," said Ingrid Wright, a past president of Advertisement

North County Cosmetic the Temecula Valley Art League who showed many of her works in the rotunda in June 2006. "It’s a wonderful place."

Wright, who has won several awards for her work, said she sold two of her paintings during that show. She hopes to repeat that success when more of her paintings are displayed in the rotunda this June.

She said the league and local artists appreciate the chance to show and possibly sell their works at banks, restaurants and other locations that support the visual arts.

Even so, there remain relatively few places to exhibit art and photographs locally, said Wright and other artists.

"I think it’s really important for an artist to show a whole body of their work rather than just one painting," she said. "The rotunda, I feel, is a wonderful place because the display is beautiful and the lighting creates a real gallery setting."

Artists who wish to show their works in the library usually inquire at the front desk. For more than 15 years, they were given Unkeless’ contact information. They now connect with Arnould to seek a month-long show in the rotunda.

Besides giving artists and photographers a place to showcase their works – typically eight or more pieces at a time – the rotunda exposes library patrons to a range of art styles and genres, said Emily Gerstbacher, branch manager of the Mellman Library.

"There has been so much talent and so many artists here," Gerstbacher said. "This is a great way to help bring culture to our community."

Animal, nature artist featured in rotunda

A Temecula woman whose paintings and pastel drawings have won awards and the applause of animal and plant lovers is the featured artist in the rotunda gallery of the Grace Mellman Library.

Shelby J. Skinner grew up on a farm, a setting that sparked her lifelong love of plants, animals and scenic vistas.

She later bounced around Italy, Africa and other locations while she lived in San Diego, La Quinta and now Temecula.

After raising a family, Skinner took art lessons as a hobby and soon became a teacher herself.

She has held workshops and taught adult extension classes at the College of the Desert. She now she teaches pastel drawing classes in a studio alongside her spacious Temecula home.

Skinner’s pastel "Fruit of the Vine" won first place and best of show honors at the Riverside County Fair in Indio about five years ago.

She has exhibited works at South Coast Winery and been commissioned to paint several show horses and polo ponies.

Her library exhibit, which is on display through March 6, features eight paintings and pastels in the rotunda and two in the manager’s office. They feature animals, flowers and a canal scene from Venice, Italy.

The library flanks County Center Dr., which intersects Ynez Road, on Temecula’s north side.

Skinner, 71, said she is known for creating works of startling realism.

"It’s very realistic," she said in a telephone interview. "I really focus on detail, especially animal eyes. I am told that my paintings are like photographs, that I am very detail-oriented."