EXPLORERS (Opening Reception)

November Exhibition Diversions Fine Arts Gallery: EXPLORERS On view: Nov 7th – 29th, 2026 Reception: November 7th, 4-7 p.m. Artists Talk/Closing: November 29th, 1-3 p.m. Regular Gallery Hours: 1-4 p.m. Thursday-Sunday As the clocks fall back, isn’t it time to explore the wonder of this year, and look forward to the year ahead? Artists Judy Herman, Cynthia Underwood, and Stephanie Sydney each explore a visceral and vibrant landscape that includes both the seen and the imagined. The lustrous, richly colorful imagery that each artist forms provides a wonderful respite from the approaching winter season with their shimmering, bold, immersive, and exciting work. JUDY HERMAN Herman delights in creating with various mediums, including photography, paint, and collage, both separately and in combination. A transformative artist, she parses fragments of everyday life to create intuitive, fantasy-driven compositions that go beyond a fixed narrative. From stunning and inventive photographic views of a Los Angeles landmark to graceful abstract paintings with a rich palette and sinuous use of line, Herman captivates. CYNTHIA UNDERWOOD Creating atmospheric and luminous work, with many images shaped through plein-air painting, Underwood’s exceptionally joyful landscapes, architectural images, and floral blooms offer an expansive dialog between earth, sky, and memory. She captures subtle changes in season, in light, in atmosphere, layering both soft washes and diffused forms to create works in both watercolor and acrylic that are sensorially rich and beautifully buoyant. STEPHANIE SYDNEY Sydney’s work is a through-the-looking glass view of the world that dazzles and dances. Working in painting, mixed media, sculptural form, and assemblage, she often uses her own photographs as the basis for creating digital collages. Her work reverberates with a sense of the mysterious and the magical, often catching viewers by surprise with her multiple elements and meanings for an alchemic and fascinating result. “We shall not cease from exploration, and the end of all our exploring will be to arrive where we started and know the place for the first time." – T.S. Eliot