Long View by New York City painter/sculptor Katharine Umsted will be her first solo exhibition on the West Coast consisting of four large collage paintings. Each painting is approximately 6 x 8 feet and in tandem creates a flowing river through the exhibition chamber. Umsted was excited with the invitation to show in the ART KIOSK because of the challenge to create her first installation through her commitment to painting. Other site-specific artworks such as Two Rings (2001) for the Going Home exhibition at the famed Edward Hopper House allowed the artist to merge her vast Contemporary Art History knowledge and personal interests with gardening to create her first earthwork. However, her first visit to Redwood City in 2011 reminded Umsted of the amazing quality of light and changing landscapes that she wanted to explore for this new commission.

Inspired by the city itself, Long View represents Redwood City’s ever-evolving sight lines as well as its commitment to preserving the nature that surrounds the City all while maintaining a balance of serving the community through a robust series of activities that allows everyone to experience light and nature. As a naturalist herself, Umsted follows the light as she does her heart which led her to the creation of an amazing body of work that is authentic, sincere, and genuine.

“I first came across Umsted’s work in the late ’90s and was taken aback by her sheer talent as a painter and her risk-taking with materials. It seemed that the artist’s goal was not to make the prettiest painting but rather a profound experience for the viewer and the artist herself. It is with the perceived sense of dedication that the true beauty is exposed.” Lance M. Fung