Cycles of Light
Arts Center East
Vernon
Jan. 24, 2026
Yes, it’s a very good painting. But what makes it an award winning painting?
That was the question I found myself asking as I observed the artwork at the new exhibit, Cycles of Light, at the Arts Center East gallery in Vernon. Unlike most of the exhibits I visit, this one was juried, meaning that the entrants to the show are judged based on several criteria including adherence to the theme of the show, quality, originality and other metrics.
The show’s juror, Christine Ivers, is an accomplished artist in her own right with decades of experience across multiple fields. If there’s anyone qualified to judge the relative merits of artwork it’s her. But the fun of this job lies not only in the art, but in putting oneself in another’s shoes. I want to understand why Ivers chose the winners she did. As someone who's been looking at paintings professionally for three years, I figured I’d give it a shot.
The theme of the exhibit is “exploring the change of seasons.” It’s easy to see that exemplified in the painting that took first place, titled Morning Rounds by Alecia Underhill. While the majority of the painting seems to depict an idyllic summer day with a cute dog relaxing in the cool shade, the foreground reveals the first inklings of fall, with leaves in the tree taking on the auburn, golden and brown hues of autumn. They are also sprinkled lightly on the earth too. Underhill’s work embodies change more so than any other work in the exhibit, capturing the transition from one season to the next with important, yet understated details.
In second place is Aline Hoffman’s piece, November Sky. Hoffman’s depiction of birches stretching up into an amethyst sky is almost skeletal, as if the trees are trying to reach through the veil. In this work, Hoffman depicts the change of seasons in a metaphorical sense, as the depth of the November sky signifies the transition to the lifelessness and solitude of winter. The artist’s use of gouache, in addition to traditional watercolor, gives the image an opaqueness that adds to the weight of the work and the finality of the move into the long nights of wintertime.
The third place artwork changes genres, shifting to digital photography. Spirit of the Holidays by Elizabeth Losacco Massa uses the eponymous cycles of light to represent change. In the foreground of the image is a pendant light with multiple candle-shaped bulbs adorning the intricate, hourglass-shaped centerpiece. But the real focus of the photo are the shadows on the far wall, contrasted against the golden light. The elongated silhouette of the figure, fur from the hood of their winter coat as visible as the bun atop their head, is the telltale sign of a late autumn afternoon. The lengthening shadows correspond with the lengthening evening, and even the combined might of natural and manmade light can’t prevent the night from coming.
Of course, this is all what I see as I look at these images. Ms. Ivers may have had a completely different set of criteria. Still, I agree with her selections,. They represent a great collection of artwork that both captures a moment in time and show us that the clocks never stop marching forward.
NEXT
Jamil is staying inside to avoid the coming storm. Stay safe!
