Belmont — In her self-portrait, bursts of pink and magenta magnolias frame Julie Tsang Kavanagh as she stares into her future, strong hands clasping two paint brushes.
“My creativity went through a dormant phase, much like the magnolia, patiently waiting for the right time to bloom again,” she said. “As many know, women carry much of the ‘mental load’ of family life. This piece is about celebrating that balancing act — navigating seasons of care, sacrifice and personal renewal.”
Kavanagh’s oil-on-panel is among 61 works featured at Women’s View 2025, an exhibition celebrating Women’s History Month sponsored by the San Mateo County Office of Arts and Culture, Arts Commission and the Commission on the Status of Women.
At first glance, many of the works on the walls at the Twin Pines Art Center in the Manor House in Belmont’s Twin Pines Park could be mistaken for a common showing by local artists: landscapes, abstracts, portraits, photographs, textiles.
But step back to take in the full perspective of a piece, then step forward to notice the details and read the gallery guide. Layers of depth and meaning shine a light on what women artists view – and how they perceive they are viewed – in 2025.
We interviewed four of the artists, all of whom live in San Mateo County.
‘Magical transformation’
Na Omi Judy Shintani turned to her heritage to create her work for Women’s View.
“I use a Japanese sashiko sewing style, which originated in Japan, most likely during the Edo Era, which lasted from the 1600s to the 1860s. It was used mainly by lower-class citizens like farmers. Traditionally, sashiko was used to reinforce points of wear or to repair worn places or tears with patches,” she said. "I incorporate traditional Japanese handicrafts created by women into my contemporary work to present their cultural significance and aesthetics to an international modern audience."
“For this piece, I used a recycled grocery bag and embellished and altered it with painting, drawing, sewing and paper cutting…. I like the magical transformation of trash into art.”
Her piece – Flora Spirit Horsetail – received first prize at the juried exhibition.
“A woman's seasons and cycles can be linked to the earth's recurring seasons and lunar cycle,” Shintani said. “The Horsetail plant, or Equisetum, inspires longevity. It is a ‘living fossil’ - for over 100 million years, it dominated the Paleozoic forests.”
Art has played a part in her life since she was a child. “There is so much one can ‘say’ with art. Art has also been my way of meditating and exploring my culture and the world.”
‘There are Black people in the future’
Shari Bryant grew up loving comic books, video games, sci-fi “and Saturday morning cartoons. However, I rarely saw myself represented.
“So in my teens, I began designing my own characters. Later in college, a stint creating caricatures for guests of the Magic Kingdom theme park in Orlando cultivated my love of portraiture. These experiences all strongly influenced my body of work, which focuses on Black women in fantasy.
“To me ‘Women’s View’ is about representation. Several years ago, I visited the National Museum of African American History and Culture in Washington D.C…. And at the time, high up on a wall of the exhibit was the text in all caps:
“THERE ARE BLACK PEOPLE IN THE FUTURE”
“As a lifelong fan of science fiction and fantasy, the phrase always resonated with me. There are Black people in the future. And likewise, there are Black people in fantasy. There are Black people in science fiction. Black people exist and will continue to exist in the future, as in the present. And Black people deserve not only to be able to tell their present-day stories and history but to dream of bigger, better, and even more fantastic worlds out there where – yes – they exist. Providing this space for Black people to see themselves in fantasy and future is the core of my art view.”
Her work, Crow, is a chalk and pastel from her series, Meladies: The Fantastic Black Woman, that received second place at Women’s View.
‘Stitched into memory’
As an undergraduate, Doreen Maller studied costume design. But her life took her in the direction of the apparel industry for many years before she returned to school to become a licensed marriage and family therapist.
“My husband and I moved to Half Moon Bay about 13 years ago when our kids moved away for college. The beautiful landscapes and wildlife of this area inspired both of us creatively,” Maller said.
“My grandparents were immigrants, working in the garment trades in New York. I have spent my life working with needle and thread as they did, moving between what might be considered craft, or utilitarian art, towards fine art.
“I approached Women’s View as an opportunity for elevation of these traditional skills. I welcomed the theme of this show as an opportunity to push the boundaries of what was often considered ‘woman’s work:’ embroidery, home sewing and small delicate work traditionally done by hand in the home.”
Her work, a collaboration with her husband, consists of embroidery enhancing a photo of a hummingbird that took third place at Women’s View.
“Being a woman, at my age, means finding beauty in small things. I use skills often seen as woman's work, in this case embroidery, to enhance images that would otherwise be missed. Moments in time, stitched into memory.”
For Kavanagh, her self-portrait is “a reflection on getting back into my art career after devoting myself to the formative years of my children.”
“I’d love to see more women carve out time for themselves — whether it’s an art class, a book club or starting that dream business," she said, "because personal fulfillment matters.”
Artists Aina Clotas and Xiangqi Chen received honorable mentions at Women's View 2025.
If you go:
Women’s View 2025 through March 30, 2025
Twin Pines Art Center in the Manor House, 10 Twin Pines Lane, Belmont
Hours: Wednesday – Sunday 1 to 4 p.m.
Aimee Shapiro
Executive Director
San Mateo County Office of Arts and Culture
ashapiro@smcgov.org