Inspired by the 2008 Tea Fire, Susanna Vapnek’s paintings tap into the intensity of shared community experience with emotive, apocalyptic representations of the Santa Barbara fire season. The exhibition is titled Sundowner, a reference to dangerous and uncontrollable hot winds that descend from the mountains to the sea fueling fires into raging infernos. Her Southern California landscapes expose the fluidity, energy, and dark side of a region often viewed as an eternal paradise.

New York-based Susanna Vapnek received a B.A., Oberlin College, Oberlin, OH, and an MFA, School of Visual Arts, New York, NY. A painter and collage artist as well as documentary filmmaker, Vapnek spends time in Santa Barbara, CA.

Special Thanks to:

Andrea Lang Fund, Santa Barbara, CA; The Andy Warhol Foundation for the Visual Arts, New York, NY; Susan E. Bower Exhibition Fund, Santa Barbara, CA; Casa Magazine, Santa Barbara, CA; The Daily Sound, Santa Barbara, CA;Montecito Messenger, CA; Santa Barbara Independent, CA; Santa Barbara News-Press, CA; and Wayne McCall & Associates, Santa Barbara, CA.