Paradise in Yonkers opens October 1 at Reston Art Gallery and Studios, featuring vibrant mixed-media landscape paintings inspired by memories of Untermyer Gardens
Northern Virginia artist Jennifer Duncan invites visitors to experience her colorful reimagining of the architecture, sculpture, and plant life of Untermyer Gardens in Yonkers, New York, in her solo exhibition Paradise in Yonkers, on view October 1 through November 1, 2026, at Reston Art Gallery and Studios.
The exhibition grew from a memorable excursion Duncan took during a slow riverboat cruise from New York City to Albany. While exploring the historic Untermyer Gardens, Duncan photographed the gardens and became fascinated by the interplay of architectural elements, sculpture, water, and unusual trees and aquatic plants.
Built in the Persian tradition, the gardens are organized around pools of water representing the Rivers of Paradise. Developed during the Gilded Age in the early 20th century, the walled gardens feature Roman and Greek sculptures, sundials, ornamental details, and lush plantings. Samuel Untermyer purchased the Greystone estate in 1899 and spent four decades developing the gardens and assembling an extensive collection of ancient and modern art and sculpture on the property overlooking the Hudson River.
Drawn to the combination of natural and man-made forms, Duncan translated her memories of the gardens into a series of vibrant acrylic paintings. Many of the works are on plywood; some featuring irregularly cut edges that emphasize the sculptural qualities of the gardens. Layered color, expressive line work, and collage elements combine with Persian and Islamic geometric patterns found throughout the park, creating paintings that move between representation and abstraction.
“Untermyer Gardens offered so many things that interest me as a painter—the structure of architecture, the unexpected shapes of plants, sculpture, water, and man-made patterns,” says Duncan. “I wanted to capture not just what I saw, but the feeling and visual energy I experienced while walking through the gardens.”
Paradise in Yonkers marks Duncan’s fourth exhibition with Reston Art Gallery and Studios. She is also a member of Studio Gallery DC in Dupont Circle, Great Falls Studios, and McGuffey Art Center in Charlottesville, Virginia. Duncan teaches painting and collage at the Yellow Barn at Glen Echo, as well as in her home studio.
Exhibition Details
Exhibition: Paradise in Yonkers
Artist: Jennifer Duncan
Dates: October 1–November 1, 2026
Artist Reception: Sunday, October 11, 2026, 2:00–4:00 p.m.
Location: Reston Art Gallery and Studios
11400 Washington Plaza W Lake Level
Reston, VA 20190
Pictures at top: Leaves and Pods by Jennifer Duncan
About Jennifer Duncan
Jennifer Duncan paints in her studio in the woods of Northern Virginia, where the surrounding natural environment, along with her travels along the eastern U.S. coast, informs her work. Her paintings explore the relationship between the natural world and the domestic and architectural objects that inspire her interest in pattern and texture. Architecture, sculpture, pottery, textiles, and accessories provide geometric structures that Duncan combines with the organic forms of nature. The resulting paintings shift between realism and abstraction.
Duncan’s paintings have been featured in juried and solo exhibitions and are held in private and corporate collections throughout the United States and internationally.
She is a member of Reston Art Gallery and Studios, Studio Gallery DC, Great Falls Studios, and McGuffey Art Center in Charlottesville, Virginia. She teaches at Yellow Barn in Glen Echo and in her home studio.
About Reston Art Gallery and Studios
Reston Art Gallery and Studios is a cooperative gallery located on historic Lake Anne Plaza in Reston, Virginia. Established in 1986, the gallery presents rotating exhibitions and works by juried local artists across a range of media, including painting, collage, printmaking, fiber art, and sculpture.
