Exhibit by Piedmont Photographer Michele Hofherr Opened Friday

A new exhibit by Piedmont photographer Michele Hofherr opened Friday night at Slate Contemporary Gallery, 473 - 25th St., Oakland (between Broadway and Telegraph in Oakland's Uptown district).

The opening coincided with Art Murmur, the district's monthly first Friday event, from 6 to 9 p.m. The exhibit continues through Feb. 25.

Hofherr shares the spotlight with Oakland painter Jane Norling in a show entitled Water / Color. Gallery director Danielle Fox describes Hofherr and Norling as "two artists who are fascinated with the physics and aesthetics of moving water."

Hofherr's photographs show drops of ink "exploding" as they encounter and create otherwise invisible currents in water, Fox says.

"Essentially random and abstract, many of her forms (which are also shaped by water) nonetheless suggest flowers, fish, grasses, and life under the sea, creating another world that is both fantastic and fresh," she says.

Hofherr is a former talent agent who now specializes in portraiture and commercial photography, along with photography as a fine art. She lives in Piedmont with her husband and daughter. You may see more of her work at her website.

Fox encourages art lovers who visit during Art Murmur to arrive no later than 5:30 p.m. in order to find parking. Dinner reservations are also essential, she says, unless you plan to eat from one of the food trucks serving at the event. Art Murmur typically draws a large, enthusiastic crowd to the galleries in the area.

Much quieter, Fox says, are the district's lesser-known Saturday Strolls, where many galleries are open from 1 to 5 p.m. each Saturday, often featuring talks by curators or artists. In the works is a walking tour of five galleries on the third Saturday of each month.

Slate is open to the public Friday and Saturday, noon to 5 p.m.; during the next Art Murmur, Friday, Feb. 3, 6 to 9 p.m.; and Tuesday through Thursday by appointment.