SJMA presents Kelly Akashi: Formations, the artist's first major touring exhibition

The San Jose Museum of Art (SJMA) is hosting the first major touring exhibition of Kelly Akashi. The exhibit includes nearly a decade of work featuring sculptures, glass, cast bronze, and photography. She is known for her hybrid works that are compelling both formally and conceptually. The exhibit also includes a new series where Akashi explores the inherited impact of her family's imprisonment in a Japanese American incarceration camp during WWII. For more information, please read the full press release below.

Kelly Akashi: Formations will be available at the SJMA until April 23rd, 2023 and then will travel nationally.

SAN JOSE MUSEUM OF ART TO PRESENT KELLY AKASHI: FORMATIONS, THE ARTIST'S FIRST MAJOR TOURING EXHIBITION

For Immediate Release

SAN JOSE, CA (June 28, 2022)—From September 3, 2022 through April 23, 2023, the San José Museum of Art (SJMA) will present the first major touring museum exhibition of Los Angeles–based artist Kelly Akashi (born 1983, Los Angeles). Organized by senior curator Lauren Schell Dickens, Kelly Akashi: Formations presents an overview of nearly a decade of work, including glass and cast bronze objects, multipart sculptural installations, and photographic work. It also includes a newly commissioned body of work that explores the inherited impact of the artist’s father’s imprisonment in a Japanese American incarceration camp in Poston, Arizona during World War II. The exhibition will debut at SJMA and then travel nationally. “Since its founding, SJMA has provided a platform for emerging artists. We are honored to present Kelly Akashi’s first touring museum exhibition and encourage deeper exploration of her work and unique practice,” said S. Sayre Batton, Oshman Executive Director, San José Museum of Art. Originally trained in analog photography, Akashi is drawn to fluid, impressionable materials and old-world craft techniques, such as glass blowing and casting, candle making, bronze and silicone casting, and rope making. She often pairs hand-blown glass or wax forms with unique and temporally specific bronze casts of her own hand, each a unique record of the slow-changing human body. Akashi’s interest in time—embedded in the materiality of many of her processes—has led her to study fossils, geology, and botany, locating humankind within a longer geological timeline. Drawing on scientific research and theoretical inquiry, she explores fundamental questions of existence—about being in the world and being in time—cultivating relationships among a variety of materials and subjects to investigate how they actively convey their histories and potential for change.   “Akashi uses a familiar language of craft—of skilled experience and material knowledge—in a way that draws from tradition, but reveals internal encounters, juxtapositions, and relationships that push towards transformation. In one sense, you could say she’s encouraging a material empathy—looking at stones as witnesses to human trauma—while she’s also looking to interactions with materials, to geologic records, to make sense of her own history, as a human, and as a Japanese American,” said Lauren Schell Dickens, senior curator, San José Museum of Art. The newly commissioned Conjoined Tumbleweeds (2022) is a monumental bronze cast of intertwined plants collected from Poston, Arizona—the former site of an incarceration camp for Japanese Americans where the artist’s paternal family, along with thousands of others, were relocated and imprisoned during World War II. It is presented with a variety of sculptures from throughout Akashi’s career on rammed earth pedestals, such as Be Me (Californian—Japanese Citrus) (2016), a stainless-steel cast of the cultivated fruit whose hybrid identity reflects the artist’s own heritage. The title “Be Me” is given to an ongoing group of works: an empathetic entreaty to dissolve boundaries between object and viewer, self and other. Particular subjects, weeds, flowers, shells, as well as traditional craft forms—footed vase, candle cup—reoccur, each encompassing particular morphologies and lineages in botany, paleontology, and histories of craft. Akashi’s interest in thinking about cultivation, botanical time, and their relationship to self could first be seen in Local Weed (2017). The artist has an ongoing series of weed sculptures from the weeds in her backyard, drawn from life with meticulous tracings and entombed through lost-wax bronze casting. The exhibition will also include several large multifaceted sculptures—called “Complexes”—which incorporate their own systems of display. Evocative of scientific specimen tables, cabinets of curiosities, and domestic display furniture, these complex and detailed arrangements reveal the tenuous frailty of systems of classification and order. CATALOG The exhibition catalog—the first scholarly monograph on the artist—will feature essays by Lauren Schell Dickens, Ruba Katrib, Dr. Jenni Sorkin; and a conversation between Akashi and painter Julien Nguyen. The book will also feature a special photography project by Akashi, created specifically for this publication.     ABOUT THE ARTIST Born in 1983, Kelly Akashi holds an MFA from the University of Southern California (2014) and a BFA from Otis College of Art and Design (2006); she also studied at the Staatliche Hochschule für Bildende Künste—Städelschule in Frankfurt am Main, Germany. The artist’s work was featured in the 2016 edition of the Hammer Museum’s biennial, Made in L.A. Other notable group exhibitions include TITLE, Museum of Contemporary Art, Detroit (2017); LA: A Fiction, Musée d’art contemporain de Lyon, France (2017); Take Me (I’m Yours), curated by Hans Ulrich Obrist, Jens Hoffmann, and Kelly Taxter, Jewish Museum, New York (2016); and Can’t Reach Me There, Midway Contemporary Art, Minneapolis (2015). Winner of the 2019 Carolyn Glasoe Bailey Foundation Art Prize, the artist will have a residency and solo exhibition at the foundation in Ojai, California. Other residencies include ARCH Athens (2019) and Headlands Center for the Arts, Sausalito, California (2019). Akashi’s solo exhibition Long Exposure was curated by Ruba Katrib at the SculptureCenter, New York (2017), and her first solo New York gallery exhibition was held at Tanya Bonakdar Gallery in February 2020. Kelly Akashi’s work can be found in the permanent collections of the Los Angeles County Museum of Art; Hammer Museum, Los Angeles; CC Foundation, Shanghai; M WOODS, Beijing; The Perimeter, London; David Roberts Art Foundation, London; and Sifang Museum, Nanjing, China, among others.

South FIRST FRIDAY is today!

South FIRST FRIDAYs are coming back! The weather is amazing, COVID rates are dropping, and slowly but surely we are going to get back to normal--perhaps better than normal as we will appreciate what we have more.

This month participating galleries are Anno Domini (366 South First), Art Ark (1035 South Sixth), KALEID (320 South First), MACHU PICCHU (199 Martha -- new gallery?), San Jose Jazz (300 South First), MACLA (510 South First), and the SoFA Market (387 South First). 

The San Jose Museum of Quilts & Textiles and Works San Jose will have online exhibitions. This looks like it will be the most significant art event in San Jose in over a year. For more information, head over here.

I will also remind everyone that many restaurants have resumed indoor dining. The SoFA Market is now open indoors with 25% capacity while Petiscos and many other traditional restaurants are open at 50%. Haberdasher and other bars in SoFA can also sell drinks outdoors without customers having to buy food. The newest gastrolounge in SoFA--the Good Spot--has a soft opening this Saturday starting at 11am. I can't wait to see what SoFA will look like a month from now.

San Jose needs to rethink tourism strategy

Let's be honest: if someone flies into the Bay Area from out of the country for leisure purposes, they're probably not dying to check out San Jose. They're much more likely to spend their time in San Francisco, or maybe spend the weekend up in Napa. Next stop is probably LA. Each of these areas has a little different to offer, but one thing they all share is that there is an established history that tourists find fascinating. San Jose, on the other hand, makes most of its tourism money from hosting large-scale events, not organic local attractions.

San Jose has a fair amount of history, but very little tourist attention. In fact, I'd wager that the average San Jose doesn't even find local history interesting. They're probably familiar with the Winchester Mystery House, and some may even mention the tower on Mt. Umunhum. Would they take a visiting friend to either of these places? They'd probably take the friend to SF.

Meanwhile, organizations like PAC*SJ have fought to preserve potential historical landmarks around the city. Why aren't we seeing any changes to how these buildings fit into people's mindshare, local or otherwise? I think it's because it's the wrong approach, at least in isolation.

Preservation alone will not promote city history. People need a story

If you've heard locals complain about how boring San Jose is, or how there's a lack of culture, chances are they're referring to a way of life and customs. The same locals would look at some of the historical buildings around St. James Park, for example, and their opinion would remain unchanged. That's because the existence of the landmark can only go so far; there needs to be stories that function as a vehicle into people's minds and hearts before there is any semblance of meaning. 

This is why, although I strongly value history myself (and it's one of my most fulfilling parts of international travel), I find the city's general approach a bit lacking. I'm not specifically calling out any department at the city, just the holistic approach I observe as a local. There are plenty old buildings around, but unless there is meaning behind them, I don't think it's a foregone conclusion that they need to be preserved in place. 

History Park - untapped potential

One thing the city has done right is move historical buildings into History Park. These buildings form a small town within the park, and at first sight is fairly interesting to look at. There's a trolley that runs through it, which is pretty cool.

History Park At Kelley Park (Peter Bennett)

The problem is that most folks only visit the park when there's another event hosted there--food festivals, conventions, and galleries. There is very little standalone appeal, but it looks like it's basically San Jose Disneyland. I think this park needs to be leveraged as the the place to go to experience history in the south bay. Every school should be organizing field trips here, if not already. It should be a good way to spend a day with the family. 

Replica light tower at History Park (westmuse.org)

Here are some ideas:

• Don't keep the park free. Charge an entrance fee if that's what it'll take to fund a better experience.
• Group buildings either by neighborhood or by era, complete with roads and lamp posts to match. This makes the town feel more cohesive rather than a random assortment of buildings.
• Each interior is treated as a stationary gallery, complete with historical furnishing (for viewing purposes only). This is already happening to an extent, but I think you need a tour to experience them. I might be wrong.
• There should be some permanent references to historically significant moments related to San Jose. For example, there should at least be mention of Tommie Smith and John Carlos' Olympic moment.
• Ideally, some national brands and franchises that started locally could lend a hand. I'd love to see how Chuck E Cheeses started, or what inspired Eggo waffles.
• There should be a major festival every year on April 08 (4.08) complete with performances near the electric tower.

I'd actually prefer to leave Silicon Valley history out of History Park, since that story is still evolving and may be a better fit elsewhere. That's a post for another time.

Iconic neon business signs: better together

I love neon signs. When done right, they are so easily recognizable from a distance. They add color to our streets. Over time, they creation an emotional connection with locals who see the businesses (or at least the designs) as a part of daily life. Unfortunately we're past the glory days of neon signs, but San Jose has a cluster of these from past decades. A lot of the time, the business no longer exists. Nonetheless, there needs to be some purpose designed for these signs after they are properly restored.

Dancing Pig sign (Mercury News)

In one example, the community pitched in to save and restore the Dancing Pig sign on Montgomery Street. It was a celebratory moment when the campaign succeeded, but what happens next? What's the purpose of preserving the sign in-place if the business no longer exists, and the entire surrounding area is prime for redevelopment? One approach is to use it as a way to protest redevelopment. A much better approach, in my opinion, is to use the sign to bring joy to many more people via a new city-maintained public gallery of neon signs.

Similar to how History Park has accumulated historical buildings, I think there's an opportunity to create a memorable visual experience if San Jose can bring signs like the Dancing Pig, Western Appliance, Orchard Supply Hardware, into a central location where can all be maintained and enjoyed together. Locals can visit the signs to reminisce or for a recognizable local photo opportunity. Tourists can get a glimpse at what downtown/midtown used to feel like. 

Where might we put these? 

• Again, History Park is a candidate as a go-to spot for revisiting the past of our city. 
• Another option is to use them to bring character and design to a public gathering space, such as a vibrant alleyway or a plaza. 
• Even an existing popular destination like the San Pedro Square garage could use them to boost the existent history elements of the venue. In fact the block still has a few active neon signs, so it might be a perfect it.
• The signs can be distributed to give blander sections of downtown a bit more personality. For example, each downtown parking garage can be adorned with one of the signs. Imagine parking in the "Dancing Pigs parking garage" instead of the 3rd St. parking garage".
• An upcoming development can incorporate the signs in their ceiling, similar to how The Pierce adopted the Voxel Cloud.

Create new local tourism destinations for the modern age

History is not the only way to attract local and broader tourism. There's a lot that San Jose can do in order to create new destinations. That's not exactly a revolutionary idea, so let's start with what I think is working.

What's working

Murals

Over the last five years or so, the city has really stepped up to encourage public facing art. Participation in Pow Wow has added a lot of color throughout the city. Meanwhile, collaborations with local art collectives such as Local Color has turned some downtown eyesores into sources of joy and inspiration. From experience I see plenty of locals lauding the increase in local murals, so this is a great, relatively recent movement that has shown great success.

Guest urban installations

Two very prominent projects made their way to downtown San Jose in the past few years, and they both demonstrated how hungry local crowds were for unifying projects that enhanced place making efforts.

The Swings in San Jose (musicalswings.com)

The first example is from 2016. The Swings was an interactive art piece by a Canadian art studio that consisted of swings that were each assigned an instrument. As people swung, their swings' "instruments" played, creating a full musical experience as more folks joined in. The gallery was so popular that the month-long installation ended up being extended. Locals also observed that it turned Plaza de Cesar Chavez into a truly family-oriented space. Every kid wanted to be a part of it, and parents could enjoy the results of the piece as their kids played.

Sonic Runway in front of City Hall (San Jose Inside)

Another popular art piece was brought over from Burning Man - the Sonic Runway. The project consisted of a tunnel built out of LED rings that created different patterns depending on the music fed into it. It was a major hit, as folks from all ages, backgrounds, music preferences all came out to experience it. A few events were coordinated adjacent to it, temporarily turning City Hall into the best gathering spot over the span of a couple of months.

Even better, it enabled the community to create their own artwork. One that pops in mind is the corgi photo that reappears now and then on Reddit and Twitter. That's the kind of inspiration that the city needs to focus on, as that's what turns something from just artwork in itself into a phenomenon that locals can feel like they own, even if the project was imported. 

Can you imagine if the project was created locally and it inspired locals? That's how you create the culture that folks so desperately yearn.

What we need

Social media friendly museums

This part is going to be more controversial. I am a fan of our existing downtown museums, from the San Jose Museum of Art to the Tech Museum (which will hopefully be expanded in the near future). We also have a list of local art galleries that provide great experiences, especially during arts-focused events such as South First Fridays. We don't need to change these at all; they tend to be though provoking, quality experiences.

What I'm referring to specifically is the type of museum that can double as a casual date or family outing. Places like Color Factory or Happy Place are not cheap, but they are tightly controlled environments that provide a very obvious escape from the "real world". Most would take this to mean a photo opportunity for Instagram, but it's also something that anyone can really go and enjoy if they need a change in scenery.

Misty bubbles gallery (New Spring)

Today, anyone looking for this category of casual entertainment would need to go to San Francisco, which is another example of leaked local tourism. It's not exactly the city's decision to open these locations, but it should take a hard look at why San Jose is not considered a desirable landing spot for them. 

An iconic San Jose public art piece

This one is sort of in progress, as Urban Confluence has launched an international design competition for a landmark to be located on Arena Green. Since we have nothing material to go on, however, it's important to consider what we'd like to see.

Iconic public art work does not necessarily need to fulfill a specific purpose. In this case, the uniqueness in itself is supposed to be the story. In other words, even with minimal context, it should still be something that folks can appreciate. 

• Cloud Gate (aka The Bean) in Chicago: result of a design competition
• Urban Light in Los Angeles: started as a personal project, eventually purchased by Los Angeles County Museum of Art
• Charging Bull in New York: Another personal artwork that ended up becoming a symbol of Wall Street

We'll need to see what the design competition yields. Ideally it can draw inspiration from its surroundings or the city in general; it won't hurt to add layers to the project.

Focus on locals first, and be forward-thinking

Becoming a destination will take time. One mistake I'd hate to see the city make is to focus too much on international and out-of-state travelers, rather than spend time analyzing leakage of local tourism. How can San Jose convince south bay residents and other Bay Area locals to visit San Jose over the weekend with purpose? 

Until the city can figure out how to shed the "San Jose is boring" label by locals, there is going to be very little hope for broader appeal. Once this local leakage has been addressed, and locals know where to take visitors on any random weekend, then the tourism appeal will slowly grow from there. 

We don't have the picturesque historical structures other cities have which  provide natural tourist appeal. That doesn't mean tourism appeal is doomed, but we can build up from here. San Jose will need to think about where it wants to be in ten years or twenty years. 

After all, everything historical needs a starting point, and what's been built in the past half century has not worked. It's time to rethink how to build for the future.

-Lawrence Lui

Sacred Art presents Illuminate

At the SubZERO Festival last weekend, I stopped by a booth promoting this year's Sacred Art event. This is an annual immersive art and music show that is free to attend, but requires registration. This year's event will be at Forager, and the theme for Illuminate will focus on technology, spirituality, and the South African food crisis. Eat, drink, and enjoy the designs and installations!

Here's a video from the previous event to give you an idea of what to expect:

s a c r e d a r t • 2 0 1 6 from Jeremiah Hutchens on Vimeo.

The event will be on Saturday, June 30 at 7pm, and will go until 1am the next day. The location is Forager. You can register for tickets here and learn more about the event here.

Two special SubZERO events for tonight

As a reminder, tonight is the start of an epic two-day arts festival in SoFA called SubZERO. There are two special events I wanted to quickly highlight:

Works San Jose is having an opening reception for System Overlord between 7pm and 10pm. This project brings together designers are artist who are pushing the limits of print and new media. They always have a compelling showcase and I'm sure their latest collection will not disappoint.

You also have to swing by the San Jose Museum of Quilts and Textiles and check out "Before You Were Born" by Laurie Shapiro. This is an immersive, walk-in exhibit that has an accompanying live performance. The exhibits at this museum continue to become more and more ambitious, and this one sets a new bar! Below are a couple photographs by Octavio Martinez to help you get a feel for the scope of this piece.

Admission is free at all venues, including the San Jose Museum of Quilts and Textiles which normally do charge a fee outside of FIRST FRIDAY events.

San Jose Museum of Quilts & Textiles 40th anniversary

I am way late on this post since the main event is happening right now, but did want to at least mention that the SJ Museum of Quilts & Textiles is celebrating four decades of existence today. This is always one of my favorite stops during First Fridays and today they are having a free open house until 4pm with tours and interactive art activities.

If you have not visited the museum in a while, they have four new exhibits that are definitely worth seeing. Part of their original mission was to show that quilts were more than just blankets or a women's hobby, but a valid medium for fine art and political expression. Some of the work is quite stunning and you can see a preview over here.

(To see the scope of the above piece, have a closer look here)

South First Fridays tonight in SoFA

It is a little wet outside, but that should not stop you from enjoying great art in some of Downtown San Jose's most interesting venues. 20 destinations will be open late tonight and proudly display local artwork. South First Fridays is completely free and you can find a preview of what will be on display over here.

For an interactive walking map (sorry the one below is just a boring image), bookmark this link.

Content Magazine 9.0 Pick-up Party and 5th Anniversary next week

My favorite San Jose magazine is celebrating its fifth year with a free event next Tuesday, December 13th at Art Object Gallery (592 N. 5th St., San Jose).

Music will be provided by Wax Moon, Cado Dos Santos, Mardi Morillo, April Gee, and Steely Nash. Snacks and light bites will be provided by Michi Sushi, The Cookie Boys, Manresa Bread, and the Mount Hamilton GrandView Restaurant.

Content Magazine subscribers will get a complimentary beverage and holiday gift bag along with their issue. If you are still not a subscriber, head over here.

They are also partnering with Toys for Tots on this event. It is encouraged to bring a new, unwrapped toy for a child in need (age range is 0-16).

The event will run from 7pm-10pm and street parking is available as well as a city lot on 6th and Jackson.

"Monterey Highway" at Seeing Things Gallery

Lost San Jose's Josh Marcotte has a new body of work called "Monterey Highway" that goes on display today at Seeing Things Gallery (751 West San Carlos Street). Josh spent a year documenting 30 miles of Monterey Highway in his own unique style. The road has a juxtaposition of old motels, neon signs, and empty storefronts as well as brand new housing projects and big box stores. Josh set out to "capture the spirit and identity of this road, and its place in the ever shifting landscape of Silicon Valley."

There is an opening reception for the new work tonight from 7pm to 10pm. To see some of these photos online as well as Josh's other collections, head over to the Lost San Jose website.

Cellista performs Messiaen's "The End of Time" at Anno Domini Gallery on Feb 20, March 12, 13

San Jose cellist and musical entrepreneur Freya Seeburger, also known as Cellista, will be performing Olivier Messiaen's "Quartet For the End of Time," on February 20, March 12 and March 13 at Anno Domini Gallery in San Jose. This unique musical presentation is part of an installation she created with visual artist Barron Storey, illustrator of Neil Gaiman's Sandman Chronicles, that will be on display at Anno Domini starting February 5. 

Storey's artwork was created in response to Messiaen's famous quartet, which was composed and performed in a Nazi prisoner of war camp in 1941. Cellista and the Juxtapositions Chamber Ensemble will be performing the quartet nearly 75 years to the day of its premiere in Germany. Tickets to the February 20, March 12 and March 13 shows are available online at artful.ly/theendoftime. The February 5 art opening is free to the public; Cellista will be reading an introduction to "The End of Time" that explains its historical significance and relevance to San Jose. 

February 5-6: South FIRST FRIDAYS Art Walk + SoFA Winter Mrkt

South FIRST FRIDAYS has been expanded in honor of the Super Bowl this year. Not only is it a two-day event now, but there will be local vendors and special performances. Multiple venues and art galleries will be participating, as you can see on the handy map below. Most of the festivities will be on South First Street, but I highly recommend exploring other areas as well. If you haven't made a pit stop to Plaza de Cesar Chavez recently then this would also be a great time to swing by.

South FIRST FRIDAYS Art Walk + SoFA Winter Mrkt takes place tonight from 7-11pm and tomorrow from noon to 6pm.

If you are a fan of skateboarding, Empire Seven Studios has a great new exhibit for you. They have works from over 40 artists in tribute to Jim Phillips, both an artist and skateboarding icon. There is an opening reception tomorrow from 7-10pm. The exhibit will be at Empire Seven Studios (525 N. 7th Street) until January 30th.

Featuring over 40 international and locally curated artists:
Jason Adams, Jason Arnold, Ben Alexy, Lou Barberio, John Barrick, BB Bastidas, Bigfoot, Andrei Bouzikov, Blake Brand, Todd Bratrud, Steve Caballero, Thomas Campbell. Nathan Carrico. Sean Cliver, Sam Davidson, Ken Davis, Tim Diet, Dirty Donny, Eric Dressen, Jessica Eastburn, Tyler Emanuel, Jeremy Fish, Drew Flores, Israel Forbes, Justin Forbes, Amanda Fox, Mark "Fos" Foster, Todd Francis, Colin Frangicetto, Funeral French, Nicky Gaston, Erlin Geffrard, Mike Giant, Benny Gold, Mark Gonzales, Abel Gonzalez, Scotty Greathouse, Andres Guerrero, Harv, Keith Haupt, Mark Heredia, Ben Horton, Paul Imagine, Aye Jay, Jay222, Andy Jenkins, Jesico, Jason Jessee, Tyson Johnston, Natas Kaupus, Eric Kneeland, John Lucero, Frances Marin, Keith Meek, Zack Morrissey, Jeff Meadows, Mesngr, Mouse, John Munnerlyn, Lucas Musgrave, Steve Olson, Opski, Mitsy Avila Ovalles, Judi Oyama, Kyle Pellet, Jim Phillips Sr., Jimbo Phillips, Colby Phillips, Pitchgrim, Andy Pitts, Ben Ramey, Brian Romero, Drew Roulette, Crab Scrambly, Michael Siebon, Skinner, State of Grace Taki, Jai Tanju, Jeral Tidwell. Mark Widmann, Tosh Woods, Makoto Yamaki
...and many more!''

South FIRST FRIDAYS Art Walk Tonight!

Take advantage of the amazing weather tonight and head over to SoFA for a self-guided art walk! 20 venues will be participating, including a new one--Third Space Fitness. Below is a handy map of the event. For more information head over to the South FIRST FRIDAYS website.

Oh, and mark your calendars for June 5th and 6th for the annual SubZERO Festival.

EYE TEA Exhibit at the Citadel Tomorrow

Studio 1039 and AtreyArt are presenting the new "EYE TEA" art exhibition at the Citadel Gallery on 5th and Martha Streets. Over 40 artists will be showing works that revolve around the effects of social media in the modern world. There will also be live music by Chris Reed, Sweet Hayah, and MC-Dj Mandiesl. The event is free and runs from 7pm to 11pm.

Source: Phantom Galleries

South FIRST FRIDAYS Art Walk Tonight!

SoFA's monthly art walk is happening tonight, and there are two new venues joining that will bring the roster to 20 participating locations. Vyne Bistro on Paseo de San Antonio and Third Space CrossFit (next to MACLA) are the additions. The event starts at 7pm and runs until 11pm. For a preview of the art on display tonight, have a look here.

TWO BUCK Tuesday at KALEID Gallery

From Phantom Galleries:

Join us for our monthly artists and quirky people get together featuring live art, demos, and $2 original art to take home!

Tuesday January 20th 7–10pm
free & open to the public

Participating artists:
Al Preciado
Jay Cee
Nekyua
Mark Martinez
James Pollard
Erica Atreya
David Mejia
Noggin Mojica
Silk screen demo by Nelson Barneond
Sculpting by Dug Stanat
Skateboard art by Joe Perea

KALEID Gallery
88 S. 4th St.
Downtown San Jose
free street parking after 6pm.
www.KALEIDGallery.com/

Hark Holiday Show at KALEID Gallery

Today there is a holiday art show at KALEID Gallery Downtown (next to Flames). The show runs from 7-11pm and features work from over 60 artists, including one of my personal favorites--guerrilla photographer Josh Marcotte from Lost San Jose. Give the gift of local art this holiday season!

TWO BUCK Tuesday Today at KALEID Gallery

If you are interested in killer local art deals, you have to check out TWO BUCK Tuesday at KALEID (88 South Fourth Street, next to Flames). There will be live demos and painting by over a dozen artists and the best part is that you can purchase original works for the ultra-reasonable price of $2. There will also be live music and cheesecakes for sale. More info below!

Join us for our monthly artist and quirky people get together featuring live art, demos, live music and $2 original art to take home! Tuesday November 18th, 7–10pm, free & all ages. Live painting and demos by: Jeffrey Bramschreiber Brandon Anderton Gianfranco Paolozzi Mark Martinez Michael David Denning Al Preciado, Jay Cee and Nekyua James Pollard Noggin Mojica Erica Arteya Steve Borelli Jennifer Blake April Burton Darius Alexander Dave Mejia Vanessa Callanta and Alexander Creationz will have delicious cheesecakes for sale Music by DJ Blaze 88 South Fourth Street (@ San Fernando) San Jose, CA 95112 info@KALEIDGallery.com 408-947-1785 Gallery Hours: Tuesday – Saturday, noon -7pm Free admission

7th Annual SubZERO Festival Tomorrow AND Saturday!!!

One of the best festivals in the entire Bay Area is happening tomorrow--and for the first time SubZERO has been extended to take place across two days! It is going to be truly epic for 2014.

I don't even know where to begin. You'll have hundreds of vendors, dozens of galleries, live music across three different stages, 11 food trucks, a beer garden, and all sorts of interesting surprises. This is a must-attend event for anyone who is a fan of Downtown San Jose.

The festival will take up at least three city blocks along S. First Street from San Carlos all the way to Reed. I would recommend parking in the Convention Center and walking across the street. Below you can see a list of artists and vendors participating as well as the food trucks. For more info and a music schedule, check out the SubZERO Website.

Confirmed Artists, Indie Creatives & Vendors participating in 
the 7th Annual SubZERO Festival 

Frank Aguilar
Darius B'Alexander
Jaime Benoist 
Black & Brown
Black Lotus Clothing 
Mike Borja 
Bugs & Monsters
Keith Bunnell
David Canavese
The Cannery Gallery 
Classic Loot
Content Magazine
Crossroads Trading Co.
Cryptic
The Cube by Jarid
Current Tattoo
Donbon 
Drew & Barb 
EcoMonster
Elements SJ Vape Shop
Empire Seven
EyeDesign Art
Faire Goatmother
Tulio Flores
Francisco Franco
Friends with Benefits
Force 129
Fotography by Abe Menor 
FRPArt.org  
Lila Gemellos 
ThOm Golia 
Cynthia Gonzalez 
Michele Guieu / Drew Detweiller
Andre Hart 
Genevieve Hastings
Jeff Hemming
Higher Fire Clayspace and Gallery
Hologlyphics 
ILADORA Apparel 
iMiNUSD Fixed Gear Boutique
Jumbo Jibbles
KALEID  Gallery
KKUP
Denis Korkh 
Korrupt Clothing
John Kurtyka 
The LGBTQ Youth Space
Lost San Jose
Lucy & Mabel 
Luna Park Chalk Art Festival
Frances Marin
Masako
Jason McHenry
Mejia Arts
Keith Melot
Woody Miller
Mariya Milovidova 
Minou
Monocle Art Group
LAuruS Myth 
Anna Nguyen 
Oliver/Wilde
Out of Print Vintage 
Petitie Galleria
Gianfranco Paolozzi
Persephone Dance Company
Poetry Site 
James Pollard
SJ Bike Valet
SJ Rock Shop 
Steven Reece
RevoLights
School of Visual Philosophy
Freya Seeburger 
Seeing Things Gallery
Melanie Sharr
SJSU Art Alliance
SJSU Game Dev
SLG / Art Boutiki
Steamy Tech 
There There
Kori Thompson
Space Palette 
Tinkertart 
Tiny Splendor 
The Usuals / Showroom
Audre VanBroers 
Visual Confections
Visual Philosophy
Andy Wallace
Michelle and Peter Waters
Women Environmental Artists Directory
Works Gallery
Zenning
 
3 Stages of Music

Anno Domini Stage
The People's Park Stage
Secret Garden Stage

Lagunitas Brewing Company presents THE SECRET GARDEN

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http://www.lagunitas.com


FOOD TRUCKS + MORE

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• 2 Bros Kitchen
• Banjara Bistro
• Bill's Hot Dogs
• SJ Meatball Company
• Hula Truck
• Mad Maxx Mex
• OhMisoHungry
• Porky's
• Rice Rockit
• Takoz Mod Mex
• Twisted Chill

Naglee Park Open Studios on June 1st

Here is an event that is completely new to me. This Sunday is the 6th Annual Naglee Park Open Studios, which lets you walk right into artists homes around a historic neighborhood. 30 artists are participating at 20 different locations with works including ceramics, photography, sculptures, watercolors, and more.

The event programs with locations of participating artists will be available on May 11th at Happy Dog, House of Bagels, and the famous Naglee Park Garage (505 E. San Carlos St.). The Event is free and runs from 11am to 5pm.

You can find more information at the Naglee Park Community Association or their Facebook Page.

Source: Phantom Galleries