Kick off the holiday season with a festive evening of art, music, and community spirit at the First Fridays ArtWalk December 5th from 5pm–9pm.
Galleries, museums, and creative spaces will be hosting special exhibitions and live performances all with free admission and open to all ages. Stroll with friends and family, meet incredible artists, and revel in our creative community as we shine brighter this time of year.
SoFA District
ANNO DOMINI // the second coming of Art & Design – 366 S. First St. map
galleryONE: Int’l Art of Zines Exhibit
Zine makers from down the block and around the globe join us in the celebration of the zine as an art form and cultural force.
We invite everyone to make, remix, and reimagine Zines with us on opening night!
•Special exhibit SKRAPS by Yasushi Matsui,
Since 2016 artist Yasushi Matsui has documented his daily life with ink and watercolor on scrap paper found along the way during his local and global travels and bound in a SKRAPbook. Keeping with DIY Zine culture, these original drawings are scanned and printed with a home printer, some of which will be on view and available for acquisition during the Int’l Art of Zines exhibit.
• Make a Zine with Quynh Vy,
San Jose artist Quynh will guide you to draw, cut, paste, fold and bind your own zine.
• DMA Projection Mapping by n@p t1m:3 (CADRE SJSU
This mixed media sculptural installation explores how stories unfold beyond the page. It bends from the folds of the paper into imagination, light and landscape.
• Zine Baby by Andrew Blanton
Zine Baby is a love letter to publishing small art books, an attempt at capturing the vibe/essence/feeling of web1.0. Built as a tool set for creating small artist books, and designed to be simple and intuitive to use, you can create books and share them by pushing the publish link. Once you have the document set up, several modes are supported for print, including standard printing and rissograph.
On view in galleryTWO:
Rider of Reverie
Susiyo (Indonesia) solo exhibition
In these new works, familiar everyday objects are inhabited with personality and energetic spirit. The real and the surreal move along a Möbius strip, with no distinction of where one begins and the other ends. Susiyo’s vivid imagination is brought to life through his highly skilled technical ability, utilizing composition and color to pull us into his sur/real worlds. Each painting offers a glimpse into a larger narrative, inviting us as viewers to imagine both the moments that came before and those still to come with unlimited possibilities. Ultimately, Susiyo reminds us that these imagined realms are not separate from our own and can help us expand how we see and shape our own world.
Susiyo was born on February 12, 1993, in Semarang Regency, Indonesia. Susiyo’s artistic journey began with his early experiences in the animation industry, where he was involved in the production process of 2D animated films. This experience opened his eyes to the world of visual arts and became a gateway to further exploring his creative potential.
Not stopping there, he continued his education at the Indonesian Institute of the Arts Yogyakarta, majoring in Fine Arts with a focus on Visual Communication Design. His university years became a crucial period in shaping his artistic identity. He not only learned artistic techniques formally but also broadened his horizons by actively participating in various art communities.
His involvement in these communities provided Susiyo with opportunities to exchange ideas and hone his creativity, which eventually led him to the art exhibition stage. His participation in numerous group exhibitions marked a significant starting point in his professional journey as an artist, introducing his works to a wider audience and solidifying his presence in the art world.
Rider of Reverie at Anno Domini is Susiyo’s debut solo exhibition.
KALEID Gallery – 320 S. First St. map
HARK! Holiday Show & Sale
Join us for the opening of HARK! Annual Holiday Show & Sale here at KALEID Gallery on First Friday December 5th, 5pm–9pm.
This highly anticipated annual event showcases the talents of 70+ artists from KALEID Gallery as well as additional invited artists from our broader regional arts community.
Hundreds of unique artworks, including paintings, sculptures, photography, and jewelry at affordable gift-giving prices from $15-$250. All available artworks are first come, first served and you can take your purchases home immediately.
Featuring Artists:
Angela Aiosa, Debra Anderson, Darius B’Alexander, Julie Barrett, Irene Berrone-Kolb, Isaac Bassard / Animate One, Sandra Billingsley, Michelle Boire , The Blunt Letters, Julianne Bonnet, Jeffrey Bramschreiber, Robert Chavez, Margaret Choy, Trieu Dao, Jennifer Davis, Jennifer DeChenne,, Joseph Demaree, Jemal Diamond, Mario Dimas, Caleb Dowdell , Doug Edwards, Kara Aguilar Elizalde, Mahsa Emoventur, Bernadette Fahmy, Force129, Gabriel Galen, Dulce Gamboa, Luisa Garcia, Anna Gelman, Cynthia Gonzalez, Ike Greca, Heiko Greb, Katherine Green, Katie Gutierrez, Danny Olivia Hanson, Kyle Harter, Diana Hartman, Sydney Hessel, Xuan Ho, Maureen Holcomb. Andrew Irvine, Jonathan Kermit, Natasha Kramskaya, Christina Lim, Sarah Loyola, Joe Mandrick, Elliott Markiel, Gilbert Marosi, David Mejia, Julie Meridian, James Mertke, James Morgan, Nite Owl, Karen Oeh, Ashley Ogle, Sonia Orban – Price, Gianfranco Paolozzi, Joe Perea, Betty Proper, Purl Bailey aka Marilyn Roaf, Robertino Ragazza, Eddie Ramirez, Francisco Ramirez, Steven Reece Jenifer Renzel, Judy Rookstool, Steven nizzotes Rubalcaba, Jayashree Sadasivan, Jacob Sandoval, Anya Satysheva, Kevin Tschaen, Sujata Tibrewala, and Alisha Toni.
Don’t miss this opportunity to support local artists and find one-of-a-kind gifts you’ll love to give! We look forward to seeing you at KALEID Gallery for an inspired evening of art, creativity, and holiday cheer!
MACLA Movimiento de Arte y Cultura Latino Americana – 510 S. First St. map
From Their Hands to Ours Exhibition Opening
MACLA presents, in partnership with Montalvo Arts Center, From Their Hands to Ours our new exhibition highlighting how ancestral wisdom and childhood experiences shape identity. Debuting new work by Estefania Ajcip, Miguel Arzabe, rafa esparza, Edra Soto, and Arleene Correa Valencia, the exhibition weaves together stories of tradition, trauma, and growth through painting, sculpture, textile art, and video.
Do not miss the opening reception December 5 from 5–9 PM with an Artist Talk with participating artists and a DJ set by Los Ritmos Calientes.
Teen Tech Center Youth Exhibition: Street View
Join us for our Teen Tech Center Youth exhibition, featuring photos depicting San José’s urban life. Photos were taken during our street photography workshop where youth got to explore downtown and capture the city’s everyday beauty with artist Jai Tanju.
Phantom Galleries at The Pierce Apts. Lobby Gallery – 2 Pierce Ave. map
Mis Raises / My Roots
Leysar Garcia Sandoval solo exhibition
My work represents the Indigenous peoples of Guatemala, who are survivors of genocide and are striving to preserve their culture. They are people who struggle every day against a government system that neither supports them nor allows them to pass on their culture and traditions to future generations.
In addition to this, I also highlight the beauty of their clothing, which is made from natural resources. Through my paintings, I seek to teach and share stories of people who are still alive and continue to fight to preserve the cultural identity of Guatemala.
Meet the artist Leysar during the First Fridays Art Walk from 5–9pm.
San Jose Institute of Contemporary Art– 560 S. First St. map
Data Trust by Stephanie Dinkins
Stephanie Dinkins questions the current paradigms of AI development and forges paths toward more equitable and inclusive technological futures. Data Trust fuses artificial intelligence, DNA, and social practice to pursue a simple goal: to honor and preserve multigenerational stories in ways that are poetic, enduring, and technologically bold. Immersive projections, animated by real-time generative AI processing of collected oral histories, create a living narrative spanning around the walls of the gallery. Data Trust envisions a future where narratives are preserved in groves of trees and microbial ecosystems that serve as permanent sites of memory, integrating ancestral knowledge into the land itself.
6:00PM: Curator-led tour of Stephanie Dinkins: Data Trust
7:30PM: Martha Sakellariou: Preparation(s) for a Dinner 2025–2026
San Jose Jazz – 310 South First St. map
SJZ Break Room Jazz Jam Ft. Giulio Xavier
Drop in during the South First Friday Artwalk for an evening of live jazz anytime from 5:40–9pm. The evening features fresh music from our audition-based High School All Stars U19s, with a varied program including arrangements of “This Christmas” by Donny Hathaway, “Bittersweet” by Lianne La Havas, “Strasbourg/St. Denis” by Roy Hargrove and “Cherokee” by Kamasi Washington. At 6:15, Michael Webster Quartet plays covers and Webster’s inspired originals, followed by an all-ages jazz jam featuring special guest bassist Giulio Xavier.
5:40pm: SJZ U19s
6:15pm: Michael Webster Quartet
7–9pm: Jazz Jam, Ft. Giulio Xavier
2021 Jazz Aid Fund grantee Giulio Xavier Cetto is a bassist, composer and vocalist based in SF. Known for exploring multiple genres and styles, Giulio’s study of music spans continents and generations. Giulio is influenced by his Venezuelan-Italian heritage, Bay Area rap music and his jazz and classically-trained family.
Between gigging as the bassist for the two-time Grammy Award winning Fantastic Negrito, Giulio has recorded with artists like Javier Santiago, Omree Gal-Oz, Spellling and Kev Choice and has played in notable venues such as SF Jazz Center, Yoshi’s Oakland, the Yerba Buena Theater, Zellerbach Playhouse, Black Cat and the Great American Music Hall. He has played music abroad in Russia, Costa Rica, Malaysia, Singapore, Italy, Abu Dhabi, Ireland, Canada, US Virgin Islands, and Puerto Rico.
He has also shared the stage with notable musicians such as Yosvany Terry, Eric Harland Quartet ft. Ben Wendel & James Francies, Steve Turre’s Eulipion All Stars ft. Carl Allen, Vincent Herring, James Carter, Dayna Stephens, Matt Wilson, Joe Gilman, Theo Croker, Sean Jones, Warren Wolf, Joel Ross, Kassa Overall, Melanie Charles, Jacam Manricks and more.
San Jose Museum of Quilts & Textiles – 520 South First St. map
Quilt National ’25 Award Winning Quilts from Around the Nation
The San Jose Museum of Quilts & Textiles is exhibiting QUILT NATIONAL ’25, the Dairy Barn Arts Center’s biennial exhibition of award winning quilts. Quilt National was created to showcase the transformation taking place in quilt making. From the beginning, the goal has been to expand the definition of quilting and celebrate it as an art form.
While many works in Quilt National retain traditional techniques like piecing and patching, they also push boundaries with new materials and technologies. These contemporary quilts are not only technically impressive–they are emotionally powerful, giving artists a way to make personal, expressive statements.
Exhibition will feature selections from Quilt National, a juried biennial exhibition of contemporary quilt art, first held in 1979. The primary exhibition is held at the Dairy Barn Art Center in Athens, Ohio, in odd-numbered years. The full exhibition includes between 80-90 quilts. Quilt National is both the largest and one of the most prestigious shows of its kind.
Diversity in Basketry
The Bay Area Basket Makers Guild highlights a range of both traditional and contemporary basket-making techniques and materials. Members utilize natural fibers and reeds, along with synthetic materials such as rope and wire, employing methods like coiling and knotting. Contemporary baskets often emphasize conveying emotions and ideas over functionality, resembling sculptures instead. The exhibition “Diversity in Basketry” celebrates this vibrant art form.
Historic District
Chopsticks Alley Gallery – 38 S. 2nd St. map
Heart’s Delight: San Jose Stories
Heart’s Delight celebrates the heritage, community, and connections shaping San José through three creative projects.
Together, these projects invite us to continue building a San José that reflects and honors cultural stories, nurtures community, and embraces the connection between us all.
Collective Journeys: Cynthia Cao (lead Artist & Instructor), Hana Lock, An Luong, Leonila Mims, Crystal Nguyen, and MinhQuang Nguyen
San José Marquee: Finalists: Tachiya Bryant, Cynthia Cao, Hana Lock, Patron Paule, Elba Raquel. Honorable Mentions: Hadi Aghaee, Robin Lasser, and Eileen Wong Cevera
Spirit of San José: Anh Le, Annie Tran, Barbara Wang Tolentio, Brandon Cisnuos, Bryant Ramos, Evenlyn Eanuel, Gordon Schneiderman, Hoang Duong, Jake Yan, Karen Hennessy, Kim Nguyen, Megyn Yan, Natalie Smith, Peter Meylink, Peter Nguyen, Saron Tekeste, Thu Truong, Tuoi Truong, Zulma, Zapata, and Joy Chavarro
7 pm: An Evening with Author & Journalist Gary Singh
We invite you to join us for a special night of storytelling with San José–based writer Gary Singh. Known for his lyrical prose and thought-provoking perspectives. He will read selections from his anthology and columns—pieces that weave together memory, place, and culture into compelling narratives. Gary’s work has been published widely, including his Hidden Compass feature Truth is the Timeless One and Silicon Alleys.. Esther Young will be moderating the panel.
Works/San Jose – 38 S. 2nd St. map
Edge of Softness
Artists: Cynthia Yadira Gonzalez, Alyssarhaye Graciano, Lydia Rae Black, Mario Montes Pozo and Mary Morse
South First Friday is opening night for this much anticipated exhibition at Works. Guest curators Alyssarhaye Graciano and Cynthia Yadira Gonzalez present a collection of very new work that delves into complex layers of softness, challenging the conventional belief that strength must be synonymous with toughness. Often seen as an insult, being called soft is perceived as a lack of assertiveness, indecisiveness, or weakness. By reframing softness as a form of strength, these artists highlight its true power: vulnerability, empathy, and emotional intelligence.
Martha Gardens District
Art Ark Gallery – 1035 S. Sixth St. map
More the Merrier 2025
Join us for our most anticipated event of the year!
Discover and collect one-of-a-kind artworks for yourself or loved ones while celebrating the incredible creativity of our local artists and enjoying live music!
Participating Artists: Amadi Greenstein, Amanda Brannon, Amanda Trippler, Antonio Castro, April Burton, Bill Heiderich, Bob Rose, Carolyn Li, Chris Cassell, Christopher Denise, Cynthia Yadira Gonzalez, Deborah Kennedy, Diana C. Roberts, Erin Salazar, Gianfranco Paolozzi, Isaac Villanueva, Janet Appleton, Janice Lambert, Jennifer Villanueva, Ketaki Adi, Kevin Luck/ghost, Kit Kosaiku Luck, Kurt Salinas, Laura Morales Dolan, Lilly Horani, Mark Martinez, Michael Stewart, Nina Ulett, Nona Weiner, Piyali Samanta, Quality HDR Photography, Raji Musinipally, Richard Stark, Robert Claus, Robert Mende, Robert Windle, Rosa Art Studio, Silpa, Sue Rahn, Tamara Danoyan, TheGrinDragon, Therese May, Tom Shulruff, Valerie Sagun, Will Frances Art, Yeung Ha
MACHU PICCHU Gallery of the Americas, Est. 1974 – 199 Martha St. map
Holiday Gift Ideas from The Americas
Lovingly handmade by many master Indigenous and Latin American artists and artisans from Mexico, Central and South America.
Watercolors, oil paintings, handwoven tapestries, ceramics, sculpture and much more.
The main idea this gift giving season is for the creators to be sustainable and recognized for their ancestral craftsmanship, including meaning with purpose.
FIRST FRIDAYS ArtWalk SJ is produced by CURATUS in partnership with the participating galleries, museums and independent creative businesses.
Join us on Facebook ArtWalkSJ
South FIRST FRIDAYS
366 S 1st Street
San Jose, CA 95113
408-271-5155
info@southfirstfridays.com