Tag Archives: culture

April 5, 2019—South FIRST FRIDAYS Art Walk

South FIRST FRIDAYS presents ArtwalkSJ

First Friday, April 5th from 7–11pm
SoFA District (& beyond) downtown San Jose
RSVP on our event page here.

The South FIRST FRIDAYS Art Walk is a self-guided, nighttime tour through galleries, museums, and independent creative businesses featuring eclectic art exhibitions and special performances.

All Art Walk venues are FREE admission & great for all ages.


EXHIBITION SCHEDULE at PARTICIPATING VENUES…





Anno Domini // the second coming of Art & Design – 366 South First St. map

The “Making of Open Source Magazine” discussion and live performances.

Join us at 7:15pm for an artists’ talk on the “Making of Open Source Magazine”, a limited edition print-only journal of synth culture, visual art and music technology. The discussion will be led by its founder Danny Kim (Binary Society) and joined by special guests: ambient producer Robert Rich and visual artist Bill Wiatroski (both featured in OS01. After the presentation there will be live synth performances by Maurice “m.0” Jackson (featured in OS01), r beny aka Austin Cairns, James Cigler & Distco

On view in galleryONE: “Grand Grey” by Faring Purth (NY)

“Grand Grey” is a collection of works on paper completed between 2016-2019, ranging in medium and scale, from hand held to larger than life. This exhibition integrates pieces created in both city landscapes (St. Louis, Berlin, NY, Montevideo) and the most wild of natural setting (the back-country of Uruguay and the Catskill mountains;) touching upon my personal experience of the great distances crossed internally/externally over the last few years, as well as the spirited energy I encountered along the way. 

The most recent of this collection was created in the “Tablada Studio,” our new home in the Catskills mountains, that once hosted the late Diego Rivera and Frida Kahlo. The presence in these walls is undeniable and, I believe, nourished the work in many ways. This exhibition is a celebration of work that is not often seen in a gallery setting, pulp and scrolls that accompanied me on a epic chapter in my life. Now leading up to what will undoubtably be one of the greatest I will experience, the birth of my first child. May these pearls touch you as they have carried me. In exactly the way they are meant to….   ~Faring Purth, 2019

On view in galleryTW: “Is this the sign you’re looking for?” by Bortusk Leer (UK) 

Since bursting onto the art scene in 2007 his work has appeared on and livened up numerous streets, gallery and home walls in places around the world and beyond.

Fed up with people being angry, disappointed, sad and disillusioned with life, Leer sees it as his duty to brighten up the world and spread some happiness.
 
Over a decade Bortusk has developed a signature voice and style, creating manic, euphoric creatures (his monsters) plus other lively abstract pieces, videos, TV shows and numerous psychedelic assemblages of Neo-Pop-Art-Brut.

Fascinated by Picasso and the CoBrA-movement, inspired by futuristic heroes and influenced by all the children of the world, Leer became the founder and leader of Art Comedy.

He’s still the only member though as far as we know. His aim is not only to create as much art as he possibly can, but also to put a smile on everyone’s face and spread some positive emotions whilst doing so.

“I jusT waNT To cheer peopLe up a BIT, as There’s Far Too maNy mIseraBLe BasTards ouT There!”


Art Ark Gallery – 1035 South Sixth St. map

On view: “Ambient Dew Point” 

Participating artists: Allison Leigh Holt, Cheryl E Leonard, Christian Farrell, Jim Haynes, John Davis, Keith Evans, Kerry Laitala, Lisa Mezzacappa, Loren Chasse, Mark Wilson, Rae Diamond’s Long Tone Choir, Suki Okane, Thingamajigs Performance Group, Syrnx

Ambient Dew Point is the temperature needed for condensation of atmospheric water vapor to occur; the changing of state and phase. This exhibition includes a number of primarily media performance artists and groups showing works that are an extract of some process or outgrowth of their time based performance work. 


Art Object Gallery – 592 N. 5th St. map

Artists’ reception: HIKARIGAMA: an exhibition of wood-fired ceramics

Participating artists: Hiroshi Ogawa, Sam Hoffman, Diane Levinson, Jenny Klein, Naohiro Matsuzawa, Jordan King, Amy Fields, Natalie Warrens, Misako Kambe, Thomas and Kathy Arakawa, Jayme Allen 

Contemporary ceramic artists worldwide are embracing a millennia old technique called wood-fire. The exhibition Hikarigama brings together eleven accomplished artists in an exhibition that explores the subtleties, beauty and complexity of wood-fired ceramics. A full range of art from traditional Japanese pottery to contemporary sculpture will be featured during the First Friday Art Walk SJ reception 5:30pm–8:30pm.


Gallery Suha Suha – 45 E. Williams St. map

Artist reception: “Overlooked” by Sung Jae Bang

When it comes to Sung Jae Bang’s body of works, one thinks of a feast for the anorexic: they let you savor all the delicacies they offer without the obligation to actually eat them. Upon seeing them, your unconscious palate already charges forward, only stopping at the fact that they are merely painted objects–signifiers, not the signified. But Bang’s works go a bit farther than that, enacting in full the famous tale of a painting contest between Zeuxis and Parrhasius. If the illusionist appeal parallels Zeuxis’ incredible verisimilitude, Bang’s paintings turn that around once again and asks: what if the whole thing, not just its depictions, had been fake? A careful examination reveals impossible dishes, ill-matched colors, and uncanny situations, such as a plate of sushi and steak, arranged at an impossible scale, or a chopstick with a flower bouquet on one end. One painting depicts an eerily viridescent toothbrush, on top of which a strip of toothpaste sits glowing like the halo of a medieval Jesus. Bang pokes fun at the sheer religiosity with which we regard our ability to judge–a process which is growing increasingly swift today. The eventual letdown is painful, but forces us to pause before again letting ourselves be ceaselessly consumed by consumerism, as well as by technomancy and the worship of shallowness.

Let me correct: they are in fact unacceptable even to the anorexic. Paintings cannot save us. We are already neck-deep in the swamp.

Pictured artwork:  “Fliet Mignon Kimchi Dosirak” by Sung Jae Bang


KALEID gallery – 88 South Fourth St. map

KALEID Gallery is proud to present two new feature exhibitions by gallery resident artists Mariana Barnes, and Leah Jay.

Artist’s reception: “Nature is Calling” new works by Mariana Barnes

From whimsical sea creatures to charming trees, this exhibit is inspired by Mariana’s love of nature. And like nature, her paintings ignite a spark of joy and wellbeing in the viewer.

A self taught artist, Mariana’s scientific and music backgrounds, as well as her love of travel and ancient cultures have found their way into her art. Originally from Argentina, she has been exposed to a sophisticated Latin American culture whose color and energy nourish the paintings she creates.

Her unique and recognizable painted mosaic style has appeared in numerous galleries and venues, including museums and TV shows. She has won various awards, and has been active in the San Francisco Bay Area for many years. Her art has been collected by people in the US and internationally. Mariana has been represented by KALEID Gallery in San Jose since 2008.

Artist’s reception: “Topographic Flux” an abstract series by Leah Jay

Watercolor, free and organic, followed and bounded by precise opaque lines — wandering the boundary between freedom and restraint, order and chaos, control and letting go.

Leah Jay has been a working artist in a variety of mediums in San Jose for 20 years. She recently returned to her first love, watercolor, for its healing and therapeutic effects on both mind and body.

The first Friday reception features the musical talents of  DJ Ageha Mist (LA)


MACLA Movimiento de Arte y Cultura Latino Americana – 510 South First St. map

In the DMC Studio: Youth Culture Open Mic

Hosted by Anouk Yeh, Emma Rheams, & Bryan Gutierrez-ArroyoLive Youth Poets, Musicians, and a photo exhibition produced by the DMC Studio Youth.

Untitled, by Pilar Agüero-Esparza

Opening reception: Latino Art Now! Auction & Exhibition

The auction is Silicon Valley’s premier showcase for established and emerging Latino artists, featuring 30-40 original works of art which are available to the public. Now in its 21st year, the Latino Art Now! Auction & Exhibition consistently attracts more than 200 novice and seasoned art collectors and enthusiasts for an evening of food, spirits, and friendly competitive bidding  (live auction May 18th). With work ranging from sculpture and paintings to mixed media, the auctioned work provokes thought and conversation to celebrate the diversity of Latino arts and culture.  

In the Castellano Playhouse:  Taller Bombalele, 8-10pm

Taller Bombalele was founded by Julia Cepeda (granddaughter of Puerto Rican Bomba Patriarch Don Rafael Cepeda Atiles) and Denise Solis (founder/director of Las Bomberas de la Bahia). The Taller Bombalele community in the diaspora is committed to the Bomba values and practice that were handed down by the Cepeda family in the San Mateo de Cangrejo/Santurce region of Puerto Rico. Our work in the community promotes the Bomba tradition that grew out of the Taino-African alliance in resistance to colonization and slavery in Puerto Rico. The Taller Bombalele community welcomes different cultural experiences, gender identities and expressions, values, and inter-generational participation. We strive to continually learn, grow, and support each other in our learning by lifting up our music and dance tradition as a community that practices a collectivist model of community led by women of color and the rich perspective they bring to leadership roles.


Phantom Galleries at Culinary Corner Bistro – 321 South First St. map

Artist reception: “Seen through Lines” by Taryn Curiel

“Painting is an incredible adventure that starts with an idea and a simple line,”   ~Taryn Curiel, abstract watercolor painter.

I started drawing and painting when I was very young because it came natural to me and I enjoyed it.  Also, I like challenges, so after years of exploring and studying different mediums, I fell in love with the unpredictability of water color and it became my medium of choice. However, I refused to paint it in the traditional way. I tried new surfaces and ways to apply the paint. I want to rediscover watercolor and show the viewer what it can do.

When I started to work in Yupo paper (synthetic), my style started to develop. The more I freely painted, the more I discovered who I was as a painter. It became clear taht I had a passion for lines, geometric shapes, and organic textures. My geometric lines denote structure. Soft organic textures and muted color serve as a balance to the lines, therefore stories emerge inviting the viewer for a closer look.

As a subject, I have always loved the human figure, every curves or every wrinkles are part of the person’s story. I try to imagine their lives. I use those imaginary stories to get ideas for my paintings. In my current work, I use the human figure as part of my primary subject matter, but I don’t want it to be very obvious, I want the viewer to understand the story on their own terms, so I dd geometric elements, especially rectangles, to represent windows peeking through the human figures’s story. The audience can see through the windlow looking in or from the inside looking out. Each piece communicates an emotionless personal narrative that I hope intrigue the viewer.

This Phantom Galleries exhibition curated by Robert Ragazza.


PhantomGalleries at The Pierce – 2 Pierce Ave. map

On view: “San Jose Journals” by Gianfranco Paolozzi

Last chance to take a personal tour of “San Jose Journals” with artist Gianfranco Paolozzi during ArtWalkSJ. A new addition to the exhibition will be Gianfranco’s  “Journal: March 7–10 2019,” the finished painting of his feature participation in this year’s Cinequest x Phantom Galleries Live Painting Event.

Gianfranco’s works are considered “journals” because they are never finished until they are sold. In this way, Paolozzi’s work is ever-evolving… until it is yours; once you have it, it is completely evolved…or…back in the studio they go where they continue to be added to or edited.

The works also have no “correct” top, bottom or sides when it comes to hanging the work. Paolozzi designed the frame with hardware so the collector can hang a piece in any orientation they’d like. Use your imagination.


Works San Jose – 365 South Market St. map

“Evocation Made Real”, installation view with paintings by Judy Rookstool
and hanging installation by Bill Gould.

Closing Party: “Evocation Made Real”

An immersive installation by Bill Gould with paintings by Gloria Huet and Judy Rookstool reveal conscious and unconscious collections of memories and reminiscences from parts of their lives to demonstrate the lasting power of stored images and experiences. Each artist evokes elements of reminiscence to focus on the importance of the past to their everyday actions and interactions. The combination of the artists’ recollections is designed to create responses to those memories and to generate recollections of visitors, which can be shared in an evolving installation of responses. This First Friday night will be the closing party for this exhibition!


Caffé Frascati – 315 South First St. map

Opening reception: “La Bella” by Syl-vie Levesque 

Many of my paintings are inspired by famous French songs and poems. For examples the lyric of Les Parapluies by G. Brassens really influenced my series of umbrellas, its meaning is that if you share your umbrella, you will be in heaven. Nothing to lose ! 

Un petit coin de paradis Contre un petit coin parapluie Je ne perdais pas au change, pardi. 

Some of my painting are tall women with long dresses are inspired by the period of Baudelaire ( X1Xth Century). “La passante” is one of them. The poet is dazzled by the beauty and nobility of that woman alone on the street. Note that, at the time, it was immoral to have a woman walking alone in the street. As you can see I am avid painter of women in different settings and periods of time. I also find my ideas in my everyday life, whether I am in a café, walking my dog in the park , etc. “La Belle” means “The Beautiful” if you were referring to a woman. Today’s women have the same beauty, regardless of their social standing. I hope you will find that beauty in each one of the painting in my “La Belle” series. 

First Fridays is Caffe Frascati Opera Night presented by First Street Singers, with the Bay Area’s finest opera singers performing your very favorite classical arias and duets live in the cafe! for the South FIRST FRIDAYS Art Walk.


LGBTQ Youth Space – 452 South First St. map

Artist reception: MOMENTS  by  Mel Chircop 

By presenting these images, I want to show the beauty in things unseen. Little things from the everyday. Small movements that compose a person. Hidden thoughts in split seconds of stopped time. Time moves so fast when you are not paying attention. As my images are seen, I challenge the viewer to pay attention and be present in the moment, before it fleets away. Caught in the midst of movement In the middle of a thought  The stopping of time is here 


SJSU Muse Night at Hammer Theatre – 101 Paseo de San Antonio map

Closed this evening.


Social Policy – 200 South First St. map

Artist reception: Zach Bohny a solo exhibition 

This series of abstract paintings and collages focuses on the letters “Z” and “H” to explore the interrelationships between written language, pictorial space, and formalism; and pay tribute to my beautiful daughter, Harlow, and her invigorating role in my life

Live music at 9pm  Diffusion and Dario Jackson


SoFA Market – 387 So. First St. map

Artist reception: “The Girls” by Amanda Kritzberg

“The Girls” is a series that celebrates diversity in the form of a collection of unique women wearing colorful, vibrant flower headdresses. The accompanying floral pieces tie “The Girls” together and symbolize the beauty found in celebrating our differences. 

Amanda Kritzberg was born and raised in Los Angeles County, and currently lives in San Jose, CA. She received her Bachelor’s and Master’s degrees in Music from UC Santa Barbara in clarinet performance, and continues to perform and record frequently. Amanda began studying art at the age of 12 in a private art studio in Los Angeles County, where she took lessons in painting, pastels, watercolors, and sketching. She specializes in acrylic painting on canvas, as well as hand-painted ornaments and other unique and handcrafted décor items.


Studio Climbing Gym – 396 South First St. map

Artist reception: “Embers: A Near View of Sierra Wildfire” by Jackson Yip

Jackson Yip is a wildland fire researcher with San Jose State University’s Fire Weather Research Laboratory. His work takes him to the front lines of some of the largest wildfires the world has seen to study the underlying weather phenomena that feed these monsterous infernos. “Embers: A Near View of Sierra Wildfire” is a photo essay exhibition of moments during the 2018 California wildfire season, with imagery from the Camp Fire in Paradise, CA and the Carr Fire in Redding, CA.


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The South FIRST FRIDAYS Art Walk is produced by Two Fish Design in partnership with the participating art organizations and independent businesses.