The South FIRST FRIDAYS Art Walk invites you to a unique evening of great exhibitions in galleries, museums and art supporting businesses. ArtwalkSJ hours are 5–9pm, free admission, all ages welcome, rain or shine.
DECEMBER EXHIBITIONS
ANNO DOMINI // the second coming of Art & Design – 366 S. First St. map
Anno Domini // the second coming of Art & Design is proud to present:
On view | galleryONE: Things we thought we heard. Denis Korkh, solo exhibition
Things we thought we heard are the whispers at the penumbra of our perception where objectivity fades and hallucination dawns. Without this boundary into the spiritual, we might go too long without actualizing our immense capacity for inversion. These are the words of creation which call out to us with an intimacy of a dream in its nascence or capture us with paralysis that lingers just before the dream fades back into oblivion. They are the unknowable symbols of a journey far more ancient and ever more enduring than one we are afforded by our flesh. Things we thought we heard came here long before us and they built the sun and gave us names and filled every lake with our reflection.
I’m pursuing the kind of work that has a heart and mind of its own. A case can be made that everything already does, but my goal is to give genesis to a narrative that’s simultaneously external and one in which I can meaningfully participate. A key function of this relationship is to become possessed by the spirit of the work as much as be its author. Myth and (by extension) ritual encompass the principles behind creating such work and these topics are the locus of my concern. To an outside observer, I hope my art adds an interesting metaphor to their unique reality or in the best case to be so taken by it as well.
Things we thought we heard is Denis Korkh’s second solo show at Anno Domini.
Anno Domini // the second coming of Art & Design is proud to present:
On view | galleryTWO: Apkallu (The Seven Sages) Zero Cents solo exhibition
The great megalithic structures, sculptures, artifacts, and symbols of ancient civilizations have fascinated Zero Cents since boyhood. All of these cultures separated by long stretches of time and great distances all containing the same symbols and stories among so many other connections leads one to consider a lost epoch of human history; a global civilization that existed before the Great Flood.
As an adult Zero Cents still gets lost in the pages of the past imagining what life was like in that world before the flood, and how humans rebuilt civilization after. The images of strange Gods, ancient symbols, structures, and beautiful stories make their way into his dreams (and into his work). The paintings for this exhibition at Anno Domini are reflections of those dreams and thoughts pertaining to our deeply strange, magical, and mysterious ancient past.
Apkallu (The Seven Sages) is Zero Cents’ third solo show at Anno Domini.
Art Ark Gallery – 1035 S. Sixth St. map
On view: More the Merrier
A salon style exhibition and art sale. All artists receive 100% of commissions! Please come support local art, buy amazing art for the holidays and enjoy live music!
Participating artists: Tony Adamich, Claire S Burke, Duncan Cook, Joshua Curry, Cyanhit, Rafael DeSoto, Eames Tillson Collective, Jr., Maggie Erez, Carolann Espino, Miguel Espinosa, Force129, Michael Friedland, John Gayler, Gloria Huet, Rachel Karklin, Amanda Kritzberg, j.b. lambert, Stacey Laskin, Albert Harold Lewis, Richard Man, Jaben Melville, Christine Oliver, Gianfranco Paolozzi, Tori Powers, Sarah Prosetti, Quality HDR Photography, Lynn Rogers, Sandra Murphy Studio, Eunice Cotter Schreck, Bhawna Seth, Rachel Tirosh, Toaf Art, Shriyutha Udayashankar, Nina Ulett, Isaac Villanueva, Jennie Villanueva, Mirabella Villanueva, Yuting Wang, Nona Weiner, Jessica Winter, Laamsha Young
KALEID Gallery – 320 S. First St. map
KALEID Gallery is proud to present the highly anticipated HARK! Holiday Affordable Art Show & Sale! Over 45 exceptionally talented San Jose area artists have created hundreds of works of art available at gift giving prices. All original & unique pieces in a plethora of mediums including paintings, sculptures, photography, illustrations, knitted creatures and skate decks ready to go home with you cash & carry (credit cards also accepted). Get all your holiday shopping done while supporting independent artists and creatives.
Featuring Artists: Darius B’Alexander, Mariana Barnes, Sandi Billingsley, Steven Borelli, Bryson Bost, Julie Bovee, Jeffrey Bramschreiber, Karen Carlo Salinger, Jennifer Carrier, Houyee Chow, Margaret Choy, Jemal Diamond, Ruben Escalante, Force129, Mark Gomez, Cynthia Gonzalez, Frida Gustafsson, Katie Gutierrez, Ken Harmount, Kyle Harter, Diana Hartman, Matty Heimgartner, Kushlani Jayasinha, Jon Kermit, Minesh Kher, Natasha Kramskaya, Le Joe, Sarah Loyola, Valentino Loyola, Lucidbeaming, Rayos Magos, David Mejia, Julie Meridian, Laurus Myth, Gianfranco Paolozzi, John Paulson, Pearl Bailey, Jean-Luc Pedanou, Jojo Perea, Alfred Preciado, Betty Proper, Steven Reece, Jen Renzel, Suha Suha, Brian Sykes, Veronica Trujilo, Srikanth Vudya.
MACHU PICCHU Gallery of the Americas, Est 1974 – 199 Martha St. map
On view: Huicho Yarn Paintings, Beaded Masks & more.
The Huichols are descendants of the Aztecs and live in the Sierra Madre of Northwestern Mexico. The Huichols left their culture for the most part intact because their territory is pretty inaccessible. They resist outside influences and try to keep their culture alive. They number about 8,000 presently.
The Huichols are known and admired by their unique beaded artifacts and masks as well as by their “yarn paintings”. Intricate designs are made by tiny beads or yarn pressed on gourds or animal shaped wood or masks that have been previously covered with bees wax. The precision of the hundreds of beads or multicolored rows of yarn is truly a work of art. It is said in each Huichol lives an artist and through the art their spirituality is shown. The symbols most common in their art are dears, rain, eagles, corn, snakes and scorpion.
First Friday hours: 3-8pm.
RSVP by calling 408 529 2296 or email MachuPicchuGallery@hotmail.com
MACLA Movimiento de Arte y Cultura Latino Americana – 510 S. First St. map
Opening reception:: Beyond the Diaspora
Artists: Breena Nuñez, Diamela Cutiño, Patricia Encarnacion, Robert Trujillo, Anna Lisa Escobedo, Vanessa Wallace, Thomas Jones, DJLeydis
This exhibition will showcase the work of Afro-Latinx artists and will pay tribute to their roots and showcase the artwork we actively consume without realizing its connection to African culture. Beyond the Diaspora will look at both visual and performance art and its connection to the African diaspora in Latinx culture.
Live South FIRST FRIDAYS Performance by Los Rakas!
Open Source Live Synth & Visual Showcase – 455 S. First St. map
OPEN SOURCE returns First Friday December with a stacked lineup of talented live synth performers featuring Patrick O’ Brien (Baltimore/DC, Noise Engineering), the ethereal haze of Shipwreck Detective, top Synthwave producer Vector Hold, Johno Wells (curator of Modular World, from San Diego), the intricate techno sounds of Woven (Haptic Synapses) & Buchla wizard Peff with dazzling visuals from the team of Rudo Rudeboi (analog computer graphics) and Distortion Corporation (real time laser synthesis). Demos by Mission Synths and Vintage Synth Museum.
Institute of Contemporary Art San Jose – 560 S. First St. map
On view: Conrad Egyir: A Chapter of Love and Chapters of Light
The ICA San José is excited to show Conrad Egyir: A Chapter of Love, a large-scale commission of new work from artist Conrad Egyir presented in partnership with Facebook Open Arts. Egyir is a Ghanian artist based in Detroit, who creates bold, bright, graphic narrative paintings and portraits that stylistically pull from Pop Art, political propaganda, and religious art. The imagery in A Chapter of Love will center around community, family, and child-rearing inspired by Egyir’s experience growing up in West Africa.
The Facade Project installation coincides with a major solo presentation, Conrad Egyir: Chapters of Light within the ICA San José. Chapters of Light will premiere a series of monochromatic works in which Egyir blends the subject’s clothing, surroundings, and background with a nod to the graphic style of Pop Art.
For our festive December First Friday, the ICA will kick off a toy donation drive with the African American Community Service Agency (AACSA) for their annual Toy Give-Away. We will collect toy donations for kids of all ages through the First Friday ArtWalk event on December 3rd.
Make sure to join us on December 3rd for a night of performances by Silicon Valley Gay Men’s Chorus (SVGMC) from their holiday concert Homecoming featuring a 40-member chorus group! We will also have a holiday card-making activity for you, family, and friends to make cards for loved ones.
San Jose Jazz – 310 S. First St. map
Free Concert at San Jose Jazz HQ with Ryota Sato Combo 7–9pm.
2021-22 SJZ High School All Stars member and guitarist/composer Ryota Sato leads this Combo made up of local musicians.
On view: More Impact: Climate Change Tapestry Weavers West
More Impact: Climate Change, curated by Deborah Corsini and Alex Friedman, features tapestries from members of Tapestry Weavers West that reflect on our changing global environment and the detrimental consequences of climate change, woven in a variety of tapestry techniques and styles.
On view: Layered & Stitched: 50 Years of Innovative Art
Layered & Stitched: 50 Years of Innovative Art, by Studio Art Quilt Associates (SAQA), is a showcase of 50 art quilts by renowned master artists around the globe. Seminal works show the evolution of the art quilt from the earliest pioneers to contemporary artists experimenting with new forms, materials, and digital technologies. This exhibition traces the development of this exciting art form as it started with isolated makers, primarily in Ohio and California, into an international movement involving thousands of artists. Featuring a balance of abstract and representational styles, these artworks represent the extraordinary range of talented artists working in contemporary quilt art.
Open Studio: Artists In Residence
Rebecca Herman and Mark Shoffner will be in their studio during First Friday and visitors are welcome to stop in to discuss creative inspiration and process. Rebecca and Mark are textile artists who create sculptures and installations incorporating textiles, wood, bamboo, paper and reclaimed materials.
SoFA Market – 387 S. First St. map
Born in Mexico City and raised in Oakland, Jorge Bejarano, also known as abstract Oakland, has adopted the culture and vibrancy of the bay and gives us a brilliant display of his perspective on the diversity and pulse of the city. Using a technicolor palette that ignites a fire and excitement in his audience, he shows a distinct aesthetic in his urban style that is unmistakably mirrored to him as an artist and as a person.
Works San Jose – 365 S. Market St. map
Hindsight 20/21
Fifteen artists look back on life over 2020 and 2021 with a series of works presented as a video, projection, and print installation in a wide range of styles and media. Works closed for Covid19 after the exhibition “Foresight 2020” where local artists looked to the near and far future. Works reopens on South First Friday and continues through December 4th and 5th with these varied views of our recent experiences.
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The South FIRST FRIDAYS Art Walk is produced by CURATUS in collaboration with the participating art venues, local artists, musicians and independent businesses.