The South FIRST FRIDAYS Art Walk is currently on hiatus due to COVID-19 restrictions. In the meantime we would like to share some in-person and online exhibitions and cultural happenings that you can attend and or view. We miss you all and look forward to seeing you downtown. Stay healthy, happy and strong and keep an eye out here as our culture finds new and creative ways to help keep us all inspired.
FEBRUARY In-Person EXHIBITIONS
Anno Domini // the second coming of Art & Design – 366 South First St. map
MMXX Anno Domini 20th Anniversary Exhibition (featuring artists from 2011–2020)
Anno Domini // the second coming of Art & Design celebrates 20 years of street art, subculture, and art as activism exhibitions by visionary artists at the forefront of our current urban contemporary art movement.
Our curatorial vision was one of independence and rebellion and the art work that moves us the most comes from those same principles although in extremely diverse forms of it. Painters, illustrators, tattoo artists, woodcarvers, low-rider bike makers, sign painters, tech artists, spoken word poets, performance artists, live loopers and musicians make up our family tree and legacy.
The thread that binds us all is our hope that those that experience the work by these artists will find a truth and beauty in these images & performances of not only what is, but perhaps more importantly, what can be.
We are truly honored to have worked with these artists and the hyper-local to global community of admirers and collectors we’ve met along the way. We look forward to the next 20 years with you all.
The “Second Decade” anniversary group exhibition features a selection of artists from our 2011–2020 exhibition program.
Brett Amory (US), Bohdan Burenko (Ukraine), Jennifer Caviola (US), Isaac Cordial (Belgium), Ken Davis (US), Bill Dunlap (US), Dale Collins DvNM (Ireland), Mike Egan (US), Charles Glaubitz (Mexico), Leon Ka (Spain), Klone (Israel), Bill Koeb (US), Denis Korkh (US), Joe Kowalczyk (US), Travis Lawrence (US), Bortusk Leer (Netherlands), Joseph Loughborough (England), Jeremiah Maddock (US), Yasushi Matsui (US), Monkey Bird (France), Poesia (US), Faring Purth (US), Jhovany Rodriguez De Ala (US), William Schaff (US), Jai Tanju (US), Marco Toxico (Mexico), Various & Gould (Germany), Sergei Vutuc (Bosnia), Derek Weisberg (US), Yeska (Mexico), Zero Cents (US), Zezao (Brazil)
Final in-person viewing: First Friday February 5th from 5-9pm
View & Purchase works from the 20th Anniversary exhibition online here: www.galleryAD.com
Art Ark Gallery – 1035 South Sixth St. map
Beyond Rust + Dust: Rising from a Broken World
presented by: cimotA Art Collective and Dominique de Leon
Participating Artists:
Miranda von Stockhausen
Coli Edwards
Shilo McCabe
Jessica Cohen
Dominique de Leon
Liv Delgado
Join us for a post-apocalyptic immersive art experience, with upcycled materials, textiles, headdresses, shrines, relics of old, tarot of the wastes, original costuming, guardians of cimotA, radioactive mushroom sculptures, cimotA’s hovel and more!
Beyond Rust + Dust has been created in collaboration with six Artists, each working within their own mediums to create a collective whole within the post-apocalyptic genre. On First Fridays, a special Wasteland vehicle will be on display and a post-apoc fashion show will run at 7 PM. Visit cimotaseers.com for more information.
Exhibition dates:
Opening Reception: February 5th 2021 (6-9pm)
Closing Reception: March 5th 2021 (6-9pm)
Show Events: Ice Dying Workshop: February 13th 2021 (12-2pm)
Distressing Workshop: February 13th 2021 (2-4pm)
Post-Apocalyptic Divination: February 20th 2021 (6-9pm)
Make an Up-cycled Creature Workshop: February 27th 2021 (1-4pm)
www.artarkgallery.com
KALEID gallery – 320 South First St. map
KALEID is proud to present two new feature exhibitions by resident artists Steven Borelli, and Luis Jorge Mieses for the month of February.
Conduits by resident artist Steven Borelli.
I am a conduit for creativity and my works are the results thereof. Through them we are able to pierce the fragile fabric of this reality and view other dimensions with unimaginable worlds, chaos and order, organic shapes juxtaposed with design elements and. . .
Just kidding. I really am just doodling. But they’re amazing doodles. And we are all conduits for creativity.
About the Artist:Steven Borelli has been drawing since he was a fetus. The inside of his mother’s womb is tattooed with the ramblings of his fertile imagination. These days, between fever dreams and feeding his cat, Borelli continues to indulge his imagination by creating art. For art’s sake.
Lifecasting Series by resident artist Luis Jorge Mieses.
The idea behind this series is to show the numerous ways the body parts could be captured. I copy the human figure because as time passes the only things left are the beautiful memories embodied in the sculptures.I make them for different purposes; from getting a commission of an artistic piece to show to keeping memories of our loved ones.Making sculptures represents intimate time with myself. Through it, I get to relax, feel plenty and express my creativity trying to capture the beauty I see around me.I started modeling clay, wood carving and preparing molds for the bodies of animals that I needed for taxidermy, trying – in some way – to restore the animal’s lost life in an artistic form. Making that work lighted the sparkle of sculpture in my mind. Currently, I am devoted to reproducing human body parts using molds and seeking balance in my compositions.
About the Artist:
Luis Jorge Mieses was born in Peru, where he grew up, graduated, and worked as an Industrial Engineer. Mieses inspiration started many years ago when he saw many life size sculptures taken from the people of the Amazonia, at the Pacific International Festival in his country. At the exhibition he watched an explanatory video, where he could understand how the artist took the impressions from the people. Immediately his mind traveled into the jungle with its magnificent splendor and he imagined himself taking the molds from the people that used to live there, in natural way.
Since his move to California in 2001, Mieses has devoted his time to sculpture and taxidermy. Because of the taxidermy work – which required molds preparation, shaping and molding parts for mounting different animals – he discovered the fascinating world of sculpture. Mieses first devoted his time to research and studies of the human figure, and then took art classes at Foothill and De Anza Colleges in California. Consequently, Mieses is achieving his dream though sculpture, capturing hands, faces, feet and various body parts.Currently Mieses has refined his technique reaching a professional level in the preparation of Lifecasting sculptures.Mieses’ works are in private collections and galleries.
Exhibitions open: First Friday February 5th 5–9pm
Exhibit dates: February 5–26, 2021
In-person gallery hours:
Fridays 5–9pm, Saturdays Noon–5pm and
by appointment by emailing info@kaleidgallery.com
Free admission. Social distancing and mask required at all times in the gallery.
www.kaleidgallery.com
Nirvana Soul – 315 South First St. map
Spotlight exhibition featuring Ernest Kirk Jr.,
Ernest Kirk Jr., aka The Black Folk Artist, is the second oldest of nine children born to and raised by Helen (Scott) Kirk and Ernest Kirk of Alexandria, Louisiana. Ernest was born in this small town and came to the Bay Area at seven years old during the height of The Great Migration – a period of history where Black Americans made the treacherous journey north and west seeking a better life, and many times, were fleeing for their lives for a variety of circumstances that we’re sure you can imagine.
Ernest’s family landed in San Francisco then migrated to Oakland and eventually East Palo Alto. He enlisted in the Army as a young man and served overseas in Germany during the Korean War. He returned and made use of the GI Bill to get an education in the drafting trade. Ernest made a career of drafting and painting homes and businesses over the years but hadn’t found the time to really showcase the art he’s been creating since the 1970s until just about 8 years ago.
Ernest is now 82 years young. He has raised 3 children of his own and has resided in San Jose since the 1980s. He paints, rides his bike, works on cars, DoorDashes, volunteers at the AACSA in downtown San Jose, and generally stays busy.Ernest says, “If you are an original southerner like me, you will find many nostalgic and whimsical items within my art that you will definitely relate to. In this process, some of my memories may spark some of your own.”
In celebration of Black History Month, you can see Ernest’s exhibit now through February 14th in the mezzanine at Nirvana Soul.
Happy Black History Month!
Exhibition dates:
February 1st–14th
Mezzanine gallery hours:
Monday–Saturday, 7am–4pm, Sunday 7am–12pm
www.nirvanasoulcoffee.com
San Jose Jazz – 300 South First St. map
San Jose Jazz and SJ Storyboard presents video on San Jose Jazz’s 35′ X 14′ video wall in the ground floor windows facing San Carlos Street at First. The presentation will also run in the windows of Culinary Corner Bistro on South First Street and at LVL UP Bar Arcade on the corner of 2nd Street and San Salvador, where the street will be enlivened by a hi-def presentation of videos curated by SJ Storyboard. These include San Jose Jazz • Jazz Aid Fund grantee artists, other local musicians and visual artists, plus stories on local institutions and causes like Culinary Corner Bistro and the recently burned-out Cinebar.
Viewing hours:
Tuesday–Saturday 6–8pm through February
www.sanjosejazz.org
SoFA Market – 387 So. First St. map
The World Is yOUR Canvas by The Kid At Heart
Juane Pruitt better known as The Kid At Heart is a California artist born and raised in South Central Los Angeles. Growing up art was never in his plans and he wasn’t aware of his gift until after college. Inspired by his father’s art, The Kid At Heart uses his art as a platform to inspire others and create change. He believes, “The World is Our Canvas.” He enjoys drawing/painting: classic 90’s cartoons, Disney, DC/Marvels and customizing kicks.
Open hours: Monday–Sunday 8am–7pm
www.sofamarketsj.com
Online EXHIBITIONS & EVENTS
San Jose Museum of Quilts & Textiles – 520 South First St. map
Jen Graham: My Presidents
My Presidents is a series of hand-embroidered portraits of every past president of the United States of America. Created by artist Jen Graham, the series intends to uncover forgotten biographies and dismantle deeply-entrenched myths, with the hope of coming to a greater understanding of our current political and social state as a nation.
More information and links to current exhibits can be found at www.sjquiltmuseum.org/current-exhibitions
Take a stroll down S. 1st Street and enjoy some new eye candy in the windows of SJMQT! They feature highlights from our permanent collection…like what you see? Be sure to check out new workshop offerings now on our website! Natural dying! Design your own fabric! Quilting the Joe Cunningham! So many things to keep you inspired!
Valley of Hearts Delight Virtual Art Fair
Come to the Valley of Heart’s Delight ( better known now as Silicon Valley) for a virtual art festival featuring the best in the Bay just in time for Valentine’s Day!
Friday February 5th, 9am online at https://heartsdelight.easyvirtualfair.com
Join us on Facebook ArtWalkSJ
The South FIRST FRIDAYS Art Walk is produced by Two Fish Design in partnership with the participating art organizations and independent businesses.