Join us on First Friday November 3rd 5–9pmin SoFA District (& beyond!).We’ll have exciting new exhibitions with local and international artists present for their gallery receptions. a sneak peek at Opera San Jose’s next big production, and a chance to (re)visit exhibitions on view that may be closing soon.
All ArtWalk venues are free admission and family-friendly.
SoFA District
ANNO DOMINI // the second coming of Art & Design – 366 S. First St. map
galleryTWO:
Artist’s Reception: Today is going to be fuckin great Bortusk Leer (Netherlands)
Since bursting onto the street art scene of East London in 2007 with his bright coloured characters painted on newspaper. His work has appeared on and livened up numerous streets, gallery and home walls in places all around the world. From all over Europe, Argentina, the USA, India and Australia to name but a few. He is now living and working mainly in Amsterdam.
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 the Cobra-movement, inspired by futuristic heroes and influenced by all the children of the world, 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.
Living as we do now in a world of division, suspicion, potential lockdowns and endless bad news. Bortusk looks beyond this, some say his mission is naive while others bless him for it. Leer himself does not fear naivety, he fears cynicism. Loudly and gamesomely Leer attempts to question our mental, social and political barriers. He tries to disrupt our fears and our expectations. Finally, his effervescent work challenges the inner child in us all to come out and play.
“I just want to cheer people up a bit, as there’s far too many miserable bastards out there!” ~Bortusk Leer
On view in galleryONE:
Language of the Birds Céline Lyaudet (France) solo exhibition
Anno Domini is proud to welcome the return of Céline Lyaudet from Nantes, France to San Jose for her second solo exhibit “Language of the Birds.” Since her successful debut exhibit “Map of the Path,” Lyaudet has continued her exploration of the mystical and the hidden realms of the psyche. The title and current works in this series refer to secret, coded, and mystical language used in alchemy and poetry. Lyaudet draws inspiration from nature, ancient civilizations, and the wisdom of mystical artists; she infuses her creations with spirit, symbolism and profound meaning. Her paintings are rich with pigments she crafts herself incorporating natural materials (such as wood ash or clay) as part of her image-creating ritual. These very materials used imbue the painting with its own unique magic and vibrations, embodying the spirit within the physical matter of her art.
KALEID Gallery – 320 S. First St. map
Artist’s reception: Gods Like Us Jemal Diamond solo exhibition
“GODS LIKE US” is a collection of acrylic paintings spanning two years of work by artist Jemal Diamond. An experiment in the confining shape of the circle – an undoubtedly profound and universally significant shape, the pieces cast a spotlight on unique clusters of contrasting and complementary shapes. Both mechanical and organic, masculine and feminine, abstract and representational, there lies embedded intentional dichotomies to create a playground of visual cues and possible meaning.
All titles for works in this collection are given by viewers like you, including “Gods like us” title by Anna M.
About the Artist:
Jemal Diamond is a south Bay Area-based artist and designer. His work is playful, improvisational, and interactive. He works from his studio at Visual Philosophy, is member artist of Works San José, and resident artist at KALEID gallery.
MACLA Movimiento de Arte y Cultura Latino Americana – 510 S. First St. map
MACLA’s Queer-ennial: A Story of Armor
A Story of Armor showcases resiliency as artists protect their mind, body, and spirit.
Featuring: Arely Cardenas, Houyee Chow-Jiménez, Ester Hernandez, Joel Hernandez, Devin Osorio, Fernando Reyes, and 20 other artists!
Opera San José at California Theater – 345 S. First St. map
Opera San Jose presents The Barber of Seville
Join us as we celebrate our 40th anniversary season here at Opera San Jose with our second production of The Barber of Seville. This quintessential comedy features some of the most iconic music in the world and has introduced millions of people of all ages to the joy of opera, yet it remains a perennial favorite for the most hardened opera goer.
We are opening the doors of the California Theatre for an evening filled with music, a sneak peek of The Barber of Seville rehearsal, and other special activities! Featuring singers from the production, our California Theatre Wurlitzer Organist- Jerry Nagano, Opera Selfies, and Barbershop quartets!
Performances will occur at 5:45, 6:30, 7:15 and 8:00 pm.
PhantomGalleries at The Pierce – 2 Pierce Ave. map
Past Present Future Journals Gianfranco Paolozzi Solo Exhibition
“Marking on surfaces moment by moment, hour by hour, day by day, month by month, year by year…Creating a journal.”
Artist will be in attendance on First Friday 5–9pm during ArtWalk SJ.
Institute of Contemporary Art San Jose – 560 S. First St. map
Heesoo Kwon, Leymusoom Garden: Following Naked Dancing and Long Dreaming
In her first solo museum exhibition, Leymusoom Garden: Following Naked Dancing and Long Dreaming, Heesoo Kwon explores her spiritual journey connecting Korean shamanistic and indigenous perspectives to the land with her female ancestors. Her multimedia installation extends the queer feminist utopian digital space of Leymusoom to the mysticism of the garden, deepening her connection to the land and women’s freedom and desire.
Adia Millett, Wisdom Keepers
Wisdom Keepers, a solo exhibition by Adia Millett, explores the parallels and interplay between a craftswoman and a warrior. In both cases “martial arts” is an intricate set of techniques and skills used with the intention of protecting, preserving, and building a community and its culture. While the tools used in this process differ for the soldier and the quilter, put side by side a shared story is revealed, providing a new perspective of our ancestral past, and perhaps our future. Millett’s new work is a response to an in-depth look at the African-American quilt collection at the Berkeley Art Museum and Pacific Film Archive (BAMPFA). The four quilts on loan from BAMPFA present the viewer with a foundation for which Millett’s lineage of fabric, formal composition, and use of color palette derive from.
San Jose Museum of Quilts & Textiles – 520 South First St. map
Excellence in Fibers VIII
In support of Maui and homage to Hawaiian culture, SJMQT will be exhibiting quilts from our collection and objects on loan with support from our community.
Excellence in Fibers VIII features a diverse array of artworks that masterfully mix techniques of sewing, weaving, crocheting, quilting, embroidery, basket weaving, knotting, papermaking, felting, beading, dressmaking, upholstery, wrapping, while addressing some of the most pressing social issues of our times.
SoFA Market – 387 S. First St. ma
DAYDREAM by Akeemraheem
Funky, colorful graffiti-art angle on pop culture and good vibes.
Fountain Alley Area
1Culture – 136 E. Santa Clara St. map
Sly, Slick & Wicked
Art show to enjoy the Spooky Season!! Curated by: Andrew Espino & Mesngr
All ages welcomed, Treats for the Kids!
Chopsticks Alley Gallery – 38 S. 2nd St. map
Ăn Chơi | Eat & Play
Đi Ăn Chơi / Let’s go eat and play — a Vietnamese phrase that encapsulates the audacious spirit of gastronomy and the pulsating undercurrents of leisure. Ăn Chơi brings together 24 artists representing the Bay Area’s creative community to explore an eclectic blend of multicultural influences that portray the fun food scene. Embrace the spirit of eating well and playing hard.
Participating Artists: Hadi Aghaee, Melan Allen, Estefania Bautista, Yvonne Bellido, Cynthia Cao, Buppydogs (Alicia Cardell), Vanessa Callanta, Julie Cardenas, DACBEET (Betty Nguyen), kaory (Kaory Santillan), Wednesday DeGuzman, Terry Kreiter, Saraswathy Lakshmivaraham, Josie Lepe, Angelo Lopez, Addi Miyako, Minhquang Nguyen, Mariel Paat, jumdropz (Pauline Phan), P.LOCZ, Kurt Salinas, Harumo Sato, Eileen Arts (Eileen Wong Cervera), Jax Yao
Please join us for ARTconomics, an artist vendor fair in collaboration with our partners at the Open San Jose galleries.
Works San Jose – 38 S. 2nd St. map
Biophilia: Humans and the Natural World
Biophilia is the innately emotional affiliation of human beings to other living organisms. The artists in this exhibition acknowledge human tendencies towards biophilia with an amazing scope of diverse creations. They respond to and mimic the natural world with both realism and abstraction, invention and science. They look to creatures, landscape, biology, and the elements, often hybridizing surprising new forms. This First Friday, the entirety of Works’ home at Open San José will have numerous arts activities, booths, and organizations—an indoor extension of the street fair at 38 South 2nd!
Participating Artists: Shari Bryant, Binh Danh, Elizabeth Gómez, Annette Goodfriend, Emily Gui, LeMonie Lightning Hutt, Yunan Ma, Kent Manske, Hector Dionicio Mendoza, Minoosh Zomorodinia
Guest Curator: Nanette Wylde
Martha Gardens District
Art Ark Gallery – 1035 S. Sixth St. map
More the Merrier
Join us for our annual exhibition and art sale! Come support local artists and enjoy live music and great company!
Participating Artists: Nona Weiner, Francisco Ramirez, Marcus Ruiz, Sarthak, Prachi Joshi, Sebastian Jimenez Collado, Jennie Villanueva, Emily Kampa, Marvin Velasco, Jacey Bullock, Ketaki Adi, Miguel Espinosa, Mark Martinez, Mashaal Sheik, Carol Woodard, Rosa Bar, Lynn Aisawa, Tom Shulruff, Gianfranco Paolozzi, Shannon Knowlton, Jelbert Karami, Liz Godbey, Moeka MACHIDA, Claudette McDermott, BiNK, Rafael DeSoto Jr., Caden and Jaben, Sher, Linnea Rae, Nina Ulett, Erin Salazar, Janet Appleton, Chieko Shimizu Fujioka, Belladonna La Botanica, Lauren Wilson, HDR Photography, Sandra Murphy, Dwayne Ludwig, Janice Lambert, Marilynn Host, Nicholaus James Dalton
Live music from 6-9pm. DJ Manik and other live musicians.
FUSE presents at the Citadel Art Gallery- 199 Martha St. map
bohemia by Patricia Rivard & Emmanuel Cervantes-Mejia
bohemia is an exhibit showcasing the “art life” captured in paint.
MACHU PICCHU Gallery of the Americas, Est 1974 – 199 Martha St. map
Annual Fia de los Muertos Celebration by Brian M. Smith & Olga Enciso Smith
In the spirit of this Latin American tradition, a special Ofrenda (Offering) has been constructed by Brian M. Smith and Olga Enciso Smith. A magnificent display of colors, aromas and typical artifacts including fresh marigold with papel picado (delicate cut paper), corn stalks, candles, gourds, and handmade skeleton figures that border on the humorous representing the occupation of the deceased persons.
The Ofrenda will serve as a process of healing for families and friends who have experienced the pain of losing a loved one. Olga Enciso Smith will conduct the special Remembrance: A time to share the pain and express the sorrow with the larger human family. Also. a time of joy for the happy memories their lives have brought to us.
Relatives or friends who wish to have a loved one’s memory commemorated are invited to bring a photo of him/her for the Ofrenda’s dedication which will take place First Friday November 3rd, 5pm-8:150pm at Machu Picchu Gallery of the Americas.
South FIRST FRIDAYS ArtWalk SJ is produced by CURATUS in partnership with the participating galleries, museums and independent creative businesses.
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South FIRST FRIDAYS
366 S 1st Street
San Jose, CA 95113
408-271-5155
info@southfirstfridays.com