Pottery by Kimi Masui

Gift some Pottery, Berkeley Potters Guild

Pottery by Margarete Grisz DowThe Berkeley Potters Guild welcomes visitors to their 51st anniversary Holiday Open Studio. This year’s event is under the motto: Vibe of color. Every Saturday and Sunday of December from 11 am to 5 pm and the whole week of the 17th till the 24th you can shop handmade pottery. 17 artists will show off their work and celebrate the season with live music.

Last year was the 50th anniversary of the Berkeley Potters Guild. Even during the pandemic they organized a splendid event, with much social distancing. Nevertheless you could also chat with the artists and learn their motivation and love for the craft. Since we are now going into the 3rd year of the pandemic they still require you to wear masks at all times. A kiln at the Berkeley Potters Guild

From bowls and vases to little magnets, tiles, and jewelry the selection is holding a gift for everyone on your list. The gallery shows off the highest priced pieces, so you are also treated to an arts and craft exhibit. I like the old kiln and the building itself with its nooks and history.

It was quite revealing last year when an artist told us she thought one of her creations was stolen, and someone had to tell her that it just got sold. Yes, you can be quite attached to your work. If you give any of these creations you know you have a unique work of art.  

Information

Berkeley Potters Guild is open from 11 am to 5 pm every Saturday and Sunday of December and the whole week from the 17th to the 24th, closing the 24th at 2 pm. The gallery at the Berkeley Potters Guild

Admission is free. There is no parking lot, but the street parking was relatively easy.

Are you giving unique gifts this season? 

(Images are from last years open studio at the Berkeley Potters Guild)

Entrance of Nola's Iris Garden, San Jose.

Admire the Multitude of Irises at Nola‘s Iris Garden, San Jose

Iris in bloom.

Nola’s Iris Garden is an insider tip for iris lovers. The garden is only open April – May. So, mark your calendars if you like irises!

I drove up Sierra Road, the east foothills of San Jose. Halfway up my ears started popping and I regretted that there is no place to stop to admire the view over San Jose.

Fountain surrounded by irises at Nola's Iris Garden.

Nola’s Iris Garden sprawls a whooping 5 acres of irises of all colors and sizes. I counted four different garden areas. If there was a pattern to these areas I was not able to see it. They all had a mixture of colors and great names like Pass the Shades and Wishful Thinking.

There is no admission to see the garden. In fact, it is not obvious that you could purchase these irises. They definitely have their website set up, so you can browse and contact them if you made a purchasing decision. 

Iris at Nola's Iris Garden, San Jose.

Opening hours are Wednesday, Friday, Saturday, and Sunday from 10 am to 4 pm.

Nola’s Iris Garden is located 4195 Sierra Road in San Jose.

Do you have an insider tip for me?

Read the post about the iris garden in Willow Glen. It has a fascinating history! 

Sign at Montalvo Art Center: ART is the highest form of HOPE

Find Hope in Art

Montalvo’s new exhibit “lone some”  almost feels like a self fulfilling art and is on point during a pandemic where here in the Bay Area we have been under shelter-in-place order since early March. On 25 independent sites around the Bay, including San Jose’s Museum of Textile and Quilts and at Montalvo’s public park, artists have created talking points about isolation and loneliness.

A bus stop in Atherton. The poster reads: Dig if you will the picture.... by Modesto Covarrubias.

Also on bus stations from Atherton to Redwood City there are messages to inspire the lonely viewer. Part of this series are posters from Modesto Covarrubias titled: Hear, There and Everywhere. These mantras, prayers, poems, and lyrics are supposed to summon the meaning of isolation and might help you to work through your predicaments. If you would like to connect with the artist and offer your thoughts, or favorite song about loneliness, you can call (408) 777-2103 and leave your input. You might also find billboards as part of the series around the Bay Area.

Artists of lone some include works by Lucas Artists Fellow Chloë Bass, Modesto Covarrubias, Jane Chang Mi, Leena Joshi, Susan O’Malley (1976-2015), and Alyson Provax

A 4 x 4 mirrors by Alyson Provax.  “You can’t deny that longing for the past.”

In the park at Montalvo there are messages etched in 4 x 4 mirrors by Alyson Provax. One for example reads: “You can’t deny that longing for the past.” The social distance signs at the park feel like part of the “lone some” exhibit with directives like: “No sitting, gathering, or picnicking.” Signs of times, food for thought. 

Sign at Montalvo: No sitting, gathering or picnicking.

Lone some will be on display until July 31st, 2020. A map of the widespread exhibit can be found on Montalvo’s website.

What does loneliness mean to you?

Former exhibit at Montalvo reviewed by me:

Exercise your Auditory Sense

Women Pathmakers at the Euphrat Museum of Art, Cupertino

Celebrate Women Pathmakers

The current winter exhibit of the Euphrat Museum of Art at the DeAnza College in Cupertino is about Women Pathmakers.

Ada Lovelace and the letter about her at the Euphrat Museum of Art, Cupertino.
Irene Curie and other women scientist at the Euphrat Museum of Art, Cupertino.

I started with the portraits on my left, notable women in science, each of them included a letter that was in an envelope underneath the painting. I read, for example, about the first programmer Ada Lovelace, or Irene Curie, who discovered artificial radiation. Some of these women were cheated out of their Nobel Prize, but they were happy to do what they did best, science!

Movie poster about Qiu Jin, Autumn Gem, at the Euphrat Museum of Art, Cupertino.

I also learned about Qiu Jin, in a shortened version of the movie: Autumn Gem. The radical women’s activist who attempted an armed uprising against the Qing Dynastie is now a celebrated national heroine. The complete movie about her life: Autumn Gem will be shown March 4th at 3 pm, with director Rae Chang.

View of part of the exhibit pieces at the Euphrat Museum of Art, Cupertino.

Women Pathmakers not only memorializes the women of the past, this exhibit shines in its diversity of art forms, like sculptures, quilts, posters, wood, and also the diversity of the artists themself.

The exhibit is part of the Silicon Valley Reads 2020 “Woman making it happen”. It runs till March 12th, 2020. The Euphrat is open on Monday – Thursday 10 am – 3 pm during exhibits. Admission is free. 

How do you celebrate women pathmakers? 

I visited the Euphrat in 2017 and saw Justice for All?


BAMPFA sign, Berkeley

Explore the Dimensions of Art

A rainy Sunday is a great excuse to go to a museum. I convinced my family that the Dimensionism exhibit at the Berkeley Art Museum and Pacific Film Archive (BAMPFA) would be worthwhile.

On the first floor the Harvey Quaytman: Against the Static is on display till January 27th and an excellent beginning of a study of shapes, textures, and colors. There will be a gallery talk on January 24th, at 5:30: Artist John Zurier joins curator Apsara DiQuinzio for a multifaceted look at Harvey Quaytman’s art.

A new exhibit that was not yet open last Sunday still brought me a lot of joy by just peeking at it and I can tell this will be a new highlight. Unfortunately you can’t touch the furry creations of Masako Miki but MATRIX 273 opened January 9th and runs till April 28th, 2019.

All these forms, shapes and colors will introduce you to the next level (on the lower level): Dimensionism: Modern Art in the age of Einstein. The modern artists interest in science, named Dimensionism, includes Kandinsky, Miró and Picasso. I really enjoyed the works of Isamu Noguchi, his sculptures representing the cosmic view with pleasing shapes.

Harold Edgerton’s Milkdrop Coronet was fascinating, not only the image, but the fact that he in 1933 invented the stroboscopic method of taking photographs with stroboscopic light, creating the illusion of freezing an action.

Staircase in the BAMPFA, Berkeley

The blood red stairway up to the Babette Cafe felt like being captured in an Andy Warhol print. But the friendly staff and yummy cake were well worth the transformation!

Thanks to Discover & Go, a service our library offers, we were able to get in for free. Usually adults pay $14, but there are many discounts available. People under 18 are always free. On the first Thursday of the month gallery admission is also free. The museum is open Sunday, Wednesday, and Thursday from 11 am – 7 pm, Friday and Saturday 11 am – 9pm. Since everything can change, it’s best to check online.

What is your favorite Dimension?

Kid admiring Rudolph on Eucalyptus Street, San Carlos

Admire the Lights on Eucalyptus Street

This is the season of lights. There are many neighborhoods in the Bay Area that cherish this tradition in an extraordinary manner.

Santa landing strip, Eucalyptus Street, San Carlos

Eucalyptus Street in San Carlos is two blocks of Holiday Wonderland. Parking is tight but not impossible. There is a park nearby, Burton Park, that might be your best option for parking. If you start on the corner of Orange and Eucalyptus Santa is asked to land there. He might as well stroll up and down to see all the beautiful lights. There are a lot of people and the little ones are plentiful, too.

Kids writing letters to Santa

On my visit on Saturday night I saw a lot of residents having private holiday parties. Nevertheless they made this an event for everyone by having a brass band playing Holiday favorites, a young juggler performing, plenty of photo opps for the instagram or Holiday cards, and of course the lights and moving objects to look at. My favorite attraction was the letter to Santa mailbox. Kids can write letters to Santa, last year they wrote 3217, and Nan Pat and Bumpy personally will deliver the mail.

Eucalyptus Street, San Carlos

This is a nice festive activity. A little boy of maybe two pointed at the moon as if he just saw Santa’s sled. Overall I think they did a great job! Got me into a merry mood.

 

 

Merry Christmas!

Happy Holidays everyone!

Timewarp to Dickens’ London

Timewarp to Dickens’ London

Dancers at the Dickens Fair, Daly CityHave you ever felt like  you want to escape to a different time or place? Over the next couple of weekends you can visit Victorian London. Dress up in the style of the time period , or whatever dress-up option you prefer, I’ve seen Steampunks besides the Victorian top hats and dresses but mostly just your regular gear. The Dickens Fair at the Cow Palace in Daly City opens its doors every weekend, 10 am – 7 pm, until December 23rd, 2018 for a fairytale like adventure.Performers at the Dickens Fair, Daly City

The atmosphere is a dim-lit street scene. Food and gift shops on either side make it a stroll through the mid 1800s. Check the map to catch lots of performances from singing to dancing, Dickens himself was announced to come by and read!

Of course Dickens’ plays are performed at various stages throughout the exhibit halls. 

Roasted Chestnuts at the Dickens Fair, Daly CityThere are plenty options to sit and watch the crowds moving along. The smell of cinnamon, candied nuts and chestnuts welcome you.

Jewelry made from real roses or self made woven garment are just examples of the unique offerings.  Children can dip their own candles.

Will it teach us the spirit of Christmas? It might.

Man with baby window shopping at the Dickens Fair in Daly CitySo eat, drink, give gifts and be merry! And if you need to escape to a different time to catch the spirit of Christmas Present go to the Dickens Fair.

Where do you escape from/into the Holidays?  

 

Chaos, Sterling Haidt, ‘Abstraction & Connection’, at the Los Altos Hills City Hall

Connect with Digital Art

Sterling Haidt a Los Altos resident is the artist of the current exhibit ‘Abstraction & Connection’ at the Los Altos Hills City Hall. During opening hours you can discover Sterling’s unique view and his techniques used in capturing images. His goal is to evoke a feeling from the imagery and the materials used.

Swirl by Sterling Haidt, at the Los Altos Hills City HallI liked his piece called Swirl, a “macrophotograph of transmitted light through marbleized glass”, which has interesting colors and invoked in me a feeling of playful chaos.  In Haidt’s words: ”My art is about connection, not cognition.” As a retired eye surgeon turned digital artist, his artwork often include medical images, fonts, or mathematical patterns.

Sterling Haidt, ‘Abstraction & Connection’, at the Los Altos Hills City HallMost of the images are near the common area. This felt odd to me for the smell of food didn’t align with the artwork of flowers. The view on the other hand, a window looking out on some redwoods, re-connects the visitor with nature.

On November 30th, 2018, from 10 am – 12 pm,  you can glimpse behind the scene into Sterling Haidt’s inspiraRoom with a view, at Los Altos Hills City Halltion. This event is free and open to the public.

If you are interested in digital modern art, you should consider this event.

Do you like digital art?

 

Buy art by locals

Buy art by locals

If you missed the Silicon Valley Open Studios this year, but you are still on the hunt to purchase local art, one place to consider is the Community Art show at PJCC. The Peninsula Jewish Community Center in Foster City currently shows art to purchase by 83 local artists until August 26th, 2018.

On a variety of mediums from metal to paper, jewelry, and sculptures you get a great overview of the local art scene.

For me, always a fan of the whimsical, two artists stood out. First, Winnie van der Rijn. Her The 37 ingredients in Wonder Bread- a contemporary still life is a sculpture art, having the ingredients of wonder bread in 37 small glass bottles. Also the necklace creation Second Sight repurposing old glasses caught my eyes.

I also liked the paper art by Marlene Subhashini. She has two pieces showing: Maple Leaf and Sailing Ship. Rolled up paper that form into a picture.

Of course you are encouraged to find your own winner of the show.

Mother with child, from the Grow Justice Mural at the PCJJ, Foster CityI enjoyed a light lunch at the cafe and ate outside at the Mark Hamlin Garden. The Grow Justice Mural at the garden facilitated by Jay Wolf Schlossberg-Cohen, has an eerie current relevance, one of the five panels is showing a mother with a child and the words ‘Human’, ‘Rights’, ‘Stop Profiling’, ‘Immigration Rights’ and ‘Freedom’ on tiles below. Grow Justice is a Jewish commandment to make the world a better place; a goal we should all strive for – no matter what we believe.

If you are Inspired to paint yourself, the PJCC offers classes for young and old.

Do you buy local art?

 

Silicon Valley open studios directory

Chat with an artist

3 weekends

360+ artists

28 cities

150+ locations

These are the impressive statistics for the Silicon Valley Open Studios in the first three weekends in May 2018.

Silicon Valley open studios directoryEach weekend is dedicated to an area in Silicon Valley. Nonetheless, some artist’s work can be seen in multiple locations. The best place to start this adventure is by downloading the directory or checking out their website and consulting the map. You might also find the directory at a newspaper vending machine in the area.

Once you are on the road look for sandwich boards with arrows and “open studio”. This makes for a fun treasure hunt before you get to the treasure!

Chatting with the artist is encouraged. After all, the motto for the Open Studios is Connecting artists to the arts enthusiast. So, please ask questions, be enthusiastic, and buy a piece of art.

 

2018 Open Studio Dates – 11am to 5pm

WEEKEND 1: Northern Area – May 5th – 6th

Belmont, Burlingame, East Palo Alto, Hillsborough, Los Altos, Los Altos Hills, Menlo Park, Palo Alto, Portola Valley, Redwood City, San Carlos, San Mateo, Stanford, South San Francisco, and Woodside

WEEKEND 2: Central Area – May 12th – 13th

East Palo Alto, Los Altos, Los Altos Hills, Mountain View, Palo Alto, Santa Clara, Stanford, Sunnyvale.

WEEKEND 3: Southern Area/Pacific Coast – May 19th – 20th

Campbell, Cupertino, Gilroy, Los Gatos, Milpitas, Morgan Hill, San Jose, and Saratoga, El Granada, Half Moon Bay, Miramar, Montara, Moss Beach, and Pacifica

 

Have you in previous years explored the Silicon Valley Open Studios?