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San Jose Museum of Art
110 S. Market St., San Jose
San Jose’s chief museum for the fine arts will be displaying a comprehensive range of exhibits this summer. For the historically inclined, a collection of major Mexican muralist Jose Clemente Orozco’s drawings are on display alongside “Postdate,” an exhibit that examines the intersection of past and present in India. For the celestial, Diana Thater has created an immersive theatre experience that meditates on the strangely intimate relationship between the Dung Beetle and the Milky Way. The tiny, jewel-like insect uses its massive galaxy as a compass. Finally, for those concerned with current affairs, “City Limits, City Life” explores the density and isolation of our modern living arrangements, while “Covert Operations” focuses on the dystopian abuses of power in our post 9-11 government.
49ers Museum
Levi’s Stadium, Santa Clara
This sparkling wing of the new arena is the perfect opportunity for a cotton-topped fan to relive the glory days, and for a bandwagoner to learn about them. This futuristic walk down memory lane is complete with interactive touch screens, kicking and passing simulations, and augmented reality that puts you next to your favorite current or past 49er. There is a hall filled with bronze statues of legendary figures like Joe Montana, Dwight Clark and the Million Dollar Backfield. There’s an extensive collection of fan artifacts and a recreation of Bill Walsh’s Redwood City office that gives a detailed look into the mind of a gridiron innovator. Finally, on your way out, pay homage to the five Super Bowl trophies that stand as a stoic reminder of past glory and a potent motivator for future success.
Cantor Museum
Stanford University, Palo Alto
Located on Stanford’s pristine campus, the Cantor Art Museum is a testament to the University’s wide-ranging excellence. “Promised Land” is a comprehensive look at the career of Jacob Lawrence and his prolific meditations on the black experience during the Harlem renaissance. On loan from Princeton, there’s a collection of 500 years of drawings by Italian masters like Michelangelo, Tintoretto and Veronese, showcasing the importance of this foundational artform. Pop Art from SFMOMA will display works by Warhol, Johns and Lichtenstein, and the triangle love affair between Georgia O’Keefe, Alfred Stieglitz, and Jean Toomer will ground a collection focused on their art. There are also studies of trees and the oceans alongside 20th Century Chinese Art, Enlightenment European theatre traditions and photographs from the Civil War.
Studio Bongiorno
500 Lincoln St., Santa Clara
Located down the street from a cemetary, Studio Bongiorno’s motto is “embracing the light and dark within us all,” and they embrace even more than that. Homemade candles and incense fill the space with calming pungency. Art of a modern, dark and eclectic range fills every inch of the walls. Hanging trinkets glisten and jangle in the wind. Blending influences from Yosemite and San Francisco, this strange, Santa Clara refuge offers a cozy spot for the artistic to dwell. A weekend visit might entail a live didgeridoo performance or a look-in on the creative process of one of the many poets, painters and sculptors who frequent this fringe of the South Bay art world. Complete with a coffee bar and a quirky, airy patio, this quiet reservoir of fanciful oddities oozes soothing vibes.
SJ Institute of Contemporary Art
Contemporary art isn’t always as obvious in its merit as, say, a Rembrandt portrait. But, ICA hopes to make the high-brow accessible and engaging to all audiences. This summer, Amy M Ho’s “Red Rooms” dual lights small-scale models to heighten your spatial awareness. Cassandra Staubling’s “Fragile Narrative” blows, hot forms, and casts glass sculptures to ponder the symbolism of blue-collar tools and garments. Naiome Kremer will blend video and vivid abstract paintings and Sophie Allison and Leanne Lee will stitch together used coffee filters and detailed rice paper into organic forms.
Art Boutiki
44 Race St, San Jose
SLG or “The Coolest Comic Publisher in America” releases most of their works through this quirky venue. But, the cozy corner of alt-hipness does much more than just comics and graphic novels. They’re the meeting point for every Zombie Walk and a Monthly Midtown Beat Art curated by Heart of Chaos. They routinely host multi-band line-ups of the area’s most deserving indie acts and each kooky exhibit gets live music at its opening.
Anno Domini
366 S. First St., San Jose
Located in the gut of the SoFA district, Anno Domini gallery is the barometer of taste in San Jose’s simmering downtown scene. The past two shows have focused on the artistry of cartoons and comics, and their current exhibit explores all of the possibilities of glass, a material both integral and taken-for-granted. The organizers have brought internationally-renowned artists to display their works in hopes of inspiring a wave of creativity that will make the glass sculpture spectrum even wider.
Psycho Donuts
288 S. Second St., San Jose
Art can be edible, too. The alternative sweets destination, Psycho Donuts, get wild not only in their designs and toppings, but also in the store’s decor. They offer singular favorites like the Dead Elvis, filled with custard and topped with peanut butter, bananas and bacon, alongside the whimsically twisted works of Sheri DeBow and John Hageman. This sugary staple of First Friday art walks is a delicious and practical example of the area’s innovative creativity.
Computer History Museum
1401 N. Shoreline Blvd, Mountain View
Technology has accelerated so rapidly that we’ve begun to gather our old robots for posterity sake. This modern museum tracks the young and ever-growing history of computing. “Revolution” tracks the 2000-year history of computers by examining forgotten ancestors like the punch card and the abacus. Other exhibits spotlight microprocessors, computerized chess and the work of Charles Babbage, the first man to make an automatic computing machine. The museum is a fascinating retrospective on the how the future used to look.
WORKS San Jose
365 S. Market St., San Jose
The South Bay’s “creative laboratory” gives local artists the chance to experiment and exchange with one another as they push the boundaries of contemporary art.
Seeing Things Gallery
30 N. Third St., San Jose
This downtown art gallery puts on monthly shows that skew towards the experimental, as well as carry a wide variety of designer zines, t-shirts and tote bags.
Triton Museum
1505 Warburton Dr., San Jose
The small Santa Clara secret has been a meeting place for community and culture for 50 years, and they’re celebrating with a retrospective on their past and local artist Ron Guzman.
Rosicrucian Museum
1660 Park Ave., San Jose
The palatial slice of history offers an authentic look into the nuances of Ancient Egyptian life complimented by a planetarium that unravels the lore of astrology.
Japanese American Museum
535 N. Fifth St., San Jose
This historically focused site details the stormy past of the Japanese in California with emphasis on the tragedy and heroism of WWII.
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