De Saisset Museum (Santa Clara University, 500 El Camino; 408/554-4528; www.scu.edu/desaisset) • Flashing Back: 1960s Works in the Permanent Collection (thru Apr 13) highlights the work of California artists. • Eye on the Sixties: Vision, Body, and Soul (thru June 15) Selections from the collection of Harry W. and Mary Margaret Anderson focus on the artistic expression that emerged in the 1960’s in the wake of the Abstract Expressionist era. Included are paintings, sculptures, drawings and prints by artists such as Josef Albers, Robert Arneson, Bruce Beasley, Fletcher Benton, Wayne Thiebaud, and more. Tues-Sun, 11-4.
Iris & B. Gerald Cantor Center for Visual Arts (Stanford: Lomita Dr. & Museum Way; 650/723-4177; www.stanford.edu/dept/ccva) • Class, Personality, Politics, and Landscape in British Photography (thru April 6) Photographs from the Center’s collection examine the special qualities of British society. • Tourism and the American Landscape (thru May 4) This exhibit explores the work of Frederic Church, Winslow Homer and Thomas Moran in the context of the new and growing U.S. tourism industry in the 19th-century. Their portraits of the nation’s scenic wonders inspired tourists to go where few had gone before. Works includes nearly 70 painted sketches, along with studio paintings, drawings, books and stereographs. • Makishi: Mask Characters of Zambia (Mar 26–June 29) A selection of 24 wooden masks explores the masquerade traditions of ethnic groups living in the “three Corners” region of Zambia, Angola and the Congo. Wed-Sun, 11-5, Thurs ‘til 8pm.
Palo Alto Art Center (Palo Alto: 1313 Newell Rd.; 650/329-2366; www.paacf.org) • Winter 2008 Exhibitions (thru April 27) This is a rare chance to see some of the finest ceramic and fiber art in the country. All of the pieces are from the private collections of Forrest L. Merrill and Sara and David Liberman. Tues-Sat, 10-5; Tues, Wed & Thurs, ‘til 10; Sun, 1-5.
The San Jose Institute of Contemporary Art (San Jose: 560 S. First St.; 408/283-8155; www.sjica.org). • The Space Between (thru April 12) This exhibit explores optical illusions and geometry. • This Show Needs You (thru May 17) This avant-garde interactive exhibition presents art as social exchange and includes workshops, making food, and a wedding. • Lift Off (thru June 14) The 4th annual San Jose State MFA exhibition features the works of up-and-coming young artists. • Night Moves (thru June 14) Artist Ray Beldner uses language from homeless signs to make poetic neon versions that reflect humanity’s shortcomings and vulnerabilities. Tues-Fri, 10-5pm; Thurs ‘til 8; Sat, 12-5.
San Jose Museum of Art (San Jose: 110 S. Market St.; 408/294-2787; www.sjica.org) • Goya’s Caprichos: Dreams of Reason and Madness (thru April 20) The famous Spanish painter and printmaker’s art is exhibited. • Picasso: Etchings of Love and Desire (thru April 20) A collection of 40 etchings from the end of the artist’s life focuses on portraits, including nudes and autobiographical pieces. •Fred Spratt: Color and Space (thru July 6) Spratt’s monochromatic square and rectangular works respond to Minimalism, an extreme form of non-representational art that emerged in the late 1960s, creating vivid interaction between color and space. Tues-Sun, 11-5.
San Jose Museum of Quilts & Textiles (San Jose: 520 S. First St.; 408/971-0323; www.sjquiltmuseum.org) • Core Memory/Peripheral Vision (thru June 8) Exhibits feature the work of eight renowned digital Jacquard and artworks created using digital technology. • Pixels & Pieces (thru June 8) is a selection of historical one-patch quilts from the Museum’s permanent collection. • Advanced Geometry: Gloria Hansen (thru June 8) A selection of art quilts by one of the world’s foremost experts on computer-generated quilt design. • Awareables: Conscious Clothing (thru June 8). This exhibition proves that the marriage between technology and fiber art can yield imaginative and innovative works. Tues-Sun, 10-5.
San Mateo County History Museum (Redwood City: 220 Broadway; 650/299-0104; www.sanmateocountyhistory.com) • Gabriel Moulin’s Photos of the San Francisco Peninsula: Town & Country Homes 1910-1930 (thru Nov 9) See the glory days of the Peninsula elite through the lens of one of California’s premier photographers. Tues-Sun 10-4.
Triton Museum of Art (1505 Warburton Ave., Santa Clara, 408/247-3754. www.tritonmuseum.org) • Neal Boor: Paintings (thru April 13). Bay Area art teacher and artist Neal Boor presents multi-volumed, multi-textured, sensually abstract paintings. Daily, 11-5; Thurs, ‘til 9.
