De Saisset Museum (Santa Clara University, 500 El Camino; 408/554-4528; www.scu.edu/desaisset) • 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) • 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. • Experiments in Navigation: The Art of Charles Hobson (thru July 6) Peruse one of the thirty artist’s books that Hobson published over a 20-year period. The books explore themes of classical mythology, astronomy, surrealism, shipwrecks, and love affairs of famous historical figures, among other topics. • Spared from the Storm: Masterworks from the New Orleans Museum of Art (thru Oct 5) Includes 80 paintings, drawings and sculptures by several influential artists spanning the 17th through the 20th century, including Giordano, Monet and Picasso. Wed-Sun, 11-5, Thurs ‘til 8pm.
The San Jose Institute of Contemporary Art (San Jose: 560 S. First St.; 408/283-8155; www.sjica.org) • 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. • Brendan Lott: Memories I’ll Never Have (thru Aug 2) By pulling photographs from the Internet and sending jpegs to China where the images are reproduced as oil paintings, Lott challenges notions of art and technology, authorship, globalization and outsourcing. • Crater Bay Area (thru Aug 2) This unique, contest/interactive exhibit invites artists and nonartists alike to sketch a ten-food scale model of the moon using either traditional drawing materials or digital tools in 30 minutes. All drawings will be put on display for the duration of the exhibit, and on August 1, the winners will be announced and each will receive a prize: a plot of land on the moon itself. 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) •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. • Robots: Evolution of a Cultural Icon (thru Oct 19) This exhibit shows the evolution of robot iconography in art over the past 50 years. 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; Pixels & Pieces; Advanced Geometry: Gloria Hansen; and Awareables: Conscious Clothing (all thru June 8) Exhibits feature the work of eight renowned digital Jacquard and artworks created using digital technology; a selection of historical quilts; works by one of the world’s foremost experts on computer-generated quilt design; and technologically advanced clothing and fiber art. • Beyond Knitting: Uncharted Stitches; Pun Intended: The Appliqued Wit of Dorothy Vance; and In Javanese Moonlight: Sha Sha Higby in Transition (all from June 17-Aug 24) See avant-garde artists use cutting-edge knitting techniques to create sculptures of exceptional beauty and quirkiness; Vance’s clever and charming folk art quilts, each of which juxtapose folk art, politics and pop culture; and Higby’s intricate performance art costumes, constructed with materials like wood, gold leaf and silk. Tues-Sun, 10am-5pm; open late for South First Fridays. 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) • Mission to the Triton (thru June 22). Mission College’s full-time art faculty showcase their works, spanning across all disciplines. • Narrative Realities (thru June 29) The work of four noted Bay Area figure artists depict people in a range of situations and create stories on canvas. Daily, 11-5; Thurs, until 9.
