De Saisset Museum•Hank Willis Thomas and Kambui Olujimi: Winter In America (Sept 27-Dec 13) The tragic story of Thomas’ cousin, Songha Thomas Willis, who was robbed and murdered in 2002, is told through animation video and still photography. •Just Pretend Everything is OK: Evri Kwong (Sept 27-Dec 13) Bold narrative paintings and prints confront society’s deliberate ignorance of hot-button issues like racism and religious intolerance. •The Hapa Project: Kip Fulbeck (Sept 27-Dec 13) Portraits of people from all walks of life across the country explore what it means to be of mixed racial heritage. Tues-Sun, 11-4. (Santa Clara: Santa Clara University, 500 El Camino Real; 408/554-4528; www.scu.edu/desaisset)
Iris & B. Gerald Cantor Center for Visual Arts• 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. • Richard Diebenkorn, Artist, and Carey Stanton, Collector: Their Stanford Connection and Richard Diebenkorn: Abstractions on Paper (thru Nov 9) Includes an assortment of drawings, paintings and prints by renowned American artist Richard Diebenkorn from the collections of Carey Stanton, a fellow Stanford alum, and others. • Splendid Grief: Darren Waterston and the Afterlife of Leland Stanford Jr. (thru June 21, 2009) Contemporary artist Darren Waterson interprets and examines the Stanford family's grief and mourning surrounding the death of their only son, Leland Stanford Jr., for whom the university was built. Wed-Sun, 11-5, Thurs ‘til 8pm.Wed-Sun, 11-5, Thurs ‘til 8pm. (Stanford: Lomita Dr. & Museum Way; 650/723-4177; www.museum.stanford.edu)
Palo Alto Art Center • Nathan Oliveira: The Painter’s Bronzes (thru Sept 7) This is the first exhibition to survey bronze works by Oliveira, a renowned artist and former studio art professor at Stanford. • Timothy Berry: More Missing Magic (thru Sept 7) Berry’s suggestive drawings and gold leaf and tar paintings address themes of fear and deception. •The Miniature Worlds of Bruce Metcalf (Sept 28-Dec 21) Social, moral and political issues are examined through miniature sculptures made from silver or wood. •In the Bigger Picture: Richard Misrach (Sept 28-Dec 21) See the grander scheme of things with Misrach’s large-format photography. Tues, Wed, Fri & Sat, 10-5; Thurs, 7-9; Sun, 1-5. (Palo Alto: 1313 Newell Rd.; 650/329-2366)Tues, Wed, Fri, Sat, 10-5pm; Thurs, 7-9; Sun, 1-5. (Palo Alto: 1313 Newell Rd.; 650/329-2366; www.city.palo-alto.ca.us/artcenter)
The San Jose Institute of Contemporary Art • Eureka! (thru Sept 20) See the best Bay Area works from recipients of the Eureka Fellowship, the largest cash prize for individual artists. Includes works from artists like Josh Lazcano, Paul Kos and Claire Rojas. • Medusa (Aug 15-Sept 27) Australian artist Timothy Horn’s ornate and ethereal chandelier, made with silicone rubber and fiber optics, is inspired by 19th-century jellyfish illustrations. • Jessica Miller: Polarity Convergence (thru Oct 18) Miller’s faux scientific control panel of buzzing monitors and flickering screens, installed in the ICA’s front windows, explores how science is used as a mediator between humans and nature. Tues-Fri, 10-5; Thurs till 8pm; Sat, 12-5. (San Jose: 560 S. First St.; 408/283-8155; www.sjica.org)
San Jose Museum of Art• 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: 110 S. Market St.; 408/294-2787; www.sjica.org)
San Jose Museum of Quilts & Textiles • Charged Sites: Radka Donnell’s Art Quilts (Sept 2-Nov 2) This survey of Donnell’s improvisational, avant-garde quilts spans 40 years of work and examines the techniques and meaning of this art quilter/feminist/author/art therapist’s impressive career. Tues-Sun, 10am-5pm; open late for South First Fridays. (San Jose: 520 S. First St.; 408/971-0323; www.sjquiltmuseum.org)
San Mateo County History Museum• 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. (Redwood City: 220 Broadway; 650/299-0104; www.sanmateocountyhistory.com)
Triton Museum of Art• Contemporary Still Lifes (thru Sept 7) This exhibit features the works of nearly 20 still life artists, including John Arbuckle, Carin Gerard and Pat Suggs, and focuses on how each artist melds his or her unique style and technique to a time-honored art form. Other exhibits for September are: Mike Narciso (opens Sept 8); Wonderland: Ann Weber (opens Sept 13); and Spirit and Form (opens Sept 20). Daily, 11-5; Thurs, until 9. (Santa Clara: 1505 Warburton Ave.; 408/247-3754; www.tritonmuseum.org)
Thru November: Peabody Art Gallery presents Dr. Seuss for President. This unique exhibit showcases the lesser-known political artwork by Ted Geisel, otherwise known as Dr. Seuss. The thought-provoking prints, books and editorial cartoons on display offer an unusual peek into another aspect of Geisel’s imagination, and are must-sees for political junkies and Dr. Seuss fans alike. Mon-Sat 10-6; Sun, 12-5. (Los Gatos: 11 N. Santa Cruz Ave.; 408/395-3440. Menlo Park: 603 Santa Cruz Ave.; 650/322-2200; www.peabodyfineart.com)
Sept 5: South First Fridays. Enjoy San Jose’s SoFa District’s First Fridays, when everything art and entertainment-related goes long into the night. Galleries including Anno Domini and GreenRice toss aside their “closed” signs for this lively event. 8pm. (San Jose: 300-500 blocks of S. First St.; 408/271-5155; www.southfirstfridays.com)
Sept 5: Palo Alto Art Walk. Downtown Palo Alto galleries stay open until 9pm for this monthly event. Galleries include the Pacific Art League (668 Ramona; 650/321-3891); University Art Annex (267 Hamilton Ave.; 650/328-3500); and Bryant Street Gallery (532 Bryant St.; 650/321-8155; www.paloaltoartwalk.com)
Sept 13: Second Saturday Art Walk. This monthly multicultural event features fair trade crafts by 75 local artists at five art galleries. 7pm. (Redwood City: Broadway St.; 650/367-7556; www.redwoodcityartwalk.com)
