5 stars because it's free and I enjoyed my time…read more Pretty chill art museum I liked all the variations of soccer balls and one painting really caught my attention. I appreciate that it is free. They close early so go before 5pm. I was late and only had 30 minutes to end it that was enough time. I ended up sitting outside and just journaled about my day. Such a relaxing evening.

This was actually my second time ever at this museum, I came a couple years back when they had a…read morechalk festival. If you ever get the chance to come show up both days so you can see the artist outlines, and when they start everything, and then day two to see the finished product!! This particular day I went with my dad and Brother to check out what new art pieces they had. We spent about an hour walking through and looking at everything. My brother, major in art and could tell us about different types of oil/paint that was used and how it would last over certain decades or fall off and crack ! Lol so I found the history of how well each artist project with withstand the time of life very interesting as well. I will definitely come back when this gallery changes to another theme! It also has a very nice park. I just wish there was a coffee shop or Matcha shop nearby! Hee

Tickets are free for SJSU students! I've been here twice and both times the exhibits were…read moreinteresting and the place, well maintained. Although the museum is small they change their exhibits every now and then which means I'll definitely be back. It's also, a super short walk from campus which is a bonus. There's no food allowed inside but the staff held onto ours at the front which was really nice.

Are you bored out of your mind in the endless suburban sprawl of Silicon Valley? Is the SF's arts…read morescene too far a drive? Look no further than the SJMA, which delivers everything the city has to offer...but smaller and less interesting. If it wasn't for the free tickets, I would feel a little ripped off for coming here, given the price to exhibit ratio. I'm the type of museum goer to browse the displays, read the occasional description, and examine deeply on some art pieces I find interesting. Walking at a relatively slow pace, it took me about 30-45min to complete. The museum really isn't that big, and the exhibits aren't really as interesting as SF's, for SJ being a major city. Parking is limited, but make sure to lookup ParkSJ for free parking instead of parking in the garage behind the museum. I would only come here if the tickets were free, but it's hard to imagine paying $20 unless you're really into the arts.

ICA is a large cool funky art space that also hosts events…read more Among the many cool restaurants and bars along south First Street are the cool artsy venues. The Institute of Contemporary Arts (i.e. ICA) is fantastic. It showcases local Bay Area artists' works among others. Super friendly staff are on hand and have the latest scoop on upcoming happenings. Go online to see upcoming events at the ICA. You may discover some cool-funky talks and art shows. Happy adventures!

Feeling arty-farty, I decided to go check out the Institute of Contemporary Art. It's located in a…read morereally cool area of First St. Admission is free which is always nice. I wanted to donate and the friendly guy asked if I wanted to sign up to get information, but I declined. I was the only one in there. The exhibit was called "Allegedly the Worst is Behind Us" which featured 12 artists and their work expressing intergenerational trauma. The work was very personal and moving and inspiring too. The work was much more interesting than the San Jose Art Museum. I felt the work would definitely resonate with others who may have experienced the same thing. Since I saved $20 on the last museum, I put it in the donation box in the front. Great place to come to!

This place is a hidden gem in Palo Alto, in an industrial area surrounded by factories. It is a…read moremuseum of the work of Tony Foster, an artist from UK who paints beautiful watercolor landscapes. It's free, and a nice place to visit for an hour or so ... highly recommended.

What to do after brunch on Sunday in Palo Alto? Head to the Foster! Parking is a breeze, the…read moreadmission is free, and the experience works for all ages! As a dabbler in watercolors, I was transfixed--some of these paintings are huge--and he does not use photographs! As an educator, my mind was brimming with opportunities to integrate his work into humanities and human geography classes. The Foster website has excellent resources. This is a must see if you are in the area!

We were here to see the "Monet in Venice" exhibit at the De Young Museum and it was extraordinary…read more We recently became members of the museum and have enjoyed visiting their many exhibitions over the year's. We were lucky to visit the "Monet, The Late Years", back in May of 2019. When we heard that the "Monet in Venice" exhibit was coming, we reserved our tickets quickly. I have loved the many paintings of Monet, especially his water lilies series. They are so beautiful. We had a wonderful time at the museum observing his art at our pace. Your tickets at reserved for a certain time. Once you exit the exhibit you cannot re-enter. So we made sure to take our time and went back to the beginning, before leaving, to walk through a second time. I really love the history behind each painting. They have descriptions and stories printed on the wall of each series of paintings as well as paintings from his fellow artists friends during that same time period that helped influence him. If you are a lover of art, especially Impressionism, then this is a must see. You will not be disappointed.

Sadly, the behavior of one of the employees in the Monet in Venice exhibit put a damper on our…read moreentire experience today. The middle-aged slender guy with glasses, earrings, and dark hair tinged with gray could not have been ruder to me in how he told me I had to carry my purse backpack, then followed by a loud, obnoxious lecture. If he's an employee, he should be fired. If he's a volunteer, he should be moved to somewhere where he doesn't interact with other humans. He is a terrible representative of the De Young. Luckily the woman in the gift shop who signed us up for memberships was friendly, kind and patient. That helped balance the ugly experience with the rude man in the gallery, but we left there with a bad feeling anyway.

I still love this museum! I appreciate how the curators change things up so each time you visit…read morethere are fresh & unique things to experience. Today especially was moved by Shirin Neshat & Philip Glass's collaboration on a an 11 minute video entitled "Passage" that depicts a funeral procession in Morocco.The music and imagery was especially powerful. Mom and I checked everything out & enjoyed the plant wall, Modern Art 101 Gallery, the store, and the cafe. So much to see! We did not opt to pay extra to see the Matisse exhibit. There were people viewing the galleries with us, but it was not too crowded and there was plenty of space. Today was an especially beautiful day, so maybe more folks were outside enjoying the weather, but it was a perfect day for a visit. All employees we interacted with from the security guards to the cafe folks to the ticket checkers were all helpful & pleasant. It is such a joy to come here & you never know what delightful surprises you will happen upon. Peace.

I absolutely loved the exhibits!…read more I didn't get to try the drinks/food this time around but I'll be sure to try them next time I come.

Someone else described it as pompous, and that felt pretty accurate…read more The art itself was weird in a bad way, very dark, heavy vibes that just didn't feel enjoyable or inspiring. The whole place felt small and honestly not worth making a trip for. What really made it worse was the staff behavior. One worker or volunteer took a photo of us and then awkwardly hid behind a wall, which was unsettling. Another staff member kept staring at us the entire time, then eventually approached to say we couldn't have a water bottle inside and had to check it at the front desk. That would have been fine if the front desk had mentioned it in the first place. The inconsistency just added to the uncomfortable atmosphere. Overall, not worth the visit at all. If you are deciding between museums, Oakland Museum of California is much better and a far more enjoyable experience.

I went there today for an international film named "La ciénaga". I love the fact that they show…read moreinternational and other interesting films there! Hollywood movies are getting so boring to me with the same old formulas, so this was a great find! Inside was very spacious, modern, and clean. Bathroom was super clean, too! Location is very near downtown Berkeley ( 2min walk) and so convenient! I would definitely go back:)

This review is for the new location in the Transamerica pyramid…read more The main art exhibits are rotating. The exhibit I saw was amazing and beautiful and displayed well. The staff happily explained it as well as the books on the table that I was able to leaf through. There are also materials on the table explaining the exhibits. There was another room about the time capsule found containing documents about the Transamerica pyramid, but that doesn't seem to be part of the art museum. There is a second exhibit but it wasn't available even though there were flyers about it. My main complaint is this location was too small with only one exhibit. It's free, but I'd happily have paid to see a larger museum.

As one whose favorite art genre is contemporary, I try to make time for anyplace that defines…read moreitself as such. To date, the best place I've found to view contemporary art is in Chicago but here in San Francisco there's signs of promise. The Institute of Contemporary Art San Francisco (ICA) is housed in a space that, the last time I was there, was a Bank of America. Given that this was the bank attached to the Financial District's B of A headquarters, it was an impressive space, open and full of natural materials. This makes it quite an interesting art space. Covering two large floors, ICA is free to visit and is currently showing a couple of very intriguing exhibits. It made me happy to experience them but seeing the size of the space and the way these exhibits were spread out I could not hope but wish they'd condensed the footprint of these exhibits to allow for more exhibits to exist. So, thumbs-up for a great setting and wonderful exhibits at ICA but thumbs sideways as I want more art - much more art - to be housed in that space. Still, worth checking out, for certain.