Gallery’s move boosts South First Fridays
Downtown San Jose art gallery Kaleid, which has been a fantastic place to view and buy work by Santa Clara County artists since it opened nearly 13 years ago, always had been a bit of an outlier for the popular monthly South First Fridays art walk because of its location on Fourth Street.
But that’s all changing this month as the gallery has pulled up its stakes near City Hall and moved into the former Valley Title building on South First and San Carlos street. That building, owned by Urban Community, has become quite a creative hub in just a few months with spaces for SVCreates, San Jose Jazz and Local Color.
Kaleid grew out of the Phantom Galleries project that displays artists’ work in empty storefronts, provided a burst of creative color for the area around City Hall when it opened in December 2006. Whether you were a fan of paintings, sculpture, ceramic arts or textiles, there usually would be something for you to see — and buy — among its eclectic showcase. Even though it was three blocks away from the main South First Fridays action in downtown’s SoFA District, Kaleid nonetheless featured two new artists every first Friday of the
month.
That tradition, of course, will continue in its new location, where it will be the leadoff venue for the event. Today, Kaleid will be open from 7 to 11 p.m., with exhibitions by Masha Noir and Jemal Diamond, along with the work of its resident artists. You can get more information about Kaleid at kaleidgallery.com, and check out the rest of the South
First Fridays offerings at southfirstfridays.com. ASIAN PACIFIC FILMFEST RETURNS » Film buffs can enjoy the wide range of Asian ethnicities and culture at the fifth annual Silicon Valley Asian Pacific FilmFest, which takes place this weekend at the CineArts Theatre in Santana Row. Friday’s opening night film, “Love Boat Taiwan,” is sold out, but there are nine other features and 12 short films (a short will be shown before each feature) to choose from.
Among the offerings are Diane Fukami‘s “Norman Mineta and His Legacy: An American Story”; “Dating After College,” directed by Taylor Chan (of Wong Fu Productions); and a documentary, “Mayor Ed Lee,” made by longtime Bay Area sportscaster Rick Quan.
Julian Kim and Peter S. Lee, co- directors of the Korean film “Happy Cleaners,” are flying in from New York to present their movie, which will close the festival at 6 p.m. Sunday.
Go to svapfilmfest.org for the full schedule and ticket information.
BRINGING BACK THE FRIENDSHIP GARDEN » Aderyn Clark, an 11th grade Girl Scout, is working on a Gold Award project that the entire San Jose community can get behind.
Following the severe damage at the Japanese Friendship Garden at Kelley Park because of the Coyote Creek flood in February 2017, she set her sights on engaging the community to preserve the garden — a gift from Japan that opened in 1965 — for future generations.
She says people are surprised when she tells them that the teahouse remains closed and that the koi ponds have not been fully restored to this day, nearly three years later.
She formed Friends of the San Jose Japanese Friendship Garden, and its Facebook page has more than 140 followers, with a core group of representatives from nonprofit groups.
“I have used different modes to bring awareness of the garden and to bring people out to enjoy it even though the ponds are dry,” she said. And to that end, her group is hosting a garden party on Saturday from 10 to 11:30 a.m. at the garden, with Japanese arts and crafts, music, Odori dancing and tours. “We want to bring the community to the garden for fun and entertainment and a rededication for the people to renew their connection to this beautiful gift,” she said.