Admission to this museum that features American modern and contemporary art is free!…read more It's pretty sizable with two floors and several interesting pieces. If you're there on a weekend look out for the free pubic in-person tours on Saturdays and Sundays at 12:30pm and 2:30pm. We took one and it was better than wandering around the exhibits ourselves. Worth a stop if you're visiting the Stanford campus.

Disclaimer: I give any free museum five stars. Well, it will cost you your zip code. I just gave…read morethem 58008, hoping they'd realize later what it spells upside down. This is one of the world's most outstanding private assemblies of postwar American art, gifted by Bay Area collectors Harry W. "Hunk" and Mary Margaret "Moo" Anderson and their daughter Mary Patricia Anderson Pence, who looks more like Moo but acts like Hunk. The museum, which opened in 2014, houses 121 paintings and sculptures and is known for its focus on movements like Abstract Expressionism, Color Field Painting, and Pop Art. The collection is celebrated for featuring canonical works by some of the 20th century's most significant American artists. Key figures and their works include: Jackson Pollock: The monumental drip painting "Lucifer," considered by many to be the outstanding drip painting still in private hands before it was gifted to Stanford. Mark Rothko: The signature color-field work, "Pink and White over Red." Clyfford Still: A large, imposing piece called "1957-J No. 1 (PH-142)." Richard Diebenkorn: Works like "Ocean Park #60," which displays his progression into abstract forms using geometric shapes and a subdued color palette. Other Masters: The collection also includes works by Willem de Kooning, Franz Kline, Philip Guston, Robert Motherwell, and Helen Frankenthaler. The museum building itself is spacious, which means it feels mostly like space. The coolest thing was the meticulous library that felt too nice to even touch. Be sure to see the Cantor Arts Museum next door. Random Notes: One exhibit had a music video by Nick Cave on repeat, which was annoying and a little out of place, echoing throughout the museum. Oddly, it was not the Nick Cave you are thinking off (i.e. Bad Seeds). It was a different Nick Cave. Which is weird. It's like saying "Oh, yeah, no, that painting of the flower over there is actually Georgia O'Queef." 1. One of the collection's anchor pieces, a major painting by Clyfford Still, was acquired a jockey who had won the famous 1950s television quiz show, "The $64,000 Question," and then retired to open an art gallery in San Francisco. 2. Mark Tansey's painting "Yosemite Falls (Homage to Watkins)" (1993), depicts the famous waterfall, but instead of falling water, the cascade is made up of cameras and tripods. I looked into an art textbook to try to interpret it and apparently it means I am gay.

Visited the De Saisset Museum this past weekend, which can be found in the middle of campus at SCU…read more The main level included photography showcasing Muwekma Ohlone tribal members, youth dancers, and noteworthy figures, celebrating historic traditions, as well as a screen room which also featured photos and informative descriptions of interesting monuments in the bay area that I've never paid much attention to while passing in the streets and parks (ie. the Eagle, Coyote, and Hummingbird bronze sculptures at Park Ave Bridge in SJ, central to the creation story of the Muwekma Ohlone tribe). The lower level exhibition details the life and history of the Ohlone tribes in Thámien (what we now know as Santa Clara County), great setups and displays for viewers to explore and learn about village customs and the use of resources along the water, as well as religious and cultural artifacts associated with Mission Santa Clara and an interactive exhibit honoring the native people (life, death, emancipation, etc.). Of course, the history and founding of Santa Clara College (now SCU) is also recognized, being the first "institution of higher learning" in California, items like Santa Clara College paper money displayed as part of the permanent collection in this museum. With a lot to compare it to, this wouldn't exactly be at the top of my list for art/history museums (especially with several galleries closed for installation), but it still had plenty to offer, and doesn't cost a thing to visit, plus parking was free and easy on a Sunday, so I'm giving 5 stars.

This is a museum that features art by staff and students. The admission is free. Unfortunately,…read morethey made me leave my purse in a cubby. I wish I had known ahead of time about this so I would not have taken it. I could not really take my time enjoying the exhibits whilst worried that my purse would be stolen. Upstairs are two galleries featuring paintings and photographs. Downstairs is a nice group of historical exhibits.

Located at the Gillmor Center on the Mission College campus, this is a simple space offering…read moreongoing art shows rotating every couple of months. If you're not a student with a parking pass, there's 40 minutes of free parking in the visitor parking lot. The current exhibition, "Reading the Landscape" by artist Mary V. Marsh, was interesting, exploring ways of communication in the evolution of technologies, including depictions of what you see on your phone and through media, combined with nature, hinting at the future. The gallery is a very small room, with limited access and no clear communication online about its hours. Apparently it's open by appointment only, according to the sign on the door, but I came during the artist reception for the current public showing. I appreciated the lovely display of unique artworks, with the artist on site discussing her creations and the methods and materials used. It was cool to check out on a Wednesday afternoon, free of cost.

Visited to enjoy a beautiful sunny day with a book in the Rodin sculpture garden…read more Plenty of seating in benches (sun & shade), peaceful & relaxing, beautiful blend of sculptures, people watching, and calming surroundings - all without an admission fee. Visit & enjoy the peace!

This is a great free art museum on the Stanford Campus. We visited on a Saturday so there was ample…read morefree parking in the lots right in front of the building. It's a beautiful building and well laid out, it took us maybe an hour and a half to two hours to see most of the exhibits. They have a great collection of different eras and regions of art. Many artists I've heard of thought not their most famous paintings. I really enjoyed the modern gallery too. The highlight for me was the extensive collection of Rodin sculptures including details on how he constructed the spectacular "Gates of Hell" that is replicated outdoors. I visited the Rodin museum in Paris a long time ago and this collection, while small, was still really good and informative. I also love a good Richard Serra steel sculpture and there is one outdoors on the other side of the museum from the Rodin garden.

I started taking classes at the Institute a couple of years ago and the only disappointment is why…read moreit took me so long. One of my favorite things about Bill Fredlund's lectures is how art is weaved through the narrative of history. Bill not only explains how painting and sculpture evolves, but why it does so based on what was happening in society at the time. Oh, and the goodies are often worth the price of admission. John D.

Silicon Valley is a world where 60-hour work weeks are the norm. Burn-out, exhaustion, and…read moreintellectual dullness are inevitable side-effects. What's a person to do??! Well, I found myself in that very state about five years ago. I knew I just had to find a way to escape a work-focused and technology over-dosed life and engage in something different/interesting. A friend suggested I accompany her to "a class at "The Institute" and when my plans changed unexpectedly one weekend, I decided to say "yes." It was one of the best decisions I've ever made! I have always had an interest in learning and education however, I really wasn't interested in adding any additional pressure to my life by taking traditional university courses (tests, papers, etc, YUCK!). The Institute has a completely different philosophy. It fits perfectly into my busy lifestyle! I've been attending classes, one night a week, ever since that first introductory class. I've learned so much and am earning UCSC course credits without the angst of final exams and term papers. It's helped to put some balance into my life - something for which I'm very, very grateful. Dr. Bill Fredlund makes each class not only interesting but FUN! Stanford should be proud they've produced such a brilliant, charismatic and entertaining professor! An added benefit is getting to know the people who attend classes at The Institute. I've made many new friends and have even made a trip, this past fall, to Amsterdam with one of my new friends. We saw many of the art works and historical sites that we had previously studied. And one more perk - every class is held in a casual and somewhat homey atmosphere. No stuffy classroom-like set-up here. There's always coffee, tea, wine and tasty treats to share - and a break half way through the lecture during which the class gathers casually to eat and drink and get to know one another. I cannot imagine NOT continuing to take classes at The Institute for at least another five years. Please don't miss out on an amazing opportunity to experience history, art, philosophy, cultural economics and all other aspects of Western Civilization. There's nothing else in the area that comes close to this unique, fun and life-enriching environment. I guarantee that you'll be hooked as well!

I came to the Stanford Linear Accelerator Center (SLAC National Accelerator Laboratory) in May 2016…read morefor the 11th International Conference on High Energy Density Laboratory Astrophysics. The facilities were perfect for a conference of this size on this topic. Talks were given on a stage in a large lecture-hall styled room. I presented my work on Carbon Monoxide at high pressures and temperatures in one of the poster sessions. Posterboards where we mounted our posters were placed in the the hallway side-by-side making it easy to walk poster-to-poster and ask questions to presenters. Breakfast offerings were provided in the morning and coffee throughout the day. We got some conference swag, and tours of the facilities were offered for those who wanted to partake. The cafeteria had a selection of lunch offerings so we could stay on-site for lunch if we wanted. There are also a number of restaurants near-by if you have time and want to go out for lunch.

Came here for a retreat and went on a tour of their facilities. It's absolutely amazing how much…read morework and brainpower went into creating the largest linear accelerator there is. Kudos to team for such a feat!

A whole lot of art in a small space- free to all. There…read morehappened to be a college art group touring today. Beautiful pieces representing cultures in Dan Jose and the Bay Area from inspirations of the First Nations all the way to modern family life. Worth a visit.

Visited the museum at De Anza College this past weekend, and was fortunate to catch the current…read morewinter exhibition, Encoding Empathy, in its final days (ends March 20th). The special engagement on Saturday afternoon was a reception with the artists which had refreshments in the lobby and live music in the art gallery along with all of the wonderful displays captivating attendees. The artists for this exhibition followed a theme, creatively connecting technology to aspects of humanity, and the setup inside the space was effective and appealing. I was particularly impressed by the works of Steve Dellicarpini, one of which explored the impact of AI, utilizing ChatGPT and a grid of fans and lights. Another one of his pieces, The Book of Donald (Fifth Gospel of the Apocrypha), appeared as scripture sitting atop a golden toilet, the sculpture representing the twisted messages of social media posts. I was also amused by Shannon Wright's Partner in Crime: Commemorating a Decade of Swiping Left in Silicon Valley, showcasing a C-print image filled with words associated with online dating, set up like scrabble tiles. There were so many unique exhibits to view, I'm glad I didn't miss the current show. FYI, the parking lot right out front had a sign saying parking is enforced every day including weekends, but the permit machine next to the museum was out of order or nonfunctioning. So this ended up being a free trip altogether.

KCI offers amazing professional development for teachers. I've been coming to KCI for a little over…read moretwo years for various PDs. I was recently accepted into MERIT (Making Education Relevant and Interactive through Technology), and our meetings were held at KCI. We'll meet several more times through March. KCI offers two computer labs, Mac and Apple devices, and studying spot for Foothill students. I'm thankful a place like this exists!

I recently came across "the KCI" as they call it and and couldn't be more impressed. The building…read moreis beautiful, it's probably the best place to go get some work done in Los Altos. It has a huge completely skylit ceiling over their cute cafe. The coffee is freshly brewed each day although there is no espresso machine so if you're into a tripple-machiatto-half-caf-no-soy-free-range-latte you might want to look elsewhere. It can be difficult to find technology training that doesn't leave you drooling and half-asleep 5 minutes into the powerpoint. I'm sure many of you have gone to a training where you're excited to be there, you get started, and then CRASH ... your mind begins to wander, you start to wonder why you came. The trainers are friendly, the clases are dirt cheap, and you'll have to visit to see why it's DEFINITELY worth your time. Will be back for sure ...