Met museum staff member Jamie at the NUMU table during Art & Wine Festival and she made my whole…read moreSaturday! She was incredibly friendly and shared an overview of NUMU, a museum I never realized was tucked right in the heart of Los Gatos. Visited right during the Festival & so glad I did! * Staff: Was greeted by John Paul, super kind, friendly, & knowledgeable * Location: Part of the broader complex housing LG Public Library & Friends of Library Bookstore, making it very easy & convenient to park + visit all 3 * Layout: Museum is spacious with well-organized salons with a range of exhibits & collections, incl. rotating exhibits, a children's section with hands-on areas for learning & crafts, and great collections of local LG history * Highlight: The dedicated Mukwema Ohlone exhibits were especially fascinating & offered a deeper insight into a portion of local history we were very regrettably not taught. Great staff, amazing space, & fantastic learning opportunities. Looking forward to visiting again to attend dedicated programs! Thank you for an amazing visit, Jamie & John Paul!

"Hidden gem" is a hackneyed phrase that I generally avoid, but it is quite apt for this fine little…read moremuseum just a short distance from Santa Cruz Avenue. We stumbled across this museum while searching for new opportunities through our local library's Discover and Go program. If you aren't familiar with this program, you are advised to check it out because it provides free or reduced admission at many places around the Bay Area. Anyways, three of the four of us were able to score free entry, and the fourth got in at a reduced student rate. Regular admission is $10 as of this writing. There was ample parking in the lot on this Saturday afternoon. The person at the front desk was super friendly and chatted with us about the current exhibitions. There was a fascinating exhibition of the multimedia works of Jody Alexander, who took the cloth bindings of old books and incorporated them into new works of art, sometimes with the Library of Congress call numbers still intact. Also on display were the art of Thomas Campbell (including delightfully chaotic installation piece) and the photographs of r.r. jones of the people he met on his travels. It was well-curated with excellent and easy-to-read descriptions. The basement of the museum focused on the history of Los Gatos and the surrounding area. There are various relics of the town and the area's past, and the story of Mountain Charley and the plight of the Muwekma Ohlone tribe. All in all this was a wonderfully engaging museum and well worth a visit. Check their website for opening hours and current exhibits, and do check out the Discover and Go program for other cultural opportunities.

High-end artwork from artists located throughout the United States. Pieces are handcrafted and are…read moreall original works of art.

Hand & Mind offers a wide variety of handmade art. When you walk in, you may have to rush past the…read moredizzying number of clock pendulums swinging merrily on the walls. This will take you to the jewelry, hand-blown glass pieces, and metal sculptures. I particularly liked their glass wind chimes and their few ceramic offerings. Some of the work is functional (like vases) but a lot of it is just for display. All of their offerings are in the price range you would expect from Santana Row.

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!

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.

Small museum but friendly staff. Studios in the back of the park. Catering available. Sculptures in…read morethe park and free to walk around.

Montalvo Arts Center feels like a peaceful escape--the grounds are beautiful for an easy hike or…read moreslow stroll. The Carriage House Theatre concerts are intimate and special, and membership comes with fun concert receptions. One of my favorite memories was meeting Charo at one of those receptions after a concert. If you haven't been, check their program schedule and upcoming events: https://montalvoarts.org/

A dear friend is a member of Montalvo Arts Center and grateful for her to provide me some needed…read moreescapism as her luncheon guest. All proceeds support Montalvo Arts Center with the aid of a battalion of volunteers, young and old. From the first hello by Gail when greeted at check-in to exiting venue, high touch experience. Thoughtfully coordinated and seamlessly orchestrated, including redirecting exiting auto traffic due to nearby auto accident. Meal was delightful including iced tea and coffee. Can upgrade to wine and bubbly for a fee. There were roaming models (Sunny - a Tita from the Philippines - was in our area) showcasing outfits from a local Los Gatos boutique. Raffle for a 10 person dinner onsite. Gift shop with crafts to buy. Have more time can explore grounds. Was encouraged to take home the floral centerpieces which had plastic floral bags to aid with transport. If don't have a generous friend to treat you to luncheon, can purchase tix for $75. I was excited to learn they host Sunday high teas in November before Thanksgiving. Will add to my Yelp! High Tea collection.

Cindy is an amazing instructor. I did a private glass fusing class with my friends in 2025 and we…read moreall talk about how much we enjoyed the experience to this day. I recently did a stained glass workshop that showed me how great of an instructor Cindy truly was. Not only did she explain all of the steps well; she also explained the rationale and science behind it so that we could create more successful pieces. Love how simple, clean, and welcoming her studio is. Would give 6 stars if I could.

We came here with a group of teenagers and had such a great time designing beautiful plates and…read morecoasters. Cindy, the owner of the studio, is super welcoming and patient; I have learned so much about this creative process. I highly recommend this experience for anyone who loves art.

I absolutely LOVE attending Silicon Valley Open Studios. I have been to see the local artists…read moreSaturday and Sunday for two consecutive weekends this year and three previous years. I have gone to Open Studios in Campbell, Los Gatos, Sunnyvale, Los Altos, and Los Altos Hill. The variety of the arts on display is impressive. The purpose is twofold - one for the pure enjoyment; the other is to purchase art. I recall seeing paintings, photography, Gourds, jewelry, and more. Also, I enjoy talking to selected artists about their work. This year I purchased three photographs and one abstract watercolor painting. Last year I purchased two photographs. The prior two years, I just enjoyed the art without purchasing. Some of the displays are situated indoors, while others are in the front or in the rear of homes.

Went to the free first weekend of May open galleries in the Palo Alto area. Checked out the…read moreCubberley Community Center, Palo Alto Studios, Community School of Music and Arts and Gallery 9. Signage was great on driving directions, I did pick up at map and pamphlet earlier in the week at CSMA but the yellow signs definately helped with finding the hidden studios. Great to see the artists and works at their studios, artists were very welcoming and wanted to talk to you about their art, many offered free snacks, parking can be a bit challenging at some venues. Some artists only show at this event and some studios are rarely open, so this was a treat. Still two more weekends in May that they are showing.

Very cool Hope it makes it…read more Large upstairs space for painting Girl who I talked to was super chill fro many I'm going back with my daughter

I just took a two hour pottery wheel class with Hynah, (Ihope I am spelling her name correctly!),…read moreand she was wonderful. She was so helpful and kind and I had a great time. There were only three of us and it was a great class size as we each received individualized attention. She even made me a small vase I could take in addition to the two bowls I made. The studio is large and comfortable and very nice. I will be signing up for the four 2-hour class session. I highly recommend this place!