This Month at the Palo Alto Art Center

Art Center is the place to be this fall   This fall, we celebrate "place" at the Palo Alto Art Center. Our new exhibition Front Yard/Backstreet showcases the role of community in our lives, through the work of 15 contemporary artists. Notably, the map project by artist Kate Pocrass, This is Happiness: Palo Alto, will be available for visitors in the exhibition, and work by artist-in-residence Joel Daniel Phillips focused on the Buena Vista Mobile Home Community will also be on view. I hope that you’ll join us to celebrate the artists, the exhibition, and our creative community on Friday, Sept.18 from 7-10 p.m. at Friday Night at the Art Center.   The Palo Alto Art Center has been the place for the Great Glass Pumpkin Patch® for 20 years now, and we’re celebrating our anniversary with the best Patch ever! Join us beginning September 29 to experience the largest glass pumpkin patch in California, and return that weekend to buy your very own!   We hope to see you at the place for art in the community this fall!   Karen Kienzle Palo Alto Art Center, Director Front Yard/Backstreet Exhibition Opens Our fall exhibition Front Yard/Backstreet, Sept. 19-Dec. 13, explores the connections between people and their communities through photographs, drawings, installations, and new media works by a range of contemporary artists from the Bay Area and beyond. Artists in this exhibition encourage us to see our communities in new ways, by presenting unique and unexpected features of our landscapes, neighborhoods, blocks and parks, and the businesses and people who inhabit them. Join us for our kick-off celebration at Friday Night at the Art Center on Sept. 18, to meet the artists and hear them discuss their works.   Great Glass Pumpkin Patch® 20th Anniversary The largest glass pumpkin patch of its kind in Northern California, The Great Glass Pumpkin Patch,® celebrates its 20th anniversary this year with an expanded range of pumpkins and autumnal fruits and vegetables, glass-blowing demonstrations, and a special anniversary exhibition of pumpkins and glass artworks by Patch artists. During the free family-friendly autumn celebration, Sept. 29-Oct. 4, visitors are invited to wander through an outdoor installation of more than 10,000 one-of-a-kind glass pumpkins, an indoor exhibition of special anniversary glass pumpkins and glass artworks, and then purchase the glass pumpkins and artworks on Oct. 3 and 4. For more information on the Great Glass Pumpkin Patch, go here.   Next Phase of Creative Ecology to Begin Our first Creative Ecology artist, Linda Gass, has completed the first phase of her residency at Cooley Landing in East Palo Alto. She thanks all of the science and art educators, and members of the public who joined her in July to engage in art activities and explore the landscape. The next phase of her residency begins in September, when she will be creating her artwork at the Art Center on Sept. 11, 12, 25 and 26, and Oct. 9, 10, 23 and 24. Linda looks forward to meeting with the public as she works in her temporary studio on those dates from 1-5 p.m. Mark your calendar now!  Front Yard/Backstreet Member Preview Palo Alto Art Center Foundation members have the opportunity to preview of our fall exhibition, Front Yard/Backstreet, before the opening celebration on Sept. 18, 6-7 p.m. The special “sneak peek” will be led by Art Center Director Karen Kienzle and several exhibiting artists. Not yet a member, but want to join? Go here for additional membership information.   Candlelight Cocktails Coming Up Candlelight Cocktails, the annual pre-sale and cocktail party in the Great Glass Pumpkin Patch®, returns to the Art Center this year on Oct. 1, 6-9 p.m. The event features food, drink, and offers first pick of the pumpkins. This event is open only to Palo Alto Art Center Foundation members at the Advocate level and above, and to members of the media. For more information on membership, go here.    Renew Your membership and Enter to Win Renew your Palo Alto Art Center Foundation membership today and get a chance to win an exclusive gift from Diptyque, a fragrance and body care boutique at Town & Country Village in Palo Alto.  If we receive your membership renewal by Sept. 30, you will automatically be entered in a drawing to win a fabulous Diptyque package, including a luxury candle, rare home fragrances, and a collection of body lotions. The Foundation expands the reach of the Art Center through fundraising and advocacy—your tax-deductible membership or donation is vital, and supports a range of diverse programs. Continue being a member of our donor family! Visit www.paacf.org to renew your membership now! Friday Night at the Art Center Join us at the Art Center for another free Friday Night at the Art Center on Sept. 18, 7-10 p.m., as we celebrate the opening of our fall exhibition, Front Yard/Backstreet. Specialty cocktails, food truck fare, music, and artmaking activities await you at this “after-hours” event. Don’t miss this great opportunity to network, check out our new exhibition, and engage in artmaking.   See and Make Workshops We are excited to introduce our new See and Make workshop series! This quarter, we are offering several opportunities for you to begin your workshop in our galleries with a teaching artist and then respond creatively in the studio. Explore Creative Ecology with Linda Gass and fiber artist Victoria May; visit our Front Yard/Backstreet exhibition and then investigate your own connection with artist Pantea Karimi: or enroll in a unique family workshop on portraiture. For more information and registration, go here. Children's Fine Art and Adults Studios Open House Tour the Art Center during our Children’s Fine Art (CFA) and Adult Studios Open House and learn about our fall classes for children, teens and adults on Sept. 10, 5-7 p.m. See sample projects, ask questions, and register for classes with our helpful visitor services staff. For more information, email artcenter@cityofpaloalto.org, or call 650.329.2366.   Get an Early Start on Art Unleash the creativity in your child by signing up for one of our preschool classes! Art Explorers, Art Adventures, and Storybook Art (at Mitchell Park) give your young artist the opportunity to explore art materials, improve their dexterity, and expand their vocabulary. Enroll your preschooler in one of these classes now to help your youngster get a great start on art!   Unleash Your Child's Fashion Imagination Could your child be the next Coco Chanel or Christian Dior? Find out by enrolling your child in our Fashion Design and Illustration class! Young fashion designers will work with mannequins, cutting and pinning clothing designs (without sewing), examine designs from magazine, and use swatches to explore color and texture as they draw and create original fashion designs and images. This is a fun and imaginative class for children who like to work with fabrics – sign up now! Last Chance to Pick Up Artwork by Andile Dyalvane This month marks your last chance to purchase ceramic artwork in our Gallery Shop by internationally recognized South African ceramic artist Andile Dyalvane, who recently completed a landmark residency at the Palo Alto Art Center. Dyalvane draws from a rich African cultural tradition to create his works, which feature techniques inspired by traditional practices. Stop by the Gallery Shop to view his magnificent ceramic creations!