San José Museum of Art

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Spring Reception: The Water Projects

Samnang, Untitled, 2011; Digital still from video; Image Courtesy Artist and SA SA BASSAC.

Members-Only Preview

6–7 PM

Celebrate Earth Month and two exhibitions that reflect on water, Fragile Waters: Photographs by Ansel Adams, Ernest H. Brooks II, and Dorothy Kerper Monnelly and The Darkened Mirror: Global Perspectives on Water. Music by the Joel Nelson Jazz Ensemble (6–7 PM).

The preview hour from 6 to 7 PM is available for current members of SJMA and includes admission to the opening celebration to follow at 7 PM.

Order tickets to members-only preview

Earth Month Celebration

7–10 PM
Admission is $15 (Free to members)

Celebrate Earth Month and two exhibitions that reflect on water: Fragile Waters and The Darkened Mirror. Music by the Joel Nelson Jazz Ensemble (7–8 PM) and DJ Too Tall (8–10 PM). Special guests include Jeanne Falk Adams, Dorothy Kerper Monnelly, and Amy Balkin. No-host bar.

Order tickets to the Earth Month celebration only

Related Programming

Fragile Waters: Photographs by Ansel Adams, Ernest H. Brooks II, and Dorothy Kerper Monnelly

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Water is very much on the minds of Californians after six years of drought. Fragile Waters celebrates this precious, essential resource and encourages dialogue about water conservation. One hundred and seventeen black-and-white photographs by three artists whose works span a century create a powerful collective statement. The exhibition will feature thirty-seven works by Adams— including rarely seen historic images from his family’s private collection—along with photographs by Ernest H. Brooks II and Dorothy Kerper Monnelly.

The Darkened Mirror: Global Perspectives on Water

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Our simultaneously abusive and dependent relationship with water has made it an international battleground not only of environmental issues, but also of humanitarian concerns. The Darkened Mirror complements the pristine waterscapes on view in the exhibition Fragile Waters by presenting recent work by international artists who address our conflicted relationship with water today. From their twenty-first-century points of view, they reveal an essential resource that is no longer merely threatened, but actively besieged: it is a troubling reflection of the contemporary moment.