San José Museum of Art

See what you think.

Koret Gallery: Art Learning Lab

  • : Abstract painting by Candida Alvarez featuring a dynamic composition of vibrant colors and geometric shapes. The artwork combines deep blues and purples with bright, contrasting colors like orange and yellow, creating a sense of depth and movement. The design suggests a starry night sky with swirling patterns and fragmented forms that evoke a feeling of mystery and wonder.

    Candida Alvarez, It was so dark, I could see the stars, 2019. Painting 84 x 72 inches. Museum purchase with funds provided by the Lipman Acquisitions Fund. 2021.11

    Art Learning Lab is a dedicated exhibition space inspired by Sowing Creativity, the Museum’s award-winning STEAM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Art and Math) education program. Featuring a diverse selection of work from the permanent collection, the Art Learning Lab reveals how artists engage cross-disciplinary concepts in their approach to art-making.

    Through interactive play and experimentation, visitors are encouraged to draw their own connections between individual creative exploration and the ideas, tools, and techniques used in the artwork on display.

    Block Garden

    A colorful, abstract painting by Roy De Forest featuring a whimsical landscape with bold colors and imaginative shapes, including a black dog with a red heart. The scene suggests a playful, surreal interpretation of a coastal setting.

    Roy De Forest, Off the Patagonian Coast, 1962. Wood, acrylic, polyvinyl acetate, and polyester resin on wood panel 30 x 30 x 6 inches. Museum purchase with funds contributed by Tom and Polly Bredt. 2006.17

    Explore the magic of Roy De Forest’s Off the Patagonian Coast with our fun 3D-printed block set activity located in the exhibition! Each block draws inspiration from the shapes in the original artwork.

    Use the files below to print your own block set. We recommend testing all different sizes. Don’t have a 3D printer? No worries, your local public library probably does.

    Art Learning Lab: Block Garden is presented by the Museum Experience and Education department at SJMA with help from Museum educators Sam Joseph, and Shannon Stearns.

    Support

    Education programs at the San José Museum of Art are made possible by lead support from California Arts Council; major support from Sally Lucas and the Leo M. Shortino Family Foundation; generous support from the Koret Foundation, KPMG, Worth and Andy Ludwick, SVCreates in partnership with Santa Clara County, Tech CU, and Daphne and Stuart Wells; additional support from the City of San Jose, Lucia Cha, and Priscilla Chou; and significant endowment support from the William Randolph Hearst Foundation.

     

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