By Bonny Zanardi
The year ends with a wonderful variety of shows, including those displaying a variety of works that make meaningful holiday gifts.
Young artists
The City Arts of San Mateo Art Gallery is featuring works by students through 8th grade at Wornick Jewish Day School in Foster City. The youngsters are students of art teacher Ginger Slonaker.
The show will be on view through December 31. The gallery is at Peninsula Ballet Theatre, 1880 South Grant Street, San Mateo. Hours are 4:30 to 6:30 p.m. Mondays through Fridays and 9 a.m. to noon Saturdays. Visit www.cityartsofsanmateo.org.
Holiday Open Studios
The Main Gallery is participating in Artists’ Holiday Open Studios from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. December 1 and 2. The event promises works in a price range from $5 to $5,000.
Among the artists is Xuan My Ho, who has left an information technology career to become a full-time muralist.
The gallery is at 1018 Main Street, Redwood City. It is open daily from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. through December 30. Visit www.themaingallery.org.
Holiday show
Gallery House presents its Holiday Show 2018 through December 24. More than 35 artists are featured, including Azita Gandjei, Ruth-Anne Siegel and Magdalena Bogart.
The gallery is at 320 South California Avenue, Palo Alto. (Enter through Printer’s Café.) Hours are 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Tuesdays and Wednesdays, noon to 8 p.m. Thursdays through Saturdays and 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. Sundays.
Call 650-326-1668 or visit www.GalleryHouse2.com.
Oils and pastels
Artistic Journeys, a show of works by Inna Cherneykina and Jan Prisco, is on view throughout December and January at Portola Art Gallery. A reception for the exhibit will be held from 1 to 4 p.m. December 8.
The exhibition includes both oil and pastel paintings, including still life works and landscape scenes from the artists’ collections.
Cherneykina is both a painter and a 3D game artist. In her paintings she reflects on the “enigmatic entanglement of mind and reality.”
Prisco is noted for her vibrant depictions of local scenes. In addition to creating her own works she teaches painting at Filoli and other locations.
Portola Art Gallery is at the Allied Arts Guild, 75 Arbor Road, Menlo Park. Hours are 10:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. Mondays through Saturdays. Call 650-321-0220.
Camera club
Photographs by members of the Peninsula Camera Club are featured in the exhibition Interpretations of Light, which opens with a reception from 1 to 4 p.m. December 1 at Avenue 25 Gallery in San Mateo.
The show, curated by Charles Anselmo, will continue through January 18. The gallery is on the second floor at 32 West 25th Avenue. Hours are 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. Visit http://avenue25gallery.plsinfo.org/.
Nostalgic toys
The Museum of American Heritage (MOAH) presents Vintage Toys: It’s Child’s Play through February 17. The exhibit seeks to evoke childhood memories, covering the origins of playtime, toy factories, toy trains and more.
A variety of vintage toys is featured, including pedal cars, toy sewing machines, a mechanical pony and wind-up toys.
MOAH is at 351 Homer Avenue, Palo Alto. Hours are 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. Fridays through Sundays. Call 650-321-1004 or visit www.moah.org.
On Shakespeare
The San Francisco Shakespeare Festival offers two opportunities to take a look at Shakespeare’s The Comedy of Errors this month. On December 11 the Senior Coastsiders at 925 Main Street in Half Moon Bay is the site. The show begins at 2:30 p.m., with a post-show presentation with the cast at 3:30.
On December 15 the presentation is at the San Carlos Library, 610 Elm Street, San Carlos. The show begins at 2 p.m. and the post-show at 3 p.m.
The shows are free. Visit www.sfshakes.org.
Poetry
For the holiday season, Coastside Poetry is hosting an all-open-mic poetry reading on Tuesday, December 11, at Café Society, 522 Main Street, Half Moon Bay. Bring seasonal poems, if you like.
Doors open at 6:30 p.m., with readings beginning at 7 p.m. Each poet will have 5 minutes to speak their work. (No music, please).
Café Society is at 522 Main Street, Half Moon Bay. Visit www.coastsidepoetry.org.
Happy holidays to all!
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