Cantor Arts Center at Stanford University Lomita Dr. & Museum Way, Stanford University, Stanford 650/723-4177; http://museum.stanford.edu 20th-century European and American art is presented in a variety of indoor and outdoor galleries. In addition, 18 separate galleries showcase selections from the diverse permanent colltion, spanning the history of art and representing a broad spectrum of cultures. Current exhibits include. • Walker Evans (thru April 8) American photographer Walker Evans’ (1903–1975) direct and unsentimental images of life on small-town streets—in New York subways, and on sharecroppers’ porches—inspired generations of photographers and helped shape contemporay art. •Memory and Markets: Pueblo Paintings in the Early 20th Century (thru May 27) explores the evolution from traditional Pueblo painting on pottery and archaeological remains to modern Native American easel painting. • The Legend of Rex Slinkard (thru Feb 26) More than 60 works by Southern California artist Slinkard (1887-1918) include oil paintings, charcoal drawings, and pen-and-watercolor skteches that convey bredth and strength of Slinkard's short-lived artistic development. • Expanding Views of Africa (ongoing) This reinstallation explores beyond conventional views of African art, considering the genre’s historical depth and diversity. Wed-Sun, 11-5, Thurs, ’til 8pm.

de Saisset Museum Santa Clara University, 500 El Camino Real, Santa Clara 408/554-4528; www.scu.edu/desaisset Built in 1955, the museum houses rotating art and historical exhibits. It has a permanent display of furnishings and memorabilia from the early mission period as well as Native American artifacts. Current exhibits include: • Golden States of Grace: Prayers of the Disinherited (thru March 18) gives voice to California's diverse and often overlooked religious landscape. • This Camera Fights Fascism: The Photographs of David Bacon and Francisco Dominguez (thru Feb 5) focuses on the struggles of immigrants and workers in the spirit of Dorothea Lange. • Andy Warhol: Polaroids and Portraits (thru July 1) offers a glimpse into Warhol's world with more than 30 candid and often unglamorous images of his friends, colleagues, and acquaintances. • Between Struggle and Hope: Envisioning Democratic Art in the 1930s (thru Feb 5) focuses on the human and economic struggles visible in the photographs, prints, and murals of the New Deal era. Tues-Sun, 11-4.

Palo Alto Art Center 1313 Newell Rd., Palo Alto 650/329-2366; www.paacf.org This nonprofit center is dedicated to community art and hosts a variety of compelling exhibitions. Check back for updates. Tues-Sat 10-5 (extra hours Tues, Wed & Thurs 7-10pm); Sun, 1-5.

San Jose Institute of Contemporary Art 560 S. First St., San Jose 408/283-8155. www.sjica.org This non-profit organization features contemporary, cutting-edge art, with an emphasis on emerging artists. Current exhibits include: • Dos Mundos: Paintings and Works on Paper by TimCraighead (thru Feb 18) features works by this artist based in Santa Cruz. • One Thing Leads to Another: Seriality in Works on Paper (thru Feb 25) presents works on paper by contemporary artists who employ repetition to create a series of related works. Tues-Fri,10-5; Sat, 12-5.Tues-Fri, 10-5; Sat, 12-5.

San Jose Museum of Art 110 S. Market St., San Jose 408/294-2787; www.sjmusart.org This downtown museum showcases works from the 20th and 21st centuries, emphasizing post-1980 Bay Area artists. Current exhibits include: • Beta Space: Anna Sew Hoy (thru Feb 26) This artist creates a new sculptural installation using cast-off materials and detritus from our local corporate culture. • This Kind of Bird Flies Backward: Paintings by Joan Brown (thru Mar 11) features paintings by this Bay Area favorite. • Paintings by Joan Brown (thru Mar 11) This is the first in-depth look at this Bay Area favorite’s paintings in over a decade. • Bill Owens: Ordinary Folks (thru Feb 5) explores works that objectively capture American middle-class culture in the 1970s. • Renegade Humor (thru July 8) showcases the counterculture art movement spawned by the art department at UC Davis during the 1960s and 1970s. Mostly abstract pieces from artists such as Roy de Forest, Robert Arneson, David Gilhooly, Peter Vandenberge and others include paintings, sculptures and found items which peel away East Coast pretension from the same period, while maintaining a trangressive humor rooted in the shifting values of the time. Political, punny, and often larger-than-life, these works took their license from the Bay Area’s figurative traditions, inspiring a new generation of West Coast artists. Tues-Sun 11-5.

San Jose Museum of Quilts & Textiles 520 S. First St., San Jose 408/971-0323; www.sjquiltmuseum.org This unique museum features regularly changing exhibits of contemporary and traditional quilts from around the world. Current exhibits include: • Collecting California (thru Feb 5) showcases quilts and textiles from the permanent collection of Contemporary Californian artists. • Invisible Lineage (thru Feb 5) showcases the work of four influential mid 20th-century fiber artists alongside works of four late century artists. • 17th Quilt National (Feb 14-Apr 29) This juried exhibition features 45 works from established artists and first time entrants in a range of contemporary quilting styles and techniques. Tues-Sun, 10am-5pm; Thurs open ‘til 8pm.

Stanford University Outdoor Art Stanford has a significant collection of interesting outdoor art. Tours are offered on a regular basis. For information, call 650/723-4177. For tours, call 650/723-3469. The Rodin Sculpture Garden contains more than 20 works by Auguste Rodin, including "The Gates of Hell." The Stanford New Guinea Sculpture Garden displays a fascinating collection of totem poles and other sculptures which were created by ten master carvers who came from Papua New Guinea to Stanford in 1994. In addition, works by artists such as Henry Moore, Josef Albers, Joan Miró, Alexander Calder and James Rosati are installed throughout the campus.

Triton Museum of Art 1505 Warburton Ave., Santa Clara 408/247-3754; www.tritonmuseum.org This community museum features contemporary art of Northern California and the Bay Area. Current exhibits include: • Statewide Photography Exhibition (Feb 18-Apr 22) Includes competitin selections in Fine Art, Nature and Photojournalistic photography. • Eve Page Mathias (thru Feb 12) Fusing exquisite realism with vibrant color, this Bay Area teacher brings mysterious intimacy to her painting's subjects. • Santa Clara University (thru Feb 5) Art from one of the oldest universities in California spans a number of mediums. Daily, 11-5; Thurs, 'til 9pm.