By Bonny Zanardi

October is a fine and festive month! There are numerous opportunities to enjoy the creativity that enlivens the Peninsula.

Celebrating seven decades

The Studio Shop celebrates the creative output of Roland Petersen in the exhibition Works on Paper: 1956-2005.  

Bruce Guenther, essayist in the exhibition catalog, says the chance to experience the journey “through the primacy of Petersen’s works on paper in this exhibition gives both new audiences and long-term followers of his production a fresh view into his joyful formal inventions with color and light – a trail of leisurely basket lunches under an umbrella, sun-soaked fields of the Central Valley, or the tumbling geometry of buildings on San Francisco’s rolling hills.”

The show is on view through October 13. The Studio Shop is at 248 Primrose Road, Burlingame. Hours are 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Mondays through Fridays and 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturdays and Sundays. Call 650-344-1378 or visit www.thestudioshop.com.

Watercolor views

Watercolor paintings by Yvonne Newhouse are presented in the show In High Places, on view throughout October at the Portola Art Gallery.

Her paintings spring from her numerous treks through the high Sierra. She spends up to 10 days at a time in the back country, capturing the essence of her adventures. Back home she completes the paintings in her studio.

A reception for the exhibition will be held from 1 to 4 p.m. October 5. The 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 or visit www.portolaartgallery.com.

Disabilities Art Showcase

San Mateo County’s celebration of October as Disabilities Awareness Month includes display of the 2019 Disabilities Art Showcase at the Caldwell Gallery from October 2 through October 30.

The exhibit is co-sponsored by the San Mateo County Arts Commission and the Commission on Disabilities.

The Caldwell Gallery is on the first floor of the Hall of Justice, 400 County Center, Redwood City. Hours are 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Mondays through Fridays.

On the lower level of that building is the exhibit Expanding Visions, which features work of client-artists from the Expressive Arts Program at Mateo Lodge, which is facilitated by Jean Karki.

Expanding Visions opens October 3 and will be on view through October 31.

The shows are curated by Boris Koodrin. Cal 650-296-0622 or e-mail boriskoodrin@gmail.com.

Beyond barriers

Gallery House presents Breaking Boundaries, a show featuring work by mixed media artist Magdalena Bogart and photographer Michael Endicott.

The two have created art together for the show. Throughout the exhibition they will continue to create art with input from the public visiting the gallery.

The exhibition will be on view through October 19. Gallery House 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.

Two shows

The Main Gallery is showing abstract work by Sydell Lewis in Illusions and fabric inventions highlighting the essence of endangered species in Animalia by Jean Thrift through October 13.

On October 16 a new show opens featuring Dichotomy, paintings by Katinka Hartmetz, and Luminous Landscape, photographs by Arup Biswas. A reception for the artists will be held from 5 to 7:30 p.m. October 19.

The Main Gallery is at 1018 Main Street, Redwood City. Hours are 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Wednesdays through Sundays. Call 650-701-1018.

Sculpture and recycled art

The South San Francisco Cultural Arts Commission presents an exhibit offering general art, sculpture and recycled art on October 11 and 12.

On October 11 the show is on view from 6 to 8 p.m. and includes light refreshments. RSVP by October 4. On Saturday, October 12, the show is on view from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.

The exhibit is presented in the Municipal Services Building, 33 Arroyo Drive, South San Francisco. Contact the Parks and Recreation Department at 650-829-3800 or visit www.ssf.net/culturalarts.

Pumpkin Festival time

The Half Moon Bay Art & Pumpkin Festival will be held October 19 and 20 on Main Street between Mill and Spruce Streets.

The festival includes handblown glass pumpkins, paintings, photographs, Halloween-themed garden art and much more. Among the participating local artists is Julie Engelmann.

The festival is presented by the non-profit Half Moon Bay Beautification Committee. Admission is free; pets are not allowed. Call 650-726-9652 or visit pumpkinfest.miramarevents.com.

Poetry

Bay Area poets Eileen Malone and Lee Rossi will be featured at a reading October 8 at Café Society, 522 Main Street, Half Moon Bay. Doors open at 6:30 p.m., with the featured readings beginning at 7 p.m.

An open mic reading will begin at approximately 8 p.m. Ten poets will have five minutes each to speak their work. (A sign-up sheet will be available at the coffee bar.)

For more information, visit www.coastsidepoetry.org.

Enjoy the bounty of artistic expression this month!