You can try the Sistine Chapel in one of the shopping centers in San Jose

I heard you can find anything in the mall, but the famous Sistine Chapel frescoes? That’s right – in a way – at the Westfield Oakridge Mall in South San Jose.

“Michelangelo’s Sistine Chapel: The Exhibition” is a touring show that opened there on January 14, with large reproductions of the artist’s famous works on the ceiling of Rome’s historic Vatican City landmark.

“It’s a different experience,” said Eric Leong, Senior Producer at SEE Global Entertainment. “We can’t compare it to the original, but what we’re trying to give is perspective.”

Perspective and opportunity to see the art—which Michelangelo worked on from 1508 to 1512—much closer than you’re staring at 60 feet in the air. The 34 canvases in the gallery, including some full-size replicas, are detailed enough to see the brushstrokes on God’s robe, the facial expressions on the cherubs and the muscles on Adam and Eve. You can even spot some hidden images, like the face Michelangelo inserted in “The Last Judgment,” a fresco the artist painted for the chancel wall some 25 years after he finished the famous ceiling work. The downloadable app provides an audio guide to each of the murals, too.

Those details — and having the time to notice them — appealed to San Jose residents Bob and Melinda Capel. And they’ve already been to the Sistine Chapel several times, both before and after a decade-long restoration that ended in 1994.

“You get stuck in it and you get mesmerized,” said Melinda Keeble of the experience of visiting the church with huge groups of tourists. “Trying to stop and drag any biblical stories into your memory, there’s no time.”

It was the same feeling, Leung said, that gave rise to the touring exhibition. Martin Bialas, who founded SEE Global Entertainment, visited the Vatican in 2014 and was impressed by the art but not by his experience as a visitor. The company spent a year developing the exhibition before its debut in Montreal in 2015, followed by its US premiere in Dallas in 2016. Four other shows are currently touring the US and Europe, in addition to the Oakridge Gallery.

Tickets are $29.50 for adults, with discounts for seniors and children 12 and under, and an extra package that includes a sticker and souvenir guide. The Sistine Chapel runs through April 30 in the former Ethan Allen space between Nordstrom Rack and BJ’s Brewhouse—the walls of the furniture store provide a lovely backdrop—but the only entrance is from outside the mall. go to the chapelsistine.com/exhibits/san-jose For every detail.

Leong has been working with “Michelangelo’s The Sistine Chapel” since its inception and has become an expert on frescoes during that time. But he sheepishly admits he’s never been to Rome to see the original, with a family trip planned in 2020 spoiled by the pandemic. It’s definitely on his bucket list, but until he gets there, he’ll be content to work with what he considers to be the next best thing.

“We can’t take art off the ceiling,” he said, “without going after the Pope.” “It’s like giving Michelangelo his own gallery experience.”

Save the date: The office of San Jose Mayor Matt Mahan announced this week that his public inauguration will be on February 1, when he will likely outline his vision for leading the largest city in the Bay Area.

Now, you might be wondering – wasn’t he already mayor for the past month? already has. Mahan was formally sworn into office in a private ceremony on December 29, 2022 and took office at midnight on New Year’s Eve, promptly ushering himself into one of the worst series of rainstorms San Jose has seen in six years.

This 6 p.m. event at the Performing Arts Center in downtown San Jose, which will be followed by a reception with food and beverages, is open to the public, but RSVPs are required due to limited seating. You can book a place in bit.ly/sjinauguration.

Mubarak event: Accompanied by the St. Francis High School Choir, Bishop Emeritus Patrick J. McGrath of the Diocese of San Jose benediction Friday morning for the Eggers Innovation Center, a new building on the 25-acre campus of the Mountain View School. The building—named after Barry and Meredith Eggers, who made a large gift to the school’s Light the Way campaign—had a lot to bless, with 29 new classrooms, science labs, space for robotics, a theater, and collaboration spaces.

The ceremony included remarks from US Rep. Anna Echo, St. Francis Principal Katie Tickell, St. Francis President Jason Curtis and Prince. Tom Dziekan of Brothers of the Holy Cross, who also provided a leadership gift for Light the Way, a $100 million fundraiser launched last year.