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San Jose’s Institute of Contemporary Art has a trifecta of shows this spring that have been drawing big crowds to the gallery in downtown’s arty SoFA District.

That’s certainly being led by “Alan Rath: Virtual Unreality,” a retrospective show of the Bay Area kinetic artist’s work that features everything from robot arms performing a pas de deux, video monitors bearing images of eyes, hands and mouths and even pheasant feathers on a robotic frame that flutter and shudder in ways both soothing and creepy.

“We are enjoying record attendance with nearly 1,000 people during the first week, which is unheard of for us,” ICA Executive Director Cathy Kimball said. “You don’t have to be a contemporary art lover to love this work.”

The other two shows, also on exhibition through early June, are just as fascinating. Fiber artist Stephanie Metz has created a menagerie of creatures and objects entirely out of wool that are featured in “Figurative Fiber.” And the colorful site-specific installation “STUFF(ed)” by Sofie Ramos is like walking into a room inside a child’s dream. And Ramos’ show is the inspiration for the ICA’s Color Party on April 5 from 7 to 10 p.m. Chefs will create small bites inspired by the artwork, vintage shop Black & Brown will have a pop-up shop and Palo Alto-based holistic mentor and artist Hemla Makan-Dullabh will offer drop-in “color therapy” sessions.

Admission to the ICA is free, and you can get hours and other details at www.sjica.org.

‘DARE’ TO BE ARTISTIC?: ArtNow, the eighth annual Santa Clara County high school art exhibition, is on display through May 5 at New Museum Los Gatos, featuring the work of more than six dozen young artists.

The show has grown dramatically since its start in 2012 when just more than 100 entries were received from a dozen high schools in the county. This year, the three-member panel of university judges reviewed more than 1,000 submissions from 42 schools, and that includes public, private and home-schooled students. This year’s theme was “Dare,” and students each interpreted that in his or her own way.

The competition isn’t just for fun, either. It offers more than $10,000 in scholarships and awards, with a $5,000 scholarship awarded to the “Best in Show” winner. The gallery, at 106 E. Main St. in Los Gatos, is open Wednesdays through Sundays. Get more information at www.numulosgatos.org.

SLICE OF JAPANTOWN: Jtown Pizza Co. opened its doors Tuesday in the historic building at 625 N. Sixth St. in San Jose’s Japantown neighborhood. The old boaringhouse building has been home to a variety of ethnic restaurants over the years, including Wenzhou Fish, Noodles & More most recently. Now, Jordan Trigg — whose Dipsomania company also owns 7 Bamboo karaoke lounge and Jack’s Bar in Japantown — is adding pizza and beer to the mix.

The first customer in the door was Jake McCluskey, who lives nearby and last year completed a quest of running every street in San Jose (and got a tattoo of San Jose’s new logo on his leg to celebrate). If you go to check it out, be aware that Jtown Pizza is still in its “soft opening” phase, with a limited menu and staff still getting up to speed.

TALKING ABOUT HOUSING: There’s no question that the biggest issue facing our region is housing, and the Bay Area News Group’s five-person team of reporters who are covering this crisis will join SV@Home for a panel discussion March 28 at Uproar Brewing in downtown San Jose. They’ll be there to talk about how what we report helps shape the public discussion around housing and will no doubt be able to answer questions about our coverage.

The 6 to 8 p.m. discussion is free to attend, but you can RSVP for a spot at Eventbrite.com by searching for “Reporting on the Housing Crisis.”