New Downtown San Jose Artwork

Our friends at West Coast Artworks have several new canvas prints available featuring Downtown San Jose. I especially like the two new ones below. 

One highlights the MIRO towers, San Jose City Hall, and the Bank of Italy building. The other is a unique shot of the SoFA district starting with The Pierce and Sparq. In fact, that is probably the view that many will get from San Jose's newest luxury apartment building, The Fay.

I have purchased several of these prints and love them. They are always conversation starters for guests.

To see all of the new artwork, including those that ship in time for Christmas, head over here.

South FIRST FRIDAYS Art Walk December 2024

South FIRST FRIDAYS is back this week with exhibits across multiple galleries in three different districts. Everything is open from at least 5-9pm. Participating venues include ANNO DOMINI, the Institute of Contemporary Art, KALEID Gallery, Works San Jose, the San Jose Museum of Quilts & Textiles, the SoFA Market, MACLA, Art Ark Gallery, MACHU PICCHU, San Jose Jazz, and Chopsticks Alley Gallery.

One of the more unique parts of this event for December is the opening of HARK! Annual Holiday Show & Sale at KALEID Gallery on First. Over 50 artists are featured and hundreds of unique artworks are available between $12-$250. Artwork is sold first come, first served and you can take your purchases home immediately.

It all goes down on Friday, December 6th. As usual admission is free and all ages are welcome. Click here for a preview of featured art! Below is a map with all of the galleries to check out across all three different districts

The San Antonio Festival

The inaugural San Antonio Festival takes places today from 10am to 5pm on Paseo de San Antonio between 1st and 2nd Street in Downtown San Jose. This is a key corridor that connects San Jose State University to the central core Downtown.

This family friendly event will feature a local pop-up market in collaboration with Moment, community workshops, entrepreneurial resources, live performances, and immersive art experiences. For more info head over here.

South FIRST FRIDAYS Art Walk November 2024

South FIRST FRIDAYS is back this week with exhibits across multiple galleries in three different districts. Everything is open from at least 5-9pm. Participating venues include ANNO DOMINI, the Institute of Contemporary Art, KALEID Gallery, Works San Jose, the San Jose Museum of Quilts & Textiles, the SoFA Market, MACLA, Art Ark Gallery, MACHU PICCHU, San Jose Jazz, and Chopsticks Alley Gallery.

One of the more unique items this month is a Jazz jam at SJZ at 5:45pm followed by a performance at 6:20pm, and then more jamming from 7-9pm.

It all goes down on Friday, November 1st. As usual admission is free and all ages are welcome. Click here for a preview of featured art! Below is a map with all of the galleries to check out across all three different districts.

San Jose's Little Italy gets updated benches

A nice little placemaking touch has been added to the benches alone the Guadalupe River Park in Little Italy San Jose. The freshly painted benches now feature the colors of the Italian flag. The work was all done by volunteers and add a bit more character to this part of the park.

Source: The Downtowner

South FIRST FRIDAYS Art Walk October 2024 + STREET MRKT

South FIRST FRIDAYS is back this week with exhibits across multiple galleries in three different districts. Everything is open from at least 5-9pm. Participating venues include ANNO DOMINI, the Institute of Contemporary Art, KALEID Gallery, Works San Jose, the San Jose Museum of Quilts & Textiles, the SoFA Market, MACLA, Art Ark Gallery, MACHU PICCHU, San Jose Jazz, and Chopsticks Alley Gallery.

It all goes down on Friday, October 4th. As usual admission is free and all ages are welcome. Click here for a preview of featured art! Below is a map with all of the galleries to check out across all three different districts.

Some of the more unique items this month include an open rehearsal with Symphony San Jose at the California Theater from 7:30-10pm and an immersive video mapping exhibition at Chopsticks Alley Gallery.

This month is also the last STREET MRKT indie urban art faire of the year. This overlaps with the art walk and runs from 5pm to 10pm. This bonus event features dozens of vendors and artists, turning the streets of SoFA into an outdoor art gallery. It also includes live music, food trucks, and a beer garden with local breweries (more details below).

LAST STREET MRKT of 2024! 

Join us out on So. 1st St. as 50 artists transform the SoFA District into a unique and bustling outdoor gallery with their creative energy! Imaginative paintings & sculptures, glass art demos, classic tattoo art, counterculture zines, chic fashion and an AR community gallery hosted by Membit are just some of the rare experiences you’ll find when you come out and support our amazing arts community. 

We’ll also have a great variety of delicious food trucks and a lively beer garden sponsored by & featuring: Clandestine Brewing Co., Fox Tale Fermentation, & Strike Brewing Co.

FEATURED ARTISTS:
Anthony Alva 
Rebecca Anguiano
Delilah Bender
The Blunt Letters
Julianne Bonnet
Emmanuel Cervantes Mejia 
Crossroads Trading Co.
Dario Cruz
Current Tattooing
Christina Del Alto
Jennifer DeChenne
Deep Legends Bus
Joseph Demaree
Mario Dimas
Lorenz Dumuk
Mahsa Emoventur
Force129
Cynthia Gonzalez
Hand in Hand Henna
Higher Fire Clayspace
Maureen Holcomb
Jodi408
Look into the Future, with AI (James Morgan, Thomas Asmuth and Kathryn Funk at KALEID Gallery)
Sarah Loyola
Valentino Loyola
Joe Mandrick
Martha Gardens Arts
David Mejia
MEMBIT Inc.
Gianfranco Paolozzi 
Leslie Perez 
Betty Proper
Francisco Ramirez
Steven Reece
Steven Regalado 
Marilyn Roaf aka Purl Bailey
Jacob Sandoval
Ricardo Sandoval 
SJSU Reed Magazine
South Bay Ceramics
Suha Suha
Sundry 3D Treasures
Nikkea Takagi
Heylu Wheat
plus great music provided by
Deep Legends Bus out on S 1st Street

–>  BEER GARDEN 
5:00 – 10:00pm Great music provided by DJ No Way José!

Beer Garden sponsored by & featuring local & regional breweries: Clandestine Brewing Co., Fox Tale Fermentation, and Strike Brewing Co.

All ages welcome, must be 21+ w/ valid ID to drink beer.

San Jose Downtown Association TownHall at the SAP Center

The SJDA hosted a TownHall meeting focused on professional sports and arts in Downtown San Jose last month. It's worth watching the whole 60min session below, but there were three tidbits that were news to me:

• There is interest in doing another "fiberglass shark" artist collaboration. This was a very successful program years ago where 100 shark statues were decorated by local artists and then auctioned for charity. Many you can still find throughout San Jose today.
• There was a push to have a restaurant week coincide with the Super Bowl. Thousands of people will be staying in the South Bay, not SF during that week. We need to make sure they patronize local restaurants and this would be great timing for a foodie event.
• Postgame concerts after the World Cup. There will be six World Cup games at Levi's and plans are forming to have a major concert/party after each one in Downtown San Jose.

You can watch the full recording below.

South FIRST FRIDAYS Art Walk + STREET MRKT - September 2024

South FIRST FRIDAYS is back with exhibits across multiple galleries in three different districts. Everything is open from at least 5-9pm. Participating venues include ANNO DOMINI, the Institute of Contemporary Art, KALEID Gallery, Works San Jose, the San Jose Museum of Quilts & Textiles, the SoFA Market, MACLA, Art Ark Gallery, MACHU PICCHU, San Jose Jazz, and Chopsticks Alley Gallery.

It all goes down on Friday, September 6th. As usual admission is free and all ages are welcome. Click here for a preview of featured art! Below is a map with all of the galleries to check out across all three different districts.

This month is also a STREET MRKT indie urban art faire which overlaps with the art walk and runs from 5pm to 10pm. This bonus event features dozens of vendors and artists, turning the streets of SoFA into an outdoor art gallery. It also includes live music, food trucks, and a beer garden with local breweries (more details below).

South FIRST FRIDAYS presents: STREET MRKT indie urban art faire 

FIRST FRIDAY SEPTEMBER 6th 5pm–10pm
Free admission (spend it with the Artists!).
Out on S. 1st St. (between San Carlos & William streets) in SoFA District

Join us out on So. 1st St. as artists transform the SoFA District into a unique and bustling outdoor gallery with their creative energy! Imaginative paintings & sculptures, glass art demos, fascinating bone jewelry, classic tattoo art, counterculture zines, and chic fashion are just some of the rare works you’ll find when you come out and support our amazing arts community. 

We’ll also have a great variety of delicious food trucks and a lively beer garden sponsored by & featuring: Clandestine Brewing Co., Fox Tale Fermentation, and Strike Brewing Co.

FEATURED ARTISTS:
Anthony Alva 
Rebecca Anguiano
BAGI / Bay Area Glass Institute 
Delilah Bender
The Blunt Letters
Julianne Bonnet
Emmanuel Cervantes Mejia 
Crossroads Trading Co.
Dario Cruz
Current Tattooing
Christina Del Alto
Jennifer DeChenne
Joseph Demaree
Mario Dimas
Lorenz Dumuk
Mahsa Emoventur
Force129
Cynthia Gonzalez
Jared Gochuico
Hand in Hand Henna
Higher Fire Clayspace
Maureen Holcomb
Jodi408
Sarah Loyola
Valentino Loyola
Joe Mandrick
Martha Gardens Arts
David Mejia
MEMBIT Inc.
Gianfranco Paolozzi 
Leslie Perez 
Betty Proper
Ragavon
Francisco Ramirez
Steven Regalado 
Marilyn Roaf aka Purl Bailey
Jacob Sandoval
Ricardo Sandoval 
Rene Schilling-Sears
South Bay Ceramics
Suha Suha
Sundry 3D Treasures
Nikkea Takagi
Heylu Wheat
plus great music provided by
UNGRAMR SND SYSTEM out on S 1st Street

–>  BEER GARDEN 
5:00 – 10:00pm Great music provided by BIG LEE & Guiña
from On the Corner Music

Beer Garden sponsored by & featuring local & regional breweries: Clandestine Brewing Co., Fox Tale Fermentation, and Strike Brewing Co.

All ages welcome, must be 21+ w/ valid ID to drink beer.

STREET MRKT is supported in part by a Cultural Affairs grant from the City of San Jose.

South FIRST FRIDAYS Art Walk + STREET MRKT - August 2024

South FIRST FRIDAYS is back with exhibits across multiple galleries in three different districts. Everything is open from at least 5-9pm. Participating venues include ANNO DOMINI, the Institute of Contemporary Art, KALEID Gallery, Works San Jose, the San Jose Museum of Quilts & Textiles, the SoFA Market, MACLA, Art Ark Gallery, MACHU PICCHU, San Jose Jazz, and Chopsticks Alley Gallery.

It all goes down on Friday, August 2nd. As usual admission is free and all ages are welcome. Click here for a preview of featured art! Below is a map with all of the galleries to check out across all three different districts.

This month is also a STREET MRKT which overlaps with the art walk and runs from 5pm to 10pm. This bonus event features dozens of vendors and artists, turning the streets of SoFA into an outdoor art gallery. It also includes live music, food trucks, and a beer garden with local breweries (more details below).

STREET MRKT FEATURED ARTISTS:
Anthony Alva 
Rebecca Anguiano
BAGI / Bay Area Glass Institute 
Delilah Bender
The Blunt Letters
Julianne Bonnet
Emmanuel Cervantes Mejia 
Crossroads Trading Co.
Dario Cruz
Current Tattooing
Christina Del Alto
Jennifer DeChenne
Joseph Demaree
Mario Dimas
Lorenz Dumuk
Mahsa Emoventur
Flipside DJ Crew
Force129
Cynthia Gonzalez
Hand in Hand Henna
Higher Fire Clayspace
Maureen Holcomb
Jodi408
Katherine Lee
Sarah Loyola
Valentino Loyola
Joe Mandrick
Martha Gardens Arts
Mersay Mattos
David Mejia 
Karen Oeh
Leslie Perez 
Betty Proper
Ragavon
Francisco Ramirez
Steven Regalado 
Marilyn Roaf aka Purl Bailey
Mike Rogan
Ricardo Sandoval 
Rene Schilling-Sears
South Bay Ceramics
Suha Suha

–>  BEER GARDEN 
5:00 – 10:00pm Great music provided by Flipside Crew
featuring Dougie, Jswizza & Notorious P.I.G. 

Beer Garden sponsored by & featuring local & regional breweries: Clandestine Brewing Co., Fox Tale Fermentation, and Strike Brewing Co.

New mural by the Children's Discovery Museum in Downtown San Jose painted by acclaimed local tattoo artist

A beautiful new mural has been completed along Discovery Meadow, part of the Guadalupe River Park. As a frame of reference this is right outside the Children's Discovery Museum Downtown. The artist is Taki "Ryudaibori" Kitamura, a Japanese-American tattoo artist that founded State of Grace Tattoo in San Jose's Japantown.

The mural is entitled "Serpentine Fire" and is the twelfth mural added to the Guadalupe River Art Walk, enhancing what has become the Bay Area's longest public art corridor. The mural celebrates the year of the dragon and the multiculturalism of San Jose.

Below are several photos of the mural (credit to Lan Nguyen Photography) along with the full press release.

June 21, 2024: San José, CA – New mural painted by local artist and longtime tattoo shop owner celebrates the unifying significance of dragons and serpents across cultures. San Jose Walls (SJ Walls) and Guadalupe River Park Conservancy (GRPC) unveil the new mural along the Guadalupe River Park at Discovery Meadow, adjacent to the Children’s Discovery Museum in downtown San José. Entitled “Serpentine Fire,” the new installation is the twelfth mural artwork added to the Guadalupe River Art Walk, enhancing the Bay Area’s longest public art corridor.

This year’s Artist-in-Residence is Taki "Ryudaibori" Kitamura, an acclaimed Japanese-American Tattoo artist, who in 2002 founded the shop, State of Grace Tattoo, currently located in Japantown. Kitamura’s shop serves as a regional home for traditional Japanese tattooing, connecting resident artists trained in Japan and those from the Bay Area to deepen the art of tattooing through exchange, apprenticeship, and collaboration.

“To celebrate this lunar year of the dragon and the multiculturalism of San José, Serpentine Fire represents dragon mythology around the world,” says Kitamura. “With this mural, I am expressing the diversity of serpent divinity and sacred spaces - the dragon and serpent have been symbolic in cultures all over the world and in this, I see our common humanity.” The mural depicts various scenes where the public may interact with the artwork.

The new artwork and public engagement is supported by the City of San José to increase park visitation and usage in the Guadalupe River Park. The mural was curated in response to feedback from the Guadalupe Washington and Gardner neighborhoods just south of San José’s downtown core, favoring themes around community and diversity.

“Art has the ability to welcome people to a space. Growing up in San José, I believed there was a missed opportunity for public art to highlight our rich diversity,” says Natasha Lamperti, GRPC’s Project Manager. “I am so excited to see how future visitors will react to the mural.”

“The goal of the Guadalupe River Art Walk is to envision the Guadalupe River Park as a natural public art gallery and community gathering space” says Stacey Kellogg, San Jose Walls Director. “It has been five years and over a dozen installations since we started and the changes to the trail and park are really rewarding to see.” 

Mural painting will continue through Friday, June 21st and is accessible now to the public. 

Additional support for this year’s artist residency is provided by Applied Materials Foundation and World Wide Walls. For more information and ways to support, please visit https://sjwalls.com/donate.

###

About Artist-in-Residence Taki "Ryudaibori" Kitamura:

Taki “Ryudaibori”Kitamura is an acclaimed Japanese-American tattoo artist local to San Jose.

State of Grace Tattoo was founded by Taki “Ryudaibori” Kitamura in September of 2002. Originally located on Berryessa Road, Taki moved the shop to the San José Japantown neighborhood in 2009. With the support of the Dobashi Family, State of Grace reopened the second floor of the historic Shanghai Building. While definitely seen as a home of traditional Japanese tattooing, including two resident artists straight from Japan, the diverse staff strives to offer an authentic experience for the discerning collector. In addition to a full time tattoo schedule, the shop has been involved in publishing, museum exhibitions, lectures, art shows, murals and Horitomo’s lifestyle brand: Monmon Cats. 

For more information about State of Grace Tattoo visit stateofgracetattoo.com. You can find Taki on instagram at @stateofgracetaki.

About San Jose Walls:

San Jose Walls (formally POW! WOW! San Jose), established in 2017, is Northern California’s regional branch of the Worldwide Walls network of festivals happening in over 20 cities  around the world. Led locally by Empire Seven Studios —a contemporary urban art gallery and cultural institution in Japantown, San José, California.

Over the past six years, San Jose Walls has grown into the Bay Area’s premiere art festival with a line up and experience that provides some of the best in the world. Much more than a multi-day festival, San Jose Walls is an amenity with substantial economic and community impact. It is also a vehicle to celebrate our city’s  past, present, and future creative culture.

To date, San Jose Walls has produced over 80 murals and art installations throughout the City with a focus on underserved neighborhoods and most recently, the Guadalupe River Park and Trails. The goal is to strengthen community ties by bringing local and worldwide contemporary art to our City as a way  to highlight its rich diversity.

 

For more information on SJ Walls contact info@sjwalls.com or visit www.sjwalls.com.

About GRPC:

The Guadalupe River Park Conservancy (GRPC) provides community leadership for the development and active use of the Guadalupe River Park & Gardens through education, advocacy, and stewardship.

Founded in 1996, GRPC is the City of San José’s nonprofit partner leading park programming and management. They envision the Guadalupe River Park & Gardens as a civic greenway that connects people to nature and each other, and uplifts neighborhoods through San José’s front yard.

This two-and-a-half mile ribbon of parkland runs along the banks of the Guadalupe River in the heart of downtown San José. The River Park & Gardens serve as a north/south connector and contain beloved features such as the Guadalupe River Trail, the Rotary PlayGarden, the San José Heritage Rose Garden, and various public art including the Guadalupe River Art Walk.

Programming within the park includes educational opportunities, volunteerism, and a variety of year-round events for the public to enjoy. For more information visit www.grpg.org.

Downtown San Jose neighborhood gets a new name: East Village

An up-and-coming neighborhood is getting a new brand. Just east of Santa Clara Street past San Jose City Hall is San Jose's East Village. The area is now much easier to spot thanks to a couple new murals on 10th Street.

The East Village has Downtown San Jose's finest collection of vegetarian and vegan options. The excellent Tofoo Com Chay, Vegetarian House, Vegan Bistro Donuts and Cafe, and Punjab Cafe are all in this district. Even though I'm a carnivore I'm a huge fan of all four of these. Needle to the Groove, Spirit Bros, Last Round Tavern, and Pho Passion are also there.

The last two neighborhoods I remember getting branded are Downtown West (Google) and Little Italy San Jose. Catchy names help to identify key areas Downtown and East Village has a nice ring to it. Next time you're close by, head to Vegan Bistro and have a look at Downtown's newest street art.

Source: The Mercury News

South FIRST FRIDAYS Art Walk + SubZERO - June 2024

South FIRST FRIDAYS is back with exhibits across multiple galleries in three different districts. Everything is open from at least 5-9pm. Participating venues include ANNO DOMINI, the Institute of Contemporary Art, KALEID Gallery, Works San Jose, the San Jose Museum of Quilts & Textiles, the SoFA Market, MACLA, Art Ark Gallery, MACHU PICCHU, San Jose Jazz, and Chopsticks Alley Gallery.

It all goes down on Friday, June 7th. As usual admission is free and all ages are welcome. Click here for a preview of featured art! Below is a map with all of the galleries to check out across all three different districts.

This month is also SubZERO which overlaps with the Festival and continues tomorrow from 5pm to 11pm. SubZERO features dozens of vendors and artists, live music across multiple stages, and a beer garden with local breweries. You won't want to miss it!

Stunning street mural headed to San Pedro Square

There were a few silver linings that emerged from the pandemic. The closing of San Pedro Street between Santa Clara and St. John was a big one for me--and it recently became permanent.

Now that the street has been reclaimed for pedestrians, diners, and shoppers on one of the most popular Downtown districts--the gray asphalt simply won't do. Local groups are going to transform it into a colorful mural that reflects the vibrancy and diversity of San Jose this Memorial Day weekend. In order to bring this block-length mural to life, hundreds of San Joseans will participate in painting the mural.

The San Jose Downtown Association, Adobe, and Local Color all partnered together to organize this epic project which will result in what I think will be the largest and longest mural in Northern California and one of the largest in the United States at over 12,000 SQFT. It will be an attraction in and of itself and one more reason to dine outside this summer at San Pedro Square.

Thinking a few steps ahead, it would be great to expand the amount of retail along the first floor of the San Pedro Square parking garage. I think the MOMENT shops in the garage have been a great addition to the area and now that the street will look this interesting, we have to get more activity opposite of our Downtown restaurant row.

Source: SVBJ

South FIRST FRIDAYS Art Walk - May 2024

South FIRST FRIDAYS is back with exhibits across multiple galleries in three different districts. Everything is open from at least 5-9pm. Participating venues include ANNO DOMINI, the Institute of Contemporary Art, KALEID Gallery, Works San Jose, the San Jose Museum of Quilts & Textiles, the SoFA Market, MACLA, Art Ark Gallery, MACHU PICCHU, San Jose Jazz, and Chopsticks Alley Gallery.

Worth noting this month is the screening of a short film, Pizza Monster, at MACLA at 7:30pm and 8:30pm. Also Sacred Heart Community Service at 550 S. First will have life-size sculptures by Ramon Franco Arambula.

It all goes down on Friday, May 3rd. As usual admission is free and all ages are welcome. Click here for a preview of featured art! Below is a map with all of the galleries to check out across all three different districts.

South FIRST FRIDAYS Art Walk - April 2024

South FIRST FRIDAYS is back for April with exhibits across multiple galleries in three different districts. Everything is open from at least 5-9pm. Participating venues include ANNO DOMINI, the Institute of Contemporary Art, KALEID Gallery, Works San Jose, the San Jose Museum of Quilts & Textiles, the SoFA Market, MACLA, Art Ark Gallery, MACHU PICCHU, San Jose Jazz, and Chopsticks Alley Gallery.

Worth noting this month is an opening reception for INNERMOST at KALEID Gallery, free performances by Castellano Playhouse at MACLA, and a sneak peak of Florencia en el Amazonas at Opera San Jose.

It all goes down on Friday, April 5th. As usual admission is free and all ages are welcome. Click here for a preview of featured art! Below is a map with all of the galleries to check out across all three different districts.

New public art added to the front of the Children's Discovery Museum

A piece of art called "Civic Stage Set" by David Bottini now welcomes visitors to the Children's Discovery Museum in Downtown San Jose. The sculpture has spent the last 30 years on Park Avenue in front of Parkside Hall which was once San Jose's main convention center (fun fact I wasn't aware of).

Now that major construction is taking place at Parkside Hall to make way for a new high-rise project, the piece has been given a fresh coat of paint and moved to it's new permanent home. It looks right at home and fits in with the aesthetic of the Children's Discovery Museum perfectly.

Source: The Mercury News

South FIRST FRIDAY March 1st, 2024 in #DTSJ

South FIRST FRIDAYS is back for their latest event in 2024 with exhibits across multiple galleries in three different districts. Everything is open from at least 5-9pm. Participating venues include ANNO DOMINI, the Institute of Contemporary Art, KALEID Gallery, Works San Jose, the San Jose Museum of Quilts & Textiles, the SoFA Market, MACLA, Art Ark Gallery, MACHU PICCHU, San Jose Jazz, and Chopsticks Alley Gallery.

Worth noting this month is a free concert at the SJZ Break Room from 7-8pm featuring several young jazz musicians.

It all goes down today, March 1st. As usual admission is free and all ages are welcome. Click here for a preview of featured art! Below is a map with all of the galleries to check out across all three different districts.

Artwork: Michael “MWIN” Nguyen , “Leonardo The King of the Hoàn Kiếm Turtles”

Illuminated performance art sculpture coming to Second St. in Downtown San Jose

A new digital art project will be on display in Downtown San Jose 24 hours per day until June. Called Dream Club Lab, it is the first of many art lighting installations designed to fill gaps in Downtown San Jose and energize districts.

In addition to lighting there will be live video, kinetic sculptures, and robots that do a little performance between 5-11pm from Thursday to Sunday. I can't wait to see what this actually looks like.

I posted the full text from the Downtown Dimension newsletter below. This is absolutely the right directions for our arts scene and I can't wait to see more projects like this in the future!

Project to contribute to San Jose’s vibrancy and inspire onlookers

A large and never-occupied storefront space has morphed into the first of many art lighting installations intended to energize downtown San Jose’s urban cityscape.

Dream Club Lab, a collaboration by installation artists Elaine Buckholtz and Ian Winters, is commissioned by the San Jose Downtown Association (SJDA) and San Jose Downtown Property Owners to support their vision of a vibrant downtown for everyone. The artists turned the empty 9,000-square-foot space at 72 S. Second St. into a light and video installation with roving robots that roam the space with live video, feeds and kinetic sculptures.

Unveiled this evening, Dream Club Lab can be viewed 24 hours daily through June. Special video and performative robot activations will take place from 5 to 11 p.m. each Thursday through Sunday.  

SJDA is heeding its long-term objective to improve the quality of life of residents and visitors. One strategy is to follow the guidelines of the property owners’ multi-year Comprehensive Downtown Lighting Plan, which calls for more activations that support downtown’s night-time economy.

“We believe that by increasing foot traffic in our district, we can create more opportunities for our members to connect with potential customers, clients and collaborators,” said Alex Stettinski, CEO of the Downtown Association. “One avenue to increase foot traffic is to improve the spaces between already lit businesses, which is the bread and butter of street life programming.”

The lighting projects are receiving additional funding from the Knight Foundation, Adobe, Pacific Gas & Electric Co. and the Office of San Jose Mayor Matt Mahan. “Turning the lights on” is one of Mahan’s mantras for the city.

“In true Silicon Valley spirit, this activation takes a vacant storefront and turns it into an innovative attraction,” Mahan said. “We need more projects like this one as we work to create a safer, cleaner, cooler San Jose.”

The Mayor also noted that the addition of electricity and internet to the space for the art installation enhances future leasability.

Buckholtz and Winters drew from their experience as lighting and video designers for the stage to create a cityscape fantasy space to inspire passersby to meet, discuss, invent, test ideas, and ponder downtown’s future and path to improvement.

“Everyone will react differently and take away something different,” Winters said. 

Buckholtz and Winters, partnering as Nighthouse Studio, altered their Dream Club Lab concept to respond to the spatial considerations of the entire space. Some viewers said the art installation harkens back to the nightlife vibes of yesteryear, the artists added.

Though lights inside the space will stay on day and night, late afternoon sunlight results in a burst of motion and color reflecting off the curtains, the artists noted.

“I’ve really enjoyed getting to know San Jose,” Buckholtz said. “The city has an amazing warm spirit, and it is dynamic and down-to-earth.”

Dream Club Lab is wedged between The Improv comedy club and The Loft restaurant, across the street from San Jose Bar and Grill and Nova Nightclub. That part of South Second Street is most busy Thursday through Sunday nights. 

Dream Club Lab kicks off a series of illuminated art pieces planned by SJDA. A second installation is scheduled for later this year. The works are meant to be portable so that they can be moved to other locations.

Source: Downtown Dimension

South FIRST FRIDAY Feb 2nd, 2024 in #DTSJ #ArtwalkSJ

South FIRST FRIDAYS is back for their first event in 2024 with exhibits across multiple galleries in three different districts. Everything is open from at least 5-9pm. Participating venues include ANNO DOMINI, the Institute of Contemporary Art, KALEID Gallery, Works San Jose, the San Jose Museum of Quilts & Textiles, the SoFA Market, MACLA, Art Ark Gallery, MACHU PICCHU, San Jose Jazz, and Chopsticks Alley Gallery.

Worth noting this month is open rehearsals of Rigoletto by Opera San Jose, which is celebrating their 40th season. Free performances take place at 6pm, 7:15pm, and 8pm. Tours of the historic California Theater will also be happening at 5:30pm and 6:30pm.

It all goes down tomorrow, February 2nd. As usual admission is free and all ages are welcome. Click here for a preview of featured art! Below is a map with all of the galleries to check out across all three different districts.

Sonic Runway

One of the most interesting and dynamic public art installations in San Jose lights up the block in front of the San Jose City Hall from 5pm to midnight every night. It creates a visualization of the speed of sound and was originally featured at Burning Man. You can park for free for 90 minutes at the 4th Street Garage and enjoy it all the way until January 1st, 2028.