BeatifySJ Grants

Last month, the city launched a new program called BeatifySJ that will provide micro-grants to 71 different community organizations. The goal is to make San Jose a better place by enabling grassroots and community organizations. Grants will be $5,000 or less, which is enough to fund hundreds of projects from tree plantings to cleaning up graffiti. To see the full list of projects, head over here.

Downtown Doors student art exhibit expands to 103 locations

20 new pieces of student art adorn downtown in 2016

SAN JOSE – Twenty vibrant, dynamic and inspiring artworks by high school students have been added to the urban landscape, the result of the 13th Downtown Doors art competition and exhibition.

The artworks are transferred onto vinyl decals and then pasted to service doors and utility boxes in high pedestrian areas of downtown San Jose.  In all, 103 doors and boxes are covered downtown by the Downtown Doors program, which stretches to all corners of the center city.

With the 20 new additions from students at 14 different schools, a total 234 pieces of art have helped beautify the downtown for thousands of passersby.  This year, the San Jose Downtown Foundation received 152 submissions from 19 high schools.

“Our selection committee always has a very difficult decision to make because so much of the art is truly outstanding,” said Diana Beechie, San Jose Downtown Foundation president.

The artworks cross a wide range of emotions.  “Amity” by Cayley Nickerson of Santa Teresa High School exudes a message of love and optimism; Willow Glen High School student Claire Krumm’s “The Whale House” takes a powerful introspective look at the relationship between humankind and the environment; Radiante Liu of Notre Dame High School and Kelly Lien of Evergreen Valley High were inspired by famous painters to tell their love stories; Sarah Enzminger of Leland High paid tribute to San Jose landmarks; Thu Nguyen of Independence High School and Homestead’s Nick Ybarra created pieces that are both poignant and light-hearted.  All the selectees bring to bear a worldview from the eyes of today’s teenagers.

A walking map of the art sites and more information can be downloaded from http://sjdowntown.com/downtown_doors/.

Downtown Doors 2016 sponsors include: Applied Materials; Catered Too!; City of San Jose Office of Cultural Affairs; Councilmember Magdalena Carrasco; San Jose City Councilmembers Rose Herrera, Tam Nguyen and Raul Peralez; Donor Circle for the Arts at Silicon Valley Community Foundation; eBay Inc.; Jeppesen; Kimley-Horn and Associates: KQED; Law Offices of Willoughby, Stuart, Bening & Cook; Orchard City Commercial, Inc.; San Jose Downtown Foundation; San Jose Water Company; and Xactly.

The Downtown Doors Class of 2016 includes:

Andrew P. Hill High School – Eastside Union

Tuyet Lam - Coloration of the Mind – Located on McEnery Convention Center

Evergreen Valley High School – Eastside Union

Kelly Lien - The Start of Love – Located on the Fairmont

Phillip Nguyen - Window of Davitha – Located on the Hilton San Jose

Gunderson High School – San Jose Unified

Alejandra Fraume – Topspin – Located at 33 S. Third Street Apartments

Randon Nijmeh – Untitled – Located at Paseo de San Antonio near Starbucks

Adrianne Taylor  - Untitled – Located on Market Street at Post Street

Homestead High School – Fremont Union

Nick Ybarra - Personas me Reuniré – Located on Plaza de Cesar Chavez at Park Avenue

Independence High School – Eastside Union

Thu Nguyen – Faded – Located on City Hall off Fourth Street

James Lick High School – Eastside Union

Jack Griffin – Repetition – Located on Third Street at San Carlos Street

Leigh High School – Campbell Union

Heather Ho - Afternoon Ride – Located on Market Street at Cathedral Basilica of St. Joseph

Leland High School – San Jose Unified

Sarah Enzminger - Attack on De Anza Hotel – Located on Park Avenue at Almaden Boulevard

Mount Pleasant High School – Eastside Union

Brianna Lucio - Fox Guardian – Located at Hilton San Jose

Notre Dame High School – Private

Frances Maurer - Lost at Sea – Located on Second Street between San Fernando Street and Paseo de San Antonio

Radiante Liu - Portrait of the Princess of Eboli and the Governor of Netherlands – Located at Studio Climbing

San Jose High School - San Jose Unified

Vicky Ho – Birds – Located at The Globe

Santa Teresa High School – Eastside Union

Cayley Nickerson - Amity – Located on First Street between San Fernando and Paseo de San Antonio

Willow Glen High School – San Jose Unified

E’lan Hawkins – Moonlight – Located on Second Street between San Fernando and Paseo de San Antonio

Aly Carley – Wolf – Located at 8 N. San Pedro St.

Claire Krumm - The Whale House – Located at McEnery Convention Center

Yerba Buena High School – Eastside Union

Michelle Pham - Pieces – Located on San Carlos Street at Second Street

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About:  The San Jose Downtown Foundation (SJDF) promotes cultural awareness and civic participation in San Jose and Santa Clara County through youth education programs, public events and art exhibits.  SJDF is the 501c3 arm of the San Jose Downtown Association (SJDA), whose mission is to represent business and property owners to improve downtown and enhance downtown’s vitality and livability.

School tally of Downtown Doors Winners (2003-2016)

East Side Union HS District
(8) Andrew P Hill – 12, 12, 13, 13, 13, 14, 15, 16
(15) Evergreen Valley – 09, 09, 09, 09, 10, 11, 12, 12, 13, 13, 15, 15, 15, 16, 16
(6) Independence – 12, 13, 14, 15, 15, 16
(3) James Lick – 11, 12, 16
(8) Mount Pleasant -  04, 05, 10, 10, 11, 11, 12, 16
(3) Oak Grove – 07, 07, 07
(16) Piedmont Hills – 09, 09, 09, 10, 11, 11, 11, 12, 12, 12, 13, 13, 14, 14, 15, 15
(13) Santa Teresa – 06, 09, 11, 11, 12, 12, 14, 14, 14, 15, 15, 15, 16
(2) Silver Creek – 12, 13
(5) Yerba Buena – 10, 14, 14, 15, 16
(79) East Side Total

(1) Bellarmine College Prep. – 10
(6) Cupertino – 10, 10, 10, 11, 11, 11
(5) Del Mar – 12, 12, 13, 14, 15
(3) Downtown College Prep – 04, 07, 07
(9) Gunderson – 14, 14, 14, 14, 15, 15, 16, 16, 16
(10) Homestead – 12, 12, 13, 13, 13, 13, 13, 13, 14, 16
(7) Leigh – 09, 11, 12, 13, 15, 15, 16
(1) Leland – 16
(48) Lincoln (includes Saturday Art Academy) – 03, 03, 03, 03, 04, 04, 04, 04, 04, 05, 05, 05, 05, 05, 05, 05, 05, 06, 06, 06, 06, 06, 06, 06, 06, 06, 06, 06, 07, 07, 07, 07, 07, 07, 09, 09, 09, 09, 09, 09, 09, 10, 10, 12, 12, 13, 14, 14
(31)Notre Dame – 06, 07, 07, 07, 07, 07, 07, 09, 09, 09, 09, 09, 09, 09, 09, 10, 11, 11, 11, 12, 12, 12, 13, 13, 13, 13, 15, 15, 15, 16, 16
(9) Pioneer –12, 12, 12, 12, 13, 13, 13, 14, 14
(5) San Jose High Academy – 04, 05, 05, 05, 05
(1) San Jose High – 16
(8) Willow Glen – 12, 14, 14, 15, 15, 16, 16, 16
(1) Castillero Middle – 12
(145) All other districts subtotal

(2) Dublin, Ireland – 14, 16
(2) Okayama, Japan – 14, 16
(2) Pune, India – 14, 16
(2) Tainan, Taiwan – 14, 16
(2) San Jose, Costa Rica – 14, 16
(10) International Subtotal

(234) TOTAL

Voxel Cloud Art Installation Planned For The Pierce!

The Voxel Cloud could easily become the single most impressive art installation in Downtown San Jose. The roof of The Pierce (an apartment building currently under construction in SoFA) will have thousand of LED lights to create a virtual cloud of dynamically changing lights. This is part of the Illuminating Downtown project which will also illuminate two overpasses Downtown, where Highway 87 passes over Santa Clara and San Fernando.

Have a look at the full two minute video below to get an idea of what it will look like. I can't wait to see this in action!

Source: Robertee from the San Jose Development Forum

Axis Residents Helping to Clean Up the Neighborhood

A bunch of Axis residents have gotten together to help clean a vacant lot next to the newly restored 7up sign between Notre Dame Ave and North Almaden. They cleared out most of the weeds and added some nice landscaping on the perimeter of the lot. It's really nice to see Downtown residents taking pride in where they live!

Downtown San Jose Street Life Plan

CMG Landscape Architecture was hired by Groundwerx and the Downtown Association to shape a vision of Downtown San Jose's street life. Key to this is creating a sense of place and connecting the pockets of activity we have today to one another (San Pedro Square, SoFA, the Convention Center, etc.).

It is a long read, you you can go through all 6 chapters of the vision over here. There is also a nice abbreviation in slideshow form that the Silicon Valley Business Journal did over here.

I think there are a ton of great ideas in here. You can check out some of my favorites below.

Source: Groundwex

Downtown Parklets

Mobile Solar Hubs

Downtown Stages

Cool Posts

Downtown Shades to mark pedestrian routes

Downtown art walls

Downtown wall features (such as this tailgate wall near the SAP Center)

Mural Corners

Art Sidewalks

Urban Forests

Wall Gardens

"Heroic" Statues

Happy Valentine's Day! After Tonight's Festivities, Help Plant Roses Tomorrow =)

Saint James Park is about to get some grass-roots beatification. Tomorrow, the San Jose Downtown Residents Association is planting 25 rose bushes in the often neglected park. The roses were donated by the Friends of the San Jose Rose Garden. They are gathering from 9am-12pm and are looking for 25 volunteers. More info below if you are interested (or check out the SJDRA Facebook page here).

I really appreciate that there are people willing to get together to help make Downtown a better place. This is a great and much needed initiative.

CALLING ALL VOLUNTEERS!

We just received word that the irrigation system at St. James Park is now fixed and we are cleared to proceed with the planting of 25 rose bushes graciously donated to us by the Friends of the San Jose Rose Garden. We have locked in Saturday, February 15 from 9:00 am - 12:00 pm and need up to 25 volunteers to help with this grass-roots beautification project. Please send an email to kymberli@sanjosestock.com if you would like to participate, either by planting or providing refreshments. It will be a great way to work together and bring some color to this great park. If successful, more roses will be donated for future plantings so let's make this happen and show the city what a few dedicated residents can do!

50 West And Downtown Property Owners Unveil "The Halo" of Lights at the Circle of Palms!

Brace yourself for a HUGE improvement to Downtown Ice and the Circle of Palms area in Downtown San Jose this year. A state-of-the-art LED lighting system was just installed on the 32 palm trees in the circle. The lights can illuminate in any color, be individually controlled, and can even be synced to music. I love this concept, the SJDA should be really proud of this project! Check out the video below for a demonstration.

This is exactly the type of lighting that we should install throughout Downtown! The best part is that the lighting system will be staying put even after Downtown Ice ends. I think it will complement the San Jose Museum of Art quite nicely.

As for Downtown Ice, it opens today with a special unveiling of "the Halo" at 6pm. Every night from 6pm-9pm there will be a light show synced to music. The rink will be open until 10pm Sunday through Thursday and until Midnight on Fridays and Saturdays.

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Downtown Ice outdoor skating rink opens 

FRIDAY, NOV. 15 in Downtown San Jose

What / When:

FRIDAY, NOV. 15, 6 p.m.  -  PHOTO OPPORTUNITY:  The unveiling of “The Halo,” a light show of high-powered state-of-the-art RGB pixel light strings on the 32 palms comprising the Circle of Palms, choreographed to music.

To see a test of the light display conducted last week, click on: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eHz0fYeO1ko&feature=em-upload_owner

The lights will be up year-round and were installed to coincide with the opening of Hawaiian Airlines-Kristi Yamaguchi Downtown Ice skating rink at the same location. When not dancing to music, the lights remain on a “screen-saver”-like mode that loops every 40 minutes.

During the skating season, the choreographed light and music shows will take place at 6 p.m. and 9 p.m. nightly.                    

Who:            

The San Jose Downtown Association produces Downtown Ice and manages the beautification activities of the downtown PBID. 

CBRE Global Investors, the owner of 50 West, the property on which the Circle of Palms and Downtown Ice rink resides.

Where:        

Circle of Palms located between the San Jose Museum of Art and the Fairmont Hotel, 120 Market St., downtown San Jose.

Visuals:      

The iconic ice rink celebrates its 10th year.  The rink combines two circular ice sheet:  one inside the 32 palms, the other outside the circle of trees.

The palms, which previous shined in white lights, now sport RGB pixel light strings that can produce every color in the spectrum.  The lights can be programmed to form patterns and can change into colors that match a musical soundtrack.

More When:

The annual Hawaiian Airlines / Kristi Yamaguchi Downtown Ice Skating Rink opening celebration is 5 p.m. Friday, Nov. 29, just before the official opening of Christmas in the Park.

Rink is open 5 p.m.-midnight Friday

Noon-midnight Saturday

Noon- 10 p.m. Sunday

5 p.m.- 10 p.m. Monday-Thursday     

55 Market Facelift Looking Good

If you have driven by Market Street lately, you may have noticed the shiny new facade of 55 Market (aka, the gold building). I think it looks pretty sleek, but with so much empty space in the lobby I wish they added a new retail sport or two. Regardless, this is a huge improvement over what was there before and will compliment One South nicely.

Source: Team San Jose

Beautification Project on 1st. St. Looking Good!

A couple days ago my wife and I were photographing an event at the Fairmont and as we were leaving I found a pleasant surprise on First St. between San Fernando and SoFA. There were several uber-modern looking planters paired with dozens of trees decked out with LED lights. I knew Groundwerx was doing some beautification on that strip to connect previous work in SoFA, but wow... this looks better than what I was expecting.  Take a look for yourself: