LOOPKICKS 20th Anniversary

I have to come clean and say I've never heard of LOOPKICKS or Tricking before this week. However, all you need to do is watch the 36 second video below to see exactly how crazy this new sport is. Tricking is a mix of combining kicks, flips, and twists. It was created in San Jose by 12-year-old Isiah Flores in 1999.

LOOPKICKS is the longest running tricking team, camp, and gathering. This year is their 20th anniversary and tomorrow, July 19, is their coveted Nightshow where they feature the best domestic and international trickers with battles, exhibitions and performances. 

The LOOPKICKS Nightshow starts at 7:30pm at 2790 El Camino Real in Santa Clara. Tickets are $10 at the door. There is also a whole weekend of classes and workshops over here.

BollyBE: Uniting Communities and Overcoming Barriers through Dance

There are so many excellent resources, events, and free classes offered by San Jose libraries. I'm starting to take advantage of them myself with a toddler running around. 

Below we have a guest post from Anusha Upadhyayula. The library played a crucial role in shaping her identity as an Indian American. Inspired by all of the great multicultural events local libraries host, the author founded BollyBE, a community-driven initiative that uses Bollywood dance to promote cultural understanding and inclusivity. BollyBE workshops at the Morgan Hill Library have been well-received, with attendees praising the multicultural environment and the fun, easy-to-follow dance routines. Anusha's goal is to spread the joy of Bollywood dance and create a welcoming space for all to learn and celebrate South Asian culture, aiming to break down cultural barriers and promote inclusivity.

You can sign up your kids for free classes hosted by BollyBE over here. Even if you are not interested in dance, it's a great story that showcases one of the many benefits of living in a diverse city.

BollyBE: Uniting Communities and Overcoming Barriers through Dance

The cozy book-lined walls of the library and the memories of the time I spent there attending “Family Time” story sessions and “Mommy & Me” dances are forever etched in my mind. The library helped expand my boundaries as I participated in Lunar New Year and other cultural events and learnt about cultures of the world. Slowly, as I grew older, my sense of identity became increasingly complex. As an Indian American, I struggled with which part of that word I resonated with more closely. Should I embrace my Indian heritage? Or should I be just American? The lack of representation of my South Asian heritage in my community made me feel that it was an insignificant part of who I was. That’s when I fell in love with Bollywood music and dance.

When we listen to a song, regardless of the language, the human body naturally responds, whether it’s tapping feet or swaying to the rhythm. Rhythm, music, and dance transcend language barriers and cultural divides. They possess a unique power to convey entire stories without the need to understand the words themselves. Through Bollywood dance and music, with its soulful melodies and energetic beats, I discovered a way to connect with my heritage. Bollywood movies played a significant role in this discovery, as they seamlessly intertwined dance and music with cultural storytelling. Attending Indian weddings and community events further deepened my love for Bollywood dance, as I witnessed how dance and music were not only integral to the culture of South Asia but also to the community. 

Inspired by the key role dance and music play within a culture and a community and eager to share my own South Asian culture with the rest of the world, I founded BollyBE. From there, it only felt fitting to give back to the library community and share a piece of my own identity in the place that played such a key role in developing it throughout the years. BollyBE is not just about teaching dance steps; it’s about creating a welcoming space where people of all backgrounds can come together, learn, and celebrate South Asian culture.

When I first taught a beginners’ garba routine (a dance style from the state of Gujarat in India), many attendees were eager to delve into the complexities and historical roots of the dance, highlighting the appreciation people have for South Asian art forms and cultural representation. The overwhelming love and enthusiasm for our workshops, especially at the Morgan Hill Library, is a testament to the inclusive and welcoming atmosphere we strive to create at BollyBE. Durdana, who attended one of our Bollywood dance classes, shared her experience, highlighting the unique and multicultural nature of our events: “I attended Anusha’s Bollywood dance class in Morgan Hill, CA. My friends and I had decided to go because we thought it might be fun. We are Pakistani, so we are very familiar with Bollywood music and dance. It was very interesting to see a very diverse group of people turn up for the dance class - not just Indian/Pakistanis. Everyone had a lot of fun, and I think it was great as a multicultural immersion event.”

BollyBE not only provides a platform for cultural immersion but also offers a free and enjoyable way to incorporate physical exercise into people’s routines. Dance experience doesn’t matter at BollyBE; it’s easy for beginners, and participants are encouraged to have fun while dancing. This inclusive approach was highlighted by Kiran R., who attended a BollyBE workshop at the Morgan Hill library with three friends. Kiran shared, “We had a blast. It was fun, great music, easy steps (for women with not so great hearing and body coordination). Anusha broke down the steps and made them easy to follow and didn’t mind the giggles we dissolved into while laughing at ourselves. She is a fantastic teacher, can’t wait to take another class with her.”

As I continue teaching in different library branches across Santa Clara County, my goal is to spread the joy of Bollywood dance and create a welcoming space for all to learn and celebrate South Asian culture together. Through BollyBE, I aim to break down cultural barriers and promote inclusivity. I believe that by sharing the beauty of Bollywood dance, we can inspire people to embrace and celebrate their own cultural identities while appreciating the richness of other cultures. In this way, BollyBE is not just a dance initiative; it’s a cultural movement, bringing people together through the universal language of dance.

-Anusha Upadhyayula

Día de San Juan Salsa Fest on June 21

Yet another new music festival is coming to Downtown San Jose this weekend. The inaugural Día de San Juan Salsa Fest is a collaboration between San Jose Jazz (SJZ) and the nonprofit cultural organization MACLA.

The festival will feature three great regional bands: Latin Rhythm Boys, Orquesta Taino, and La Mixta Criolla. In addition to the live music there will be salsa dance lessons, a DJ, and of course food and drinks. It all goes down in Parque de Los Pobladores, across the street from MACLA in Downtown San Jose's artsy SoFA District.

The event is free and runs Friday, June 21st from 5-10pm.

U.S. News ranked San Jose 4th in quality of life

A ranking earlier this year called San Jose a diverse area with an innovative spirit. U.S. News rankings of top places to live put San Jose in 4th place. The study looked at general satisfaction, crime, health care, quality of education, and average commute times. Our city was only beat out by Ann Arbor, Boulder, and Madison.

Source: Yahoo News

Epic San Pedro Square mural is coming along

Over 1,200 volunteers have come together to paint one of the largest murals in California in Downtown San Jose. The art is inspired by a sarape blanked and represents the diversity of San Jose. Much work has already been done over Memorial Day weekend and it could be complete as soon as tomorrow. To check on the progress, just head over to San Pedro Square... you literally can't miss it.

Source: Fox KTVU

San Jose Greek Festival 2024!

This weekend is the annual San Jose Greek Festival, one of the largest ethnic festivals in the Bay Area. If you like amazing Greek food, live entertainment, and friendly people, this is a San Jose tradition you won't want to miss. 

The festival is entirely volunteer run and all the food is made using family recipes that have been used for generations. The Greek folk dancing will be done by teams that compete nationally and the costumes the dancers wear are handmade and unique to many of the regions in Greece. It's a very authentic experience all around.

Admission is only $5 per person, children under 12 are free.

The festivities take place on May 31st (5pm-10pm), June 1st (11am-10pm), and May 31st (11am-8pm). The area immediately surrounding St. Nicholas Greek Orthodox Church (1260 Davis St.) is the epicenter of the event. Free parking and shuttle service is available at 1900, 1922, 1960, and 2022 The Alameda.

For a preview, below are photos by Victoria Symrniotis from last year's event.

sjDance presents the Spring DANCE Festival this weekend at Eastridge Center

WHEN: Saturday, April 27 and Sunday, April 28, 2024 from 12 Noon to 5:00pm. “Professional Programming” segments are 15-minutes each on the half-hour (1:30pm, 2:30pm, etc.), and free 15-minute dance classes are held every hour, on-the-hour (both days).

WHERE: Eastridge Center Mall, 2200 Eastridge Loop, San Jose, CA 95122, off Capitol Expressway and Tully Road. The festival stage is located on the main level of the mall.

WHY: Celebrating National Dance Week - and a cornerstone of Bay Area Dance Week.  The festival is also the kickoff to sjDANCEco’s 21st Season. Everything is free.

Over 60 choreographers and Bay Area dance organizations (from young children to professional companies and everything in between) present many styles of dance on the Eastridge festival stage during a free non-stop 5-hour program each day. The professional dance portions of the show are at 12:30pm, 1:30pm and on the half-hour all day long. Free dance classes will be offered at 1:00pm, 2:00pm, and on-the-hour throughout the day. The celebration is part of Bay Area Dance Week and National Dance Week (April 26- May 5, 2024) and showcases the diversity of the Bay Area dance community. 

Professional Dance Groups:

·      sjDANCEco   Contemporary

·      Rosangela Silvestre (from Brazil)  Afro-Brazilian

·      N'fungola Dance Company (New Orleans)  West African

·      Abhinaya Dance Company (San Jose)  Indian Classical Dance

·      Tachiria Flamenco (San Francisco)  Flamenco

·      Diablo Ballet (Walnut Creek)  Ballet

·      Monsoon Dance Company (Palo Alto)  Contemporary Indian

·      Magnetic Pole Fit (San Jose)  Contemporary Pole

·      Hermosura Dance Productions (Fremont)  Social Latin

·      Aboriginals (Manteca, CA)  Hip Hop/Breakdance

·      Kyleigh Brine (Arcata, CA)  Contemporary

·      Agua Doce Dance (Santa Cruz) African-Brazilian Contemporary

·      Los Lupeños de San José    Mexican Folk Dance

·      Jenni Hong Dance (Palo Alto)  Contemporary

·      Noorani Dance (Menlo Park)   Kathak

Other Dance Groups Include:

·      Calpulli Tonalehqueh of San Jose   Ancient Aztec Dance

·      Flying Colors Dance & Fitness (Hollister)  Jazz

·      Los Gatos Ballet (Los Gatos)  Ballet

·      New Ballet (San Jose)  Ballet

·      Monsoon Dance  (Palo Alto)  Contemporary Indian

·      Yerba Buena High School (San Jose)   Jazz

·      San Jose State University    Modern

·      Los Lupeños Juvenil   (San Jose)  Mexican Folk Dance

·      Cal Poly Humboldt (Arcata)  Contemporary

·      Lin HH School of Dance (San Jose)  Contemporary

·      SBCC Dance Company (Santa Barbara)  Modern

·       Lara Jean Choreography (Los Gatos)  Contemporary

·      Concept o4 (San Francisco)    Contemporary

·      Latizmo Hi Hop Productions (San Jose)  Modern

·      DBDC (Capitola)  Hip Hop/Breakdance

·       Veksler Academy  (Sunnyvale) Hip Hop/Breakdance

·      NDS Nijikko Dance School (San Jose) Hip Hop/Breakdance

·      IndepenDance (San Jose) Contemporary

·      Dance Academy USA (Cupertino) Jazz

·      The Ruby Slippers (Santa Clara) Kpop

·      Dance Expressions (Sunnyvale) Pom

·      East West Music and Dance (San Jose) Lyrical

·      Ace Dance (Sunnyvale) Jazz

·      Ako Ballet Dance School (Cupertino)  Ballet and Lyrical

Free Classes offered in various styles:

• West African
• Flamenco
• Classical
• KPop
• Salsa
• Symbology of the Orixas
• Hip Hop

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION ABOUT THE OPENING CEREMONIES:

Calpulli Tonalehqueh of San Jose will be presenting the Art of Ancient Aztec Dance to open the festival on Saturday from 12:00 noon to 12:30pm. The opening ceremony is a ritual with drums which calls the four elements (wind, water, fire, earth) and the four cardinal directions...North (Tezcatlipoca), East (Quetzalcoatl), South (Huitzilopochtli), and West (Xipe Totec) along with the Great Cosmos, Mother Earth, and the Center - Our Hearts. Traditionally, dancers carry the elements in the form of the atecocolli (a conch shell) which is played to call in the winds, popoxcommi (which carries fire), and copal (a sacred incense) is burnt which carries scented prayers on white smoke to the ancestors. The ritual is a ceremonial way to ask permission to be present and to call the gods of the directions to help guide and protect the space.  

This ritual is in deep respect of Mother Earth and the Cosmos, recognizing that we walk the Red Road (living life with purpose) and are of the elements. It is profoundly deep and important work in reconnecting us to our home - this planet.

ABOUT US: sjDANCEco is a year-round contemporary dance company based in San Jose, California that produces world premieres by its core and guest choreographers, and presents the very best of Contemporary and Classic Modern Dance and Masterpieces of the American Modern Dance Repertory. In addition to a full season of dance concerts, sjDANCEco also is a major participant each Spring in free outdoor dance presentations during National Dance Week, international dance festivals, and has a full schedule of contemporary dance classes for the advanced and professional dancer.   sjDANCEco ignites the spirit of dance.

sjDANCEco is a registered 501(c)(3)

Urban Putt, a love letter to San Jose's past, present, and future

With anticipation building for over a year, I thought there was no way that Urban Putt could possibly live up to the expectations in my head. I was wrong. Best. Minigolf. Course. Ever.

You walk through a very subtle entrance at 201 S. Seconds St., right next to Scott's Seafood. As soon as you walk in you are immediately transported to another planet. If Urban Putt was a standalone bar, it would already be one of the best ones in San Jose. Specialty drinks include The Winchester Old Fashioned with a smoke bubble, 10th Street Penicillin using local San Jose-made whiskey, Steve's Espresso Martini (pictured below), and a fruity Happy Accident which you wear around your neck and take with you as you golf.

For food, I just sampled a small number of their menu items at the media preview night but have plans to return this weekend for "more thorough research." The Pad Thai pizza was super tasty, as was the street corn salsa and Bavarian Pretzel with locally produced IPA mustard. I'm looking forward to trying their OMG Burger, which is a smash-burger on Texas toast with avocado and a fried egg.

Okay now for the best part. The golf course is incredible. It puts any other course I have ever done to shame in terms of creativity, engineering, and localization. It starts with an homage to Downtown San Jose and then blends innovation with nostalgia. I don't even want to show all the photos so that you get to experience some surprises while you're there. 

Some of the holes are actually races with your party of up to 4 people, including a game of labyrinth. One is a real-life game of Duck Hunt. Another is inside of the Winchester Mystery House. There's a shark, a downed UFO, a replica of the San Jose Electric Light Tower, a submarine, and a finale worthy of Silicon Valley. Some of the holes even have hidden tricks and easter eggs, including some trippy optical illusions and effects with vacuum tubes.

If there was ever a time to run out and support a new local business, this is it. I already have my next two trips lined up. Urban Putt officially opens to the public today at 4pm. After 8pm it will be 21+ only.

This has immediately become my top destination to take people from out of town. What a way to start 2024!

Santana Row 2024 Lunar New Year Event on Feb 10th

Santana Row is welcoming the Year of the Dragon with entertainment and specials at several restaurants and stores. On February 10th, Santana Row Park will filled with lion dances, cultural performances, and surprise red envelopes containing gifts and offers. The event will be hosted by NBC Bay Area's Mike Inouye.

Scroll on down to see the dining and shopping specials that will only be available on Lunar New Year.

DINING SPECIALS:

Dumpling Time - Visit the pop-up bar outside Dumpling Time for to-go dumplings & drinks.

EMC Seafood - $20 gift card to customers that dine-in Chinese New Year who spend over $20 (before tips & tax) Card valid 2/25-4/30. One card per table, only in store.

Fogo De Chao - $25 Fogo Card for every purchase of a Trilogy Wine Box or purchase of the Seafood Tower Appetizer. 

LB Steak  - To celebrate the Year of the Dragon and the good fortune it will bring, LB Steak is offering a special Wagyu Fried Rice and cocktail offerings during February. Plus, receive a red envelope with your meal, containing a special offer to redeem upon your next visit. Offers include a complimentary dessert, appetizer, or even a Tomahawk steak!  Available for lunch and dinner, from February 10th-February 18th along with regular menus.

Maido - $5 off purchase from 2/10-2/19

Momosan  - Head into Momosan for a special discounted offer on 2/10/24.

Oveja Negra - 20% off 

Ozumo - Complimentary Dragon Crunch Roll with the purchase of a signature roll. Available 2/10/24 from 12pm-5pm.

Palmetto Superfoods - Pop in for an in-store promotion and 10% Off when you order the Just Acai Smoothie with Renude's Chaggaccino (must order with a staff member to receive discount)

Rosie McCann's - Enjoy Lunar New Year Festivities within Rosie McCann's and Chinese dinner special, plus specialty cocktail, Dragon Sour!

Straits- Receive a free glass of sparking for dine in guests only with your food order. 

SHOPPING SPECIALS:

Amour Vert - Year of the Dragon Sip & Style event , 2024  promotion and 15% off.

Atelier Studio - Receive $20 off for any new service.

BoConcept - 20% off 2/10/24-2/11/24

Fjällräven - End of season sale, select items 30% off.

Le Labo - 1.5 Ml Fragrance samples within red envelopes (while supplies last).

Optical Illusions - 35% off Trunk Show Items 2/10/24 only. 

Vince - 15% off entire purchase on 2/10/24 only. 

Some restrictions apply, see merchant for details.  Valid Saturday, February 10, 2024 only.

San Jose's Electric Light Tower and its connection to the Eiffel Tower

Built in 1881, the San Jose Electric Light Tower was one of the 50 tallest man-made structures on earth upon completion. It stood nearly as tall as the Signia Hotel in Downtown San Jose, but was built over 120 years ago. Not only was it extremely innovative for its time (illuminating a half-mile radius), but there several connections between this project and the Eiffel Tower in Paris. This is all the more reason to build a new landmark that pays homage to San Jose's Electric Light Tower.

You can now rent Tom Wohlmut's exceptional documentary linking the San Jose Electric Light Tower to the Eiffel Tower over here. The 56 minute film takes you through a journey of how San Jose's innovative light tower was built, how it brought San Jose international recognition, and how it was tragically destroyed. 

There were also several short interviews recorded about the relationship between the two towers that not many people had the chance to see. You can find those videos embedded below. 

Mario Fontana ETH-Zurich from TAW on Vimeo.

Bernard Meurtin Interview from TAW on Vimeo.

Corentin Interview Ver 1.0 from TAW on Vimeo.

Honest reviews of San Jose's "iconic" statues

SJtoday had a post today rating various San Jose landmarks. I won't spoil the reviews, but I would rate the one below as 🐍💩 / 10. That is all, happy Friday. Oh, the reviews are over here.

Content 16.2

The latest issue of Content Magazine is about to drop (Silicon Valley's top publication on local arts and culture). This issue will come with a limited edition flexi disc vinyl record from Needle to the Groove, as long as you preorder or subscribe by January 31st.

To top it off, they will do a Pick-Up Party in partnership with Creekside Social on February 22nd at 20 Barack Obama Boulevard in Downtown San Jose. Subscribers always get some sort of perk at these parties--often a free cocktail, apps, or other goodies.

Here are some of the people featured in the upcoming issue:

Musician - Amara 林 | Videographer - Victor Aquino | Photographer - Britt Bradley | Rapper - Chow Mane | RecordLabel - Discos Resaca Collective | Dancer - Srividya Eashwar | Artist - Girafa | Rap Crew - Kid Lords | Photographer - Josie Lepe | Artist - Julie Meridian | Record Shop and Label - Needle to the Groove Records | Illustrator - Shaka Shaw | 2024 San José Creative Ambassadors - Dancer - Alice Hur - Artist - Pantea Karimi - Artist - Deborah Kennedy - Artist - Rayos Magos - Storyteller - Yosimar Reyes

To learn more or subscribe, head over here.

Pianist Nicolas Namoradze performs for Steinway Society in San Jose

WHO: Steinway Society – The Bay Area presents

WHAT:  Nicolas Namoradze 

WHEN: Sunday, January 21, 2024 @ 2:30 pm

WHERE: Montgomery Theater, 271 S. Market St., San Jose.  Live and LIVE STREAMED

MORE INFO: https://steinwaysociety.com/

 

Pianist and composer Nicolas Namoradze came to international attention in 2018 upon winning the triennial Honens International Piano Competition in Calgary, Canada—among the largest prizes in classical music. His recitals around the globe have been met with universal critical praise, and recent album releases have received extraordinary accolades, including the Choc de Classica, Record of the Month in Limelight, Instrumental Disc of the Month in BBC Music Magazine, Editor’s Choice in Gramophone, Editor’s Choice in Presto Classical and Critics’ Choice in International Piano.

 

Among the most critically acclaimed musicians of his generation, Namoradze was bestowed the 2020 & 2021 Young Pianist Award by the UK Critics’ Circle, which called him “very much more than a top-flight pianist.” Recent highlights include recitals at concert halls including New York’s Carnegie Hall, London’s Wigmore Hall, Konzerthaus Berlin and the Tokyo Bunka Kaikan; festival appearances at Tanglewood, Banff, Gstaad, Santa Fe and more; and performances with orchestras including the London Philharmonic, Budapest Festival Orchestra and Sinfonieorchester Basel.

 

Namoradze earned his master’s at The Juilliard School and his doctorate at the CUNY Graduate Center. He is currently pursuing postgraduate studies in neuropsychology at the Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience at King’s College, London, where his research interests include the effects of mental practice and mindfulness on musical performance. Namoradze is the author of the book “Ligeti’s Macroharmonies,” published by Springer in the Computational Music Science series, and his compositions are published by Muse Press.

 

”Set to become one of the truly important artists of his generation.”

–American classical pianist Emanual Ax

THE PROGRAM:

Bach-Busoni, “Ich ruf zu dir, Herr” BWV 639

Bach, French Suite No. 1 in D minor BWV 812

1.    Allemande

2.    Courante

3.    Sarabande

4.    Minuet

5.    Gigue

Bach, The Art of Fugue, BWV 1080

1.    Contrapunctus VI

2.    Contrapunctus VII

Fauré, Preludes Op. 103

1.    No. 3 in G minor

2.    No. 6 in E-flat minor

3.    No. 9 in E minor

Ligeti, Etudes

1.    1. No. 11, “En suspens” 

2.    2. No. 13, “L’escalier du diable”

3.    3. No. 16, “Pour Irina”

INTERMISSION 

Nicolas Namoradze, Memories of Rachmaninoff’s “Georgian Song”

Pärt, Für Alina

Pärt, Variationen zur Gesundung von Arinuschka

Rachmaninoff-Namoradze, Adagio from Symphony No. 2, Op. 27

Scriabin, Sonata No. 4 Op. 30

 

TICKETS:

Single Tickets: $45 to $70 

General Admission: $70/$60/$50

Senior & student: $65/$55/$45

Livestream online: $25 per household / live + unlimited listens for 48 hours  

Purchase Tickets: https://steinwaysociety.com/

Box Office: 408.300.5635

Email: office@steinwaysociety.com

Introducing San Jose Monopoly!

Monopoly has been running local city editions for some time now, and finally San Jose gets their own version of the famed game. This is long overdue, especially considering that San Jose has the largest Monopoly board in the world.

The entire board features local landmarks and even the money has been personalized for San Jose. Properties include San Jose State, San Pedro Square, Municipal Rose Garden, and Plaza de Cesar Chavez. Instead of railroads, you have the VTA. I also like how the game uses one of my favorite photos of Downtown San Jose towards the bottom of the board. 

The question everyone was wondering is which two locations get the coveted Boardwalk and Park Place spots--the most valuable on the board. One is the Winchester Mystery House and the other is Original Joe's. Okay, here is where the criticisms start. I get the Winchester Mystery House, it's easily one of the top attractions in San Jose. Original Joe's? It's not even originally from San Jose, the first one was in San Francisco. I like Original Joe's and it was one of my favorite restaurants growing up; however, I really think that spot belonged to Santana Row.

Second, Downtown San Jose has it's own spot but so do many locations that are within Downtown San Jose. I'm not sure how you can own Downtown without owning everything inside of it. I think it would have made more sense to put a Downtown neighborhood like SoFA on there or the SAP Center which is oddly missing.

Thirdly, there are three spots dedicated to the Santa Cruz area. Everything else is from San Jose, so those could have been the Alviso Marina, the Salt Flats, Almaden Beach, etc.

I know, it's just a game and I'm probably taking it too seriously. I'm still thrilled that it exists, caveats and all.

Now actually finding the Monopoly San Jose Edition might be a bit more difficult than you would think. It's sold out every place I checked and hopefully will be back in stock at Amazon at some point over here. I was able to get a copy right when it came out, but now it's gone. The VTA is giving away 20 copies as part of a contest in January.

New Downtown San Jose illustrations

Phillip Gonzales from West Coast Artworks prints original illustrations highlighting our city with a pinch of creative license on museum-grade canvas. As mentioned before, I have bought a couple of his pieces in the past and love them (in fact, everyone that sees them loves them).

He has two new art pieces. The first takes a look down San Fernando featuring The 88, 50 West San Fernando, St. Joseph's Basilica, One South, and The Bank of America Building.

The second is a newer version of one of his most popular illustrations. The perspective is of SoFA from San Carlos at street level. Nirvana Soul, The Continental, and the SoFA Market are new additions as is the Sparq midrise in the background.

I'm looking forward to more of his projects in the future--I just need to free up more wall space. To go through all of his work, head over here! 

Stunning new illustration of Downtown San Jose

It's a pretty small community of people that make art specifically about San Jose. I'm a big fan of Phillip Gonzales from West Coast Artworks who prints original illustrations highlighting our city with a pinch of creative license on museum-grade canvas. I have bought two of his pieces in the past, SoFA district 1.0 (3rd one down) and Downtown San Jose (fourth one). Everyone that sees them at my house loves them.

He has a new work that is simply titled San Jose Downtown 2023. It features the Downtown San Jose skyline from the 280 and 87 intersection. If you look closely you'll spot some of our newer high-rises like 200 Park and the Miro Towers.

Phillip is also working on a couple of new pieces that should be ready in a few weeks. To go through all of his work, head over here. I'll also update my X and Facebook banner temporarily in honor of the new work!

De.coded - A Human Atlas of Silicon Valley

De.Coded is a portrait of Silicon Valley’s Diversity and Impact using multimedia by artist Marcus Lyon. De.Coded is an exploration of 101 change makers from Silicon Valley, nominated by local grassroots leaders and activists for their extraordinary contribution to the region and beyond. The project features photographic portraits, app-based image-activated oral history soundtracks, and ancestral DNA mapping to create a deeper understanding of the valley and its communities.

The project aims to honor the exceptional diversity of the valley and tell a deeper narrative about one of the most influential regions on earth. The 101 individuals represent a wide range of backgrounds, professions, passions, and causes. They include entrepreneurs, educators, activists, artists, scientists, engineers, athletes, politicians, and more. 

De.Coded is not only a celebration of Silicon Valley’s human capital, but also a challenge to rethink our assumptions and stereotypes about the region. If you are curious to learn more about De.Coded and the stories behind the portraits, you can visit the official website or download the app on Google Play or iTunes App Store. There will also be a book signing on Oct 29th at Books Inc. in Palo Alto from 11am to 1pm.

Mid-Autumn Festival today at San Jose's Berryessa Branch Library

The mid-autumn festival is a wonderful opportunity to learn about and appreciate the diversity of Asian cultures in San Jose. Decorate paper lanterns, munch on delicious treats, and enjoy performances by lion dancers and storytellers.

The festival celebration takes place today, September 30ths, at the Berryessa Branch Library from 10am-1pm. The library is located at 3355 Noble Avenue in San Jose.

Urban Confluence meeting to discuss placing Breeze of Innovation in Plaza de Cesar Chavez

Urban Confluence is working on building a new landmark for the city of San Jose that plays homage to the San Jose Electric Light Tower, an innovative structure that may have provided some inspiration for the Eiffel Tower. They are looking for your feedback on the new project and have an event coming up tomorrow, Sep 29th, from 5:30pm to 6:30pm at the San Jose Chamber of Commerce (101 West Santa Clara Street).

The agenda will cover a history of the project, the Plaza de Cesar Chavez master plan, and plenty of time for public comments and questions.

Below is an early concept render, but no finalized design currently exists. The project will be developed in collaboration with park neighbors, event producers, visitors, and all interested citizens of San Jose.

Some of the ideas being thrown around for the project in its new location are:

• Improved infrastructure such as a stage, lighting, and sound for park events such as concerts and Christmas in the Park
• A possible expansion of the park footprint based on recommendations from the San Jose Department of Transportation
• Elements that honor Cesar Chavez

To participate, please either send a text to (408) 813-5984 or email info@urbanconfluencesiliconvalley.org