Tag: Downtown

Good Luck Forever is a mural by Taki Ryudaibori Kitamura and can be found in Japantown in San Jose on 7th Street. There is a good write up of the symbolism used here: https://www.instagram.com/p/Cik4TLnJKsA/.

It’s in a great spot with other great art.

Leyendas de San José is a mural by the Timeless Art Collective formed by artists Steven Martinez, Eduardo Herrera, and Ariana Hansen. You will find it at Santa Cara and 19th Street in San Jose.

At first, my favorite part about this mural was the color and the artistry of it. Now however, after hours of internet searches, I am enjoying most the new things I am learning as I try to learn who these seven people are. Who are these people of San Jose, Leyendas – Legends, who made a difference by contributing to the culture of our society?

Below are a few words to give context to each individual chosen for this mural. These are oversimplifications and do not do the lives of these individuals justice. It is easier to find info online for some of these San Jose contributors than others. What I did find was fascinating and inspiring and I have enjoyed the trails and research and thoughts inspired that have resulted for me because of these searches. This art appreciation has turned into a history lesson and cultural appreciation experience for me.

Jesus Valenzuela – San Jose radio voice of KSJO
Ricardo Santa Fe – Singer, musician, composer
Daniel Valdez – Actor, musician, composer, activist
Art Rodriguez – Author
Jose Martinez – Lowrider culture legend
Luis Valdez – Writer, actor, director, teacher, activist – this guy’s life should be a book and movie for sure
Sonny Madrid – One of the founders of Lowrider Magazine, started by San Jose State University students

As a child seeing Lowrider Magazine for sale in stores I never knew that it was started here in San Jose. I had no idea that I was living in a Lowrider culture-generator that was represented in a national magazine, rather than the other way around.

I’m still learning more about these Leyendas de San José, enjoying the web searches. I look forward to seeing a mural for women Leyendas of San José and learning about their lives.

Reason to Stay is a mural by Roan Victor (https://www.roanvictor.com/) in Japantown of San Jose.

Little Moment is a mural by Noségo (https://www.nosego.com/)in San Jose’s Japantown. There is info about it here: https://www.nbstore.com/nosego-mural

Along the tracks in Japantown, San Jose.

This is the Humble Beginnings Mural, created by six artists of the Humble Beginning Art Collective who each did a section that blended together on the Guadalupe River Trail.

It is finished and it is beautiful! This mural is downtown between 1st and 2nd street, just north of Julian on the railroad tracks. Lacey Bryant did a wonderful thing with this. You can read some more at: https://www.metrosiliconvalley.com/lacey-bryant-presents-her-new-9450-square-foot-mural/

I hope you will enjoy some of this detail and creativity.

The wall is actually flat. I stitched these photos together to give an idea of the flow of the mural that is said to be 9,450 square feet.

Here are a few pics I took of the flower section from earlier.

This site has been closed a long time. You can still see some of the art on the walls.

Sometimes exploring feels a little like a recent form of archaeology. “Receology”? That could be a new word. Exploring, thinking, imagining what was. Then, projecting to imagine what will be left of many things we value now in the long years ahead. What will they imagine and presume about us and our time. All this can be done from some paintings on a wall done not that long ago. You don’t have to live next to the Ohlone petroglyphs to get some philosophical imaginings going. Though, Ohlone petroglyphs can certainly inspire a lot of thoughts.

Bleed Teal mural in San Jose by Austrian artist NYCHOS (https://rabbiteyemovement.at/).