Old details on the building come to life with new mural colors.
I have not found info yet on this large WE ARE QMUNITY mural though there is this reference to Mahal, which can mean love or beloved, and a reference to an instagram of this Bay Area film maker named Jinji Sayson: https://filmfreeway.com/JinjiS
This may not be as excellent as the murals though I do appreciate it. I have noticed more of this in San Jose in recent years. By “this” I mean taking things you need and making them a little more beautiful or interesting. If you have to have a fence or gate as in this case, may as well make it interesting.
There are 16 sculptures in the Parade of Floats artwork in San Jose. Each represents a different quality of the San Jose identity including its values and history. The qualities were submitted by residents to be used as themes for the artwork. You can find the sculptures on either side of City Hall. I have seen several of these works, created by artist Andrew Leicester (https://andrewleicester.com), and was pretty sure I had not run into all of them or taken the time to consciously connect to each theme so I decided to make it an outing to see all of them on the same day and to identify and consider the quality represented by each piece as noted on the attached plaques. Here is what I found.
Innovation/InnovatorsChildrenPueblo de San Jose de Guadalupe (referring to the historic first non indigenous name of the area)Gold RushTrailblazersEducationHigh TechnologyA close up of High Technology statueAgricultureArts & CreativityNatural EnvironmentRecreation, Play, & SportsNeighborhoodsImmigration & DiversityOvercoming Adversity
And that is what I found. Pretty fun. You may have noticed that there were 14 and I know there are supposed to be 16. So I walked around and around… and still did not find anymore. Maybe there are only 14? One of the plaques I came across specifically mentioned 16 floats so that couldn’t be it. I continued the search… without success. Though, I had developed a theory that a little research later seemed to support. I could not find absolute evidence that two were moved and would later be returned. However, I did consider how the building to the right in the next picture was only very recently completed and how the sidewalk had been blocked off for some time during construction. Maybe the two missing statues were moved during construction to protect them and to make room for the construction equipment? Maybe this is where they use to be, next to the new building?
*Update follows here – 2023
It turns out the two sculptures were in fact temporarily removed and are now back in their spots, right there in view of the City Hall.
Here is the Future sculpture, shown above, back in the parade.
And here is the Family sculpture.
There you have it, a parade for San Jose, every day.
This beautiful mural caught my eye and is one I like to visit lately. It is beautiful and powerful. Very beautiful. Very powerful.
This mural titled Nuestra Ofrenda was created by artist Roberto Romo (www.robertoromo.net) to honor and bring attention to those who save lives and increase life quality for others by donating organs and tissues.
On it you will find lots of symbolism as well as the portraits of two local donors, Nancy Yahayra Gutierrez and Brandon Castellanos, who donated from themselves to save others. The plaque explains quite a bit and you can also read it online here: https://www.localcolorsj.org/fpa-nuestra-ofrenda
If you go by in the evening you will find that the ceramic heart, a work of art in itself, that is part of the mural is back lit and it creates a wonderful effect.
People live when other people donate organs and tissues. What a beautiful way to remind us and to say thank you to those who give. I really appreciate this mural.
The garden has limited open hours though, even when they are closed, you can enjoy the art through the fences that separate it from the dog park in the SoFA district. (https://veggielution.org/sofa-pocket-park)
I like that the art is not only on the inside. You can see work by the currently featured artist, Conrad Egyir (https://conradegyir.com/) , as you walk down the street.
This school has the most art we have seen so far. There are murals and mosaics all around the school as well as art in the neighborhood. The school is not an open campus so it is not possible to get too close to some of the art. Still, it is good to know that children have these visual stimulations beyond plain walls.
This one is really interesting. Notice the baby in the womb of the heart at center.From here beyond the fence in the field, we can see the mural in the first photo to the left. There appears to be 4 more large murals in this scene. This mural is on the opposite side of the building and mural in the first photo. All of these murals are viewed from beyond the perimeter fence. Mosaic art in the school courtyard.Mosaics all around the building.So much art on the school walls.
In addition to the school walls being covered in art, there is art in the surrounding community. Here are a few photos.
This is Quetzalcoatl, a Mayan god of creation. Here you can see his head and a red circle in his mouth with words on it that indicate there is a time capsule under it to be opened June 15, 2052.I played with the color of the photo here to help Quetzalcoatl stand out as the color is subtle and difficult to capture. You can see the serpent god’s tale flowing out to the street. This is the Brenda Lopez Memorial Plaza between the school and the community center and public library.This neighborhood mural is nearby, across from the library. It was designed by muralist Thomas “Wisper” Talamantes and painted with the help of neighbors and local children.An across the street neighbor of the school has a metal garden artwork on their fence.
The Serpentine Pavilion is going up in downtown San Jose. It is an international traveling exhibit, coming to us now from Toronto and London before that. It looks beautifully intriguing, originally designed by Danish architect Bjarke Ingels.
