On Saturday, December 2nd community leaders and residents of East San Jose’s Mayfair neighborhood will celebrate the creation of a new mural by acclaimed visual artist Aaron De La Cruz.

The event will take place from 11:00 am to12:30 pm, to commemorate the Zona Rosa mural, The School of Arts and Culture at MHP will host a celebration and ceremony featuring free food, coffee, and entertainment.

De La Cruz’s new Zona Rosa mural was commissioned through a partnership between The School of Arts and Culture at MHP’s Celebrate Mayfair Project and POW! WOW! San Jose. The Celebrate Mayfair Project is a creative placemaking an initiative funded by the John S. and James L. Knight Foundation and the James Irvine Foundation.

Lead artist, Aaron De La Cruz, noted the historical inspiration for the mural, “The color usage was to also pay homage to the neighborhood and especially to the Pink Elephant district. This shopping district has a ton of historical importance and the people all over San Jose made that clear to me with the stories they shared.”

The mural celebration will feature remarks by Vice Mayor Magdalena Carrasco, the Executive Director of the School of Arts and Culture at MHP, Tamara Alvarado, and other community leaders. Hip Hop dance group FutureArtsNow! and DJ Ozzy will perform throughout the celebration.

The Zona Rosa mural was painted during the week-long San Jose POW! WOW! Mural festival, which saw the creation of 16 new murals across the city. One of the goals of the Celebrate Mayfair Project is to beautify the community surrounding the Mexican Heritage Plaza. The Zona Rosa mural was commissioned with grant support from the John S. and James L. Knight Foundation and the James Irvine Foundation.