Message from Juan Carlos Araujo of Empire Seven Studios

Celebrating 17 Years of Art, Resilience, and Community in San Jose

As we mark our 17th year anniversary, we’re filled with deep gratitude and a sense of pride. Over the years, our gallery has become a cornerstone of the San Jose art scene; curating free exhibitions and over 100 public art projects that highlight the voices of artists both locally and globally. This milestone is not just about looking back—it’s about celebrating how far we’ve come and the exciting possibilities ahead.

A New Chapter in 2022: Rebuilding and Thriving

One of the most pivotal moments in our history came in 2022, when we faced the challenge of losing our original gallery space to development. But rather than bowing to the pressures of change, we leaned into it, finding a unique opportunity to continue our work in a new, vibrant location in San Jose’s Japantown. Through collaboration and perseverance, we built a partnership with the developers that allowed us to secure a retail space for our gallery to thrive once again. This transition wasn’t just about a physical move—it marked a renewal of our commitment to the community, the artists we represent, and the vision we’ve held since day one.

Celebrating with Art: The Empire Seven Studios Flag

As part of our anniversary celebration, we had the privilege of commissioning Designer Tomomi Ito to create a design inspired by the flag used by firefighters during the Edo period in Japan—a nod to history, craftsmanship, and a deep connection to community. Designed in collaboration with Empire Seven Studios, this piece was not only a tribute to our 17 years of existence, but also a symbol of the resilience and unity that defines our gallery. It’s become something I’m particularly proud of, and I’m excited to share it with all of you as part of our ongoing celebration.

A Global Vision, Rooted Locally

While we’ve had the honor of representing countless talented artists from all over the world, our heart remains deeply rooted in San Jose. The diverse and dynamic artistic community here continues to fuel us—pushing us to create spaces for new voices, new ideas, and new ways to experience art. The journey we’ve taken together with our artists, patrons, and partners has been transformative, and we continue to work towards a future that amplifies the voices of underrepresented artists, fosters creativity, and nurtures collaboration.

Looking Forward: To the Future of Art in San Jose

As we move forward, we are more excited than ever about what the next chapter holds. Our commitment to curating innovative, original exhibitions and creating opportunities for artists to thrive remains steadfast. We look forward to continuing to work with artists who trust us to elevate their careers and create lasting connections with the community. The art scene in San Jose is more vibrant than ever, and we are proud to be a part of its evolution.

Thank you to everyone who has supported us over the years. Here’s to 17 years of resilience, creativity, and community—and to many more!

This Saturday! November 9, 2024 Come Celebrate “Birthday Party”

“Birthday Party” - Art Show and Skate Event celebrating the 1 year anniversary of Jacuzzi Unlimited

Date - November 9, 2024
Time - 4:00-9:00pm

Crossthread has teamed up to bring sounds from Big Boy, Doomsday and Stand Tall
Sponsored by: Converse
Beverage provided by: Shindig Cider and Drink Weird

From PDX to SJ

Join us Saturday June 8, 2024 from 6:00-9:00pm for the opening reception of “From PDX to SJ.” Bring your own beverage and hang out in the Exhibit Jtown patio!

Ryan Bubnis, a San Jose Walls 2019 alumni and one time Gilroy resident, has always had a connection to the South Bay. Despite moving to Portland, Ryan kept in touch with Bay Area friends and family over the years. We still remember during our first visit to Portland and connecting with Ryan to visit his home studio many moons ago. Collaborating with Ryan has always been a delight. When we reached out to him to ask him if he’d like to have a solo exhibition at Empire Seven Studios, he forfeited the opportunity to instead share the space with the artist friends he made over the years in Portland. The group of artists exhibiting for the month of June are making an impact everywhere they go: their creativity and talent has resulted in collaborations with clothing brands, tech companies, film makers, and the continued resilient DIY community.

From PDX to SJ brings together seven Portland-based image makers, all connected through skateboarding, music, printmaking, zines, and the independent DIY culture that Portland, Oregon has long been known for. This exhibition will feature the works of Briana Spencer, Erik Railton, Estee Preda, Lori D., Molly Mendoza, and Nathan McKee; curated by Ryan Bubnis. 

Collectors interested in artwork on display can email us at info@empiresevenstudios.com for a price list. 

About the Artists: 

Brianna Spencer’s work drew upon her family’s culture, street art, and folk traditions to execute her illustrative style. Her work has been exhibited nationally and internationally. She was known for her sense of humor, kindness, and generosity. As an artist, she shared her heart and instilled her personality into everything she created. Her art was personal and it always left us in awe of how willing she was to share a piece of her heart. She gave glimpses into her daily life through her work, especially with the people she loved the most, George and Ene. 

Erik Railton is a self taught painter with 24 years of experience. In his formative years on the Oregon coast, he found himself spending most of his time outdoors. The color, texture and shapes of what he sees in the natural world were influences in his paintings. The imagery of his paintings lives in the space between abstract and representational and the colors are bold and graphic. Through shifts in color ranges of contrasting colors he attempts to create something familiar and beautiful. He has shown in galleries in Portland, Seattle, and San Francisco. His client list includes Adidas, Columbia and Emerica

Estée Preda, as a child, was read Hans Christian Andersen and Brothers Grimm fairy tales every night by her mother who escaped the iron curtain. She lived across the hall from her grand-mother who was prone to night terrors. She would watch out the window from her home as one season would slowly turn into another. The world that her art exists in lies somewhere between those ephemeral seasons, night terrors and folk tales. 

Lori Damiano works and plays in the realms of animation, illustration, murals, surface design, advertising, packaging, apparel, film-making, fine art, fiber art, and education. She is an independent animator with 20 years of experience working for a wide range of clients and directors including Spike Jonze, Lance Bangs, Davis Guggenheim, Greg Hunt, and Ted Passon. She recently illustrated a picture book called ‘Shorty’s Ark’ written by musician Will Oldham based on a song he wrote with Matt Sweeney for their Superwolves album. Lori D. Is also known for her involvement making art, zines, and films documenting female skateboarders since the late nineties with the skateboarding collective Villa Villa Cola. Lori Damiano received a BA in Media Studies: Film/Video from UCSD and an MFA in Experimental Animation from CalArts.

Molly Mendoza is a Caldecott Honor-winning illustrator. Through their work, they explore the complex emotions of interpersonal relationships and self-love with a focus on layered visual storytelling, mark-making, and color. They write stories, they paint murals, they teach students, and they draw. Molly has worked for clients such as APWOT, The Atlantic, and The Marshall Project - made comics with Bulgilhan Press, Oni, and Nobrow - and has illustrated picture books for Scholastic, Chronicle Books, and Beach Lane Books. They are Eisner nominated, Ignatz winning, and have received a Caldecott Honor. They write stories, they paint murals, they teach students, and they draw. 

Nathan McKee is an artist creating illustrations, sculptures, murals, and paper cutouts utilizing simple lines and flat color. He is inspired by growing up in the 80’s & by his time skateboarding, reading comics, and exploring album covers in his youth. HIs work is meant to trigger lost memories or to promote conversation of different points of view from the same image. His works have been included in exhibitions around the world and clients have included, but are not limited to, Bleacher Report, Adidas, Green Room, Gatorade, CCS, and Converse. McKee has studied at the Pacific Northwest College of Art.   

Ryan Bubnis is a multidisciplinary artist, illustrator, educator, and muralist based in graphics,public artworks, and more.Equally influenced by Do-It-Yourself culture, art history, The Pacific Northwest, and the natural world. He explores themes of presence, connection, and the shared human experience. Pared-down shapes, textures, paKerns, and bold colors combine to inspire a sense of calm, curiosity, accessibility, and introspection.Ryan has collaborated with a number of commercial clients and agencies, and his work has been exhibited across the U.S. and abroad. Bubnis received a BFA in Illustration from the Pacific Northwest College of Art. 

Stance socks represents expression and embraces the spirit of individuality through a unique product which features a collaborative series with artists.

Stance has generously donated 100 pairs of their solid socks in support of “FROM PDX TO SJ”

Come early to get a free pair, while supplies last (one per person).

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Molly Mendoza will be doing a book signing and live drawing portraits (only 12 slots available!)

Lunar New Year - entering the year of the wood dragon!

Celebrate Lunar New Year in San Jose Japantown, February 10 from 11:00am-2:00pm.

2024 is the year of the wood dragon. According to the Chinese elemental theory, each zodiac sign is linked to one of the five main elements: Gold (Metal), Wood, Water, Fire, or Earth. The Wood Dragon, like all other elemental Dragons, comes once in 60 years. People born in the Year of the Wood Dragon are considered to be extremely creative and inquisitive beings, who like to explore many different paths in life which results in them being very open and liberal.

Help us start a fresh New Year “Fukubukuro” "lucky bag," a Japanese New Year custom in which merchants make grab bags filled with unknown random contents and sell them for a substantial discount, usually 50% or more off the list price of the items contained within.

Participating businesses will create mystery bags for patrons to cleanse and make room for new items in 2024. You can’t see what see what’s inside these bags because they’re sealed. But the fun part is, these bags are filled with surprises.

You might pay $25 for a bag, but the goods inside could be worth $50 or more! Have fun and support all the local retail businesses!

Visit us on Saturday and pick up some Empire Seven Studios products!

Important note: Fireworks are tradition during Lunar New Year and scheduled for 12pm. We regret any disturbance caused by the noise. It is advisable to keep dogs inside for their safety. Those sensitive to loud sounds should consider staying indoors.

SCHEDULE:

• Fire crackers will start at 12pm at 4th/Jackson Street and run through Japantown, then end at Empire Seven Studios on 7th/Empire Street.

• Participating stores on flyer will be having their own Fukubukuro (lucky bag) available for purchase.

Andrew Schoultz new mural in San Jose, CA (April 2015)

Back in April 2015, Andrew Schoultz started work on a new massive mural in San Jose’s Japantown neighborhood. Measuring at 150ft wide by 24 ft tall, Andrew, with friends who came to volunteer, worked over 10 hour days to complete the mural in just 5 days! This is our 11th mural…. part of our E7SWallSJ project.

Much of Andrew’s work is based on the relationship between humans and nature and current political/social issues. It’s really interesting to hear Andrew discuss his views on these things as he gets deep into these issues and really makes you think twice about many of the things people are blind to these days.

Just having the ability to see how he works as an artist by adding layers, colors and textures was an experience of its own. During his time in San Jose, we were able to spend some quality time, taking him to some local arts shows and having him try local eateries.

Many people came throughout the 5 days to check out the mural in person. Some just drove by slowly, admiring the vibrancy and majestic quality to this piece. If you haven’t had a chance to check it out, it’s located on 6th and Empire Streets in San Jose’s Japantown. Grab a bite to eat and walk on by to see in person!