20th Latino Art Now! Art Auction & Exhibition

Auction: Saturday, May 19, 2018 Doors open, 6pm Live Auction, 7pm

This popular, annual event culminates in a high energy evening with food, drinks, entertainment and friendly bidding. Here you will find art by Bay Area favorites as well as artists with national and international reputations. The work ranges from painting to drawing to photography to sculpture and jewelry. Highlights of this year's exhibition are Pilar Agüero-Esparza, Melanie Cervantes, Adrian Esparza; Bay Area favorites Aaron De La Cruz, Sam Rodriguez, and Jessica Sabogal; and notable veterans of Chicana/o art Gronk, Linda Vallejo and Gilbert "Magu" Luján.

ONLINE TICKET SALES END ON FRI, MAY 19, 2018 AT 3PM. TICKETS WILL BE AVAILABLE AT THE DOOR OR BY PHONE AT 408-998-2783.

For more info, please visit www.maclaarte.org

47th Annual Stanford Pow Wow

This past weekend, we attended the the gathering of native american tribes at the Stanford Pow Wow. It was very spiritual and even after we left, the drumming and chanting was felt within us through the rest of the day.  What a beautiful ceremony. 

MALI trip to LA

Field trip with my MALI cohort. Multicultural Arts Leadership Institute (MALI) is a leadership development program for people of color deeply involved in Arts, Culture, and Entertainment. It’s been almost a year now and we’ve come full circle! We are present and here to make a difference! 

On the first day, we received a tour of community art projects in and around LA's skid row by Hayk Makhmuryan of Advocate for Strengthening Communities Through Arts will be our guide.

The next day, we worked together to create a place-making event for Public Matter's "Love and Loss in Hi-Fi event" that took place at the Filipino America Service group (in Little Filipinotown)

This was as special trip we were able to walk and take LA's public transportation and enjoy being away from the daily traffic routine we live in. The group stayed in LA's Japantown and it was nice to see some of the public art that emphasized on the history of Japantown. In case you didn't know, there used to be over 40 Japantowns in the US and now there are only 3 (LA, SF and our very own San Jose!)

Jen

Quick trip to LA for a epic opening......

A quick trip to LA to attend the premier of Beyond The Streets was necessary. 

BEYOND THE STREETS, curated by Roger Gastman, is exhibition of graffiti, street art and much more!  This exhibit has a range of multimedia showcase of paintings, sculpture, photography, installations and more throughout 40,000+ sq ft of industrial indoor and outdoor space.

The exhibition opened to the public in Los Angeles on May 6 and runs through July 6, 2018.

For more info, visit Beyond The Streets

Opening at Minna Gallery....

A couple Fridays ago we went up to SF to check out the opening of two new exhibits at Minna Gallery. "Where'd The Wild Things Go" with new works by Sam Flores and "Head on Swivel" with new works by Chris Konecki. We first met Chris back in February during POW! WOW! Hawaii while working on his beautiful mural with Carly Ealey. 

If you're in SF, make sure you stop by to visit this beautiful exhibit. Runs through May 26, It was long overdue for us to revisit Minna Gallery. We are happy to see they are sustaining through tough times amidst many other galleries closing their doors over the years throughout the Bay Area. 

For more info, visit Minna Gallery.

Art Market SF

Art Market SF is a selection of contemporary and modern artworks that’s taking place all weekend at Fort Mason’s Festival Pavilion. I was able to attend the VIP opening night last week and it was great to catch up with artists we’ve worked with, meet new creatives and hang out friends we haven’t seen for a long time!

For more information, visit art marketsf.com @artmarketproductions

This Sunday!

This weekend! Silicon Valley Bikes! Festival & Bicycle Show on Sunday May 6, 2017 from 11am-4pm, at Kelley Park’s History Park, 635 Phelan Avenue, San Josè. 

This will be a full day of celebrating cycling and its history, a kids' space for free family fun, a free kids helmet give-away, music, great food trucks, craft beer, amazing exhibitors, BMX stunt riding shows, bike polo demos, community building, local artists, artisans and craft persons, free bicycle valet parking, and a spectacular bicycle show. 

This is the ONLY Bay Area festival that brings together recreation, racing, road, mountain biking, cruiser, vintage, fixed gear, lowrider, cargo biking, BMX, bike polo playing and cool urban lifestyle cyclists and their families. 

The Fest’s Kids' Space will be hosted by the Children's Discovery Museum, the San Josè Public Library's Summer Reading Program, and Our City Forest who will be offering lots of activities, giveaways and fun, with room nearby for parents to take a breather while they enjoy picnic lunches or food truck fare and craft beer. 

Ride to the Fest? Meet the Silicon Valley Bikes Coalition at the Rod Diridon Caltrain Station at 10:30 am or at Noon and ride together to the Fest. In the spirit of Jane's Walk make new friends, enjoy a safe bicycle ride and free secured bicycle valet parking at the Fest, also courtesy of Silicon Valley Bicycle Coalition. Visit our Fest’s “Getting to the Fest!” page on their website for details. 

This Festival is a not-for-profit volunteer-run collaboration of History San José, Silicon Valley Bicycle Coalition, Mineta Transportation Institute, the Valley Transportation Authority (VTA), and Santa Clara Valley Brewing. 

For more information, please visit: www.siliconvalleybikesfestival.org

POW! WOW! Nepal

Lauren Napolitano @peptalks just wrapped up POW! WOW! Nepal with a team of artists from all over the World, in collaboration with the POW! WOW! World Wide Family.

After visiting and experiencing the event in our beloved City, Lauren knew that POW! WOW! Nepal was something the Koslei School in Kathmandu for underprivileged children could have benefit from. What this family of artists did for the school is truly beyond words. How they interacted with the students is heart warming, moving, and inspirational.

For one week we followed the artists on social media as they immersed themselves into Nepal’s beautiful people and culture. They worked intensely to paint a whole school with the students, and host DIY workshops.

It’s incredibly humbling witnessing such dedication and tribute to what being a giving person is all about.

POW! WOW! World Wide is a family of artists supporting a Public Art movement that brings people together, and contributes to undeserved communities. Many thanks to all the artists that continue to support small organizations that do huge projects with very little.

We will be posting, images, and videos of their experience to share with you all. For more info visit @powwownepal

Supported by @montanacans @montanacans_usa @47brand @monsterenergy @olukai @powwowworldwide

artists: @cryptk @lolo.ys @caratoes @shrineon @imagine876 @peptalks @pro_gress @burtonursaeminoris @pmtattoos @kitrutter @saadhux @artworkofkai @camnepal

📷 by @toesonthegoes @minouye @pravashpdn @pro_gress

Live Painting at Eastridge Center grand re-opening

Juan Carlos Araujo, founder of E7S, had the opportunity to do some live painting at Eastridge Center's grand re-opening. At Entrance C (where Barnes and Noble used to be), you will see the indoor mural he created and the canvases he painted inside the window storefronts. 

Eastridge, being the Nation's largest enclosed shopping mall in the West, was first opened on May 17, 1971 with the original Anchors: Macy's, Liberty House, J. C. Penney, Joseph Magnin Co., and Sears. Many of us who grew up in San Jose has some history connected to this place. If you haven't had the chance, visit Eastridge Center. Aside from the stores, food and activation of various events, they also have 4 murals around the exterior buildings by artists Aaron De La Cruz, Brendan The Blob, Cyrcle and Lila Gemelos. 

El Mac Celebration with Sophie's family

This day of celebration was definitely a beautiful one. The rain cleared and the sun came out. Sophie and her family drove up from Southern California, El Mac took time out of his busy schedule to come up for one day as well. 

Prior to the celebration, Lauren Dickens, curator of the San Jose Museum of Art, invited us to her home to have a pre-event intimate lunch. It was nice to catch up and see everyone getting ready to celebrate this significant mural that was created by El Mac as a tribute to Sophie Cruz, the youngest activists who has become the face of the American immigration reform movement.

We had the honor to spend some time with Sophie and her family. This little girl is so phenomenal. When she's speaking to the crowd of people, everyone listens to her powerful words for human rights. Then the next moment, she's running around playing with her kid sister just like any other normal 9 year old. 

We are thankful for the opportunity to have worked with El Mac, SJMA, CDM and the Propeller Group. Bringing entities like these together is something E7S continues to strive as we work to build partnerships. 

SAVE THE DATE - Saturday, March 24

Join San José Museum of Art, Empire 7 Studios, and the Children’s Discovery Museum to celebrate the new public mural, Sophie Holding the World Togetherby El Mac in collaboration with The Propeller Group, at Discovery Meadow. Enjoy live music family-friendly activities, SJMA’s new Art Portal, and appearances by the artists and the subject of the mural, nine-year-old activist Sophie Cruz. 

Saturday, March 24, 2 – 4 PM
Discovery Meadow (180 Woz Way, San José) 
Admission is FREE

Joining Sophie Cruz will be special guests Juan Carlos Araujo, director and art consultant at Empire 7 Studios; S. Sayre Batton, Oshman Executive Director, SJMA; muralist El Mac; Marilee Jennings, executive director of the Children’s Discovery Museum; and Tuan Andrew Nguyen of the artists’ collective The Propeller Group; and a representative from the Consulado General de México en San José.

• Live music by MaKrú (a fusion of Rumba, Flamenca, Ska, Cumbia, and other global beats) 2:15 – 3:30 PM
• Family-friendly activities from the Children’s Discovery Museum and San Jose Jazz, 2 – 4 PM
• Monopoly in the Park, courtesy of Friends of San Jose, 2 – 4 PM
• Make some art in SJMA’s new mobile art studio, the Art Portal

Sophie Holding the World Together is a portrait of nine-year-old Sophie Cruz, who has become a face of the American immigration reform movement. Born in Los Angeles to immigrants from Oaxaca, Mexico, Sophie first made headlines in 2015 when she crossed a police barrier during Pope Francis’s visit to Washington, DC, to hand the pontiff a letter asking him to help all immigrant children. 

The mural is collaboration between El Mac and The Propeller Group, as part of the collective’s ongoing project, Viet Nam The World Tour. It is commissioned by SJMA, in partnership with Empire 7 Studios and the Children’s Discovery Museum, in connection with the current exhibition, The Propeller Group, on view through March 25, 2018

POW! WOW! San Jose in Hawaii...

Just a few weeks ago, we attended the very first Director's Summit and assist with the annual POW! WOW! Hawaii. 

We met with POW! WOW! Directors from all over the world. Guam, Japan, Taiwan, Worcester, Austin, Long Beach, Hawaii and Washington DC. This was a great way for us to all share our experiences, ideas and ways we can work potentially together to keep building on what we do.

Networking with all the artists who participating in this years’ POW! WOW! Hawaii was tremendous. We learned from each other and developed relationships during the week spent together. All the Directors were “hands on” and as a team helped run the Hawaii festival. 

Below are photos of some of the experiences through POW! WOW! Hawaii week and final murals. For photos of all the complete murals, visit http://powwowhawaii.com/

Weekend in LA

Took a quick trip to LA to visit the LA Art Fair, check out some art shows and enjoy some good food!

LA ART FAIR

Sam Rodriguez LA Metro Project

Opening of "Chimaera" at Superchief Gallery with works by Lauren YS, Nomi Chi and Kristina Collantes

Murales Rebeldes exhibit at the La Plaza de Cultura y Artes

Exhibiting murals by Tlacolulokos of Oaxaca at the LA Public Library

Mural wrap up for 2017...

We want to wish everyone a happy 2018! We've been a bit off the radar trying to reboot and plan for the future. We look forward to continuing the rebuild of E7S at our new space (which we plan to announce soon!)

2017 went by quickly and we are honored to have worked with so many talented artist to create commissioned work and added over 20 new murals to San Jose!

Post POW! WOW! San Jose, we didn't blog much but wanted to make sure we included the last 4 murals we did. Thank you for your continued support and keep following us on social media as we venture into 2018!

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BUNNIE REISS for the Federal Building in Downtown San Jose

Bunnie's work is heavily influenced by her Eastern European background, with its tradition of folk art, bright colors and community engagement. Her brightly colored folk murals decorate many countries and can be found all over the world such as Los Angeles, Mexico, Italy, Paris, India, Philippines, Detroit, Milwaukee, New York, San Francisco and now San Jose!

Thank you SJ Downtown Association for making this happen!

Two new murals for the Children's Discover Museum by Jaque Fragua and El Mac

We were approached to create a new mural for the Children's Discovery Museum's (CDM) portico and thought artist Jaque Fragua was a perfect fit. While we were working on the details for this, the San Jose Museum of Art (SJMA) reached out to us to help find a ideal wall for El Mac as he was planning to paint a new mural in San Jose in conjunction with The Propeller Group exhibit opening at the SJMA.

E7S strives to help community building and bring together organizations to collaborate on a larger vision for our City. It was serendipitous when we brought together Jaque Fragua and El Mac since not only are they old buddies but they have worked on projects together in the past. Their completed murals at the CDM not only reactivated the portico but helped unify the whole space with the museum's beautiful architecture building by Richardo Legorreta.

Jaque Fragua of the Jemez Pueblo, New Mexico transformed the Children Discovery Museum’s massive portico with bright/bold symbols inspired from the community’s input. He created the iconographic motifs based on design ideas submitted by the 50 Rocketship Alma Academy 2nd – 5th grade students, EY corporate volunteers, and museum staff. “I'm using a method called stylization, which breaks down natural imagery into bold iconographic motifs. This has been a technique used by Pueblo artists for centuries and can be found on pottery, murals, and textiles. It has made visual language more direct and impactful for the viewer. I'm also inspired by Alexander Girard's folk art designs.” Jaque’s personal work experiments with various mediums such as aerosol, found-objects, earthworks, poetry, music, messages of civil unrest, social justice, emotional introspection, and personal healing.

EL Mac, who is an artistic historian in his own right, captures the influence of culture within his work. He transformed the exterior of the portico with a portrait of Sophie Cruz. Sophie (born 2009 or 2010) is an American activist. Her parents, Raul and Zoyla Cruz, are undocumented immigrants from the state of Oaxaca in Mexico. Her fears that her parents could face deportation have made her one of the youngest voices in the American immigration reform movement of 2016–2017. (via web). This mural was made possible by a collaboration with the San Jose Museum of Art and The Propeller Group (photograph by @ericheights)

A special "thank you" to the SJMA, CDM, and OCA for helping make this a seamless partnership!

New OPSKI mural with TASC youth in Downtown San Jose

We had the please working again with TASC (Teaching Adolescents Skills for the Community). They brought out a group of youth over a weekend to help paint a fence that was getting constantly vandalized. Artist OPSKI had worked with this group of youth earlier in 2017 and this was another opportunity around the corner from the first mural.

Thank you for SVCreates and the Santa Clara County department for making this happen! We look forward to continuing this partnership working with TASC!

Aaron De La Cruz new mural celebration this Saturday, December 2 in the Mayfair District

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.

Jaque Fragua tonight at MACLA....

Jaque Fragua @warchildleftbehind will be part of a group show at MACLA @macla_sanjose tonight (Dec 1)

“Notes on Democracy” explores the depths of political discourse, process and the ideology of democracy.

Exhibit opens at 7pm. Artist talk at 7:30pm

Post POW! WOW! San Jose

We would like to thank all our amazing artists for dedicating their time and talents to add their touch of creativity and abundant soul within our city walls. Our community witnessed the transformation of our public spaces by these artists, shaping lines and layering colors to manifest the masterpieces that were once only visible to these creators. Each day saw progression in the narratives told to us by their hands, and each day we were able to find a piece of ourselves within these murals. All who were actively or accidentally looking for it, whether it is through social interaction, or through the visceral nature of art, found some form of connection adorning every inch and corner of downtown San Jose.  These gifts of color, imagination, and poetry are here to uplift and remind us that we may be bounded by our human limitations, but it does not mean our minds should adhere to those same restrictions.

We would like to thank our team and the many volunteers for making this inaugural year a success. Because of your love and passion for arts and culture we were able to make this event happen. Through the photos, videos, events, and the shuttling of artists, supplies, and food around our city, your dedication shined brightly during those times we needed you most. We would not have a POW! WOW! San Jose without your self-sacrifice and enthusiasm carrying us through each day.

We would like to thank all our sponsors and supporters for helping to make this week-long festival a reality for our city! Because of your time, energy, and donations we were able to supply our artists and team with the necessary tools to manifest these beautiful murals in and around our downtown into reality. From the scissor lifts, paints, coffee, food, printers, shops, and endless encouragement that found us with each and every individual, our efforts stood on the foundation you helped us build.

Lastly, we want to say thank you to our city, to the many communities sprinkled around the world that have supported this event, this movement since it was announced. Because each and every one of you decided to be involved with in this festival with your social media capital and physical presence at our events, this celebration is also yours to behold and take pride in. We did not organize this festival for our own mere enjoyment. This was for all of us to take part in and claim for ourselves.  

Expect many new projects and events leading up to our second year. But until then, revisit these walls and share their beauty with your world. Full images of the completed murals will be on the website soon (www.powwowsanjose.com) Remember to follow us on Instagram (@powwowsanjose) and tag us in any of your shots! We would love to see them! 

POW! WOW! San Jose team

The Propeller Group and El Mac

Good afternoon!

For the last year, we’ve been looking for a new home to rebuild our gallery and using the time to prepare for the future. We also joined a multicultural arts leadership institute to help elevate the craft that has helped build a movement for our own art scene. Through our difficult times, we’ve received so much support and are forever grateful.

We are also thankful for institutions like the San Jose Museum of Art (SJMA) and Children’s Discovery Museum (CDM) who have reached out to us.

Lauren Dickens (Curator at the SJMA) has an amazing exhibit coming to San Jose, on October 27th, with the Propeller Group. This collective of artists travel globally to showcase and activate several local partnerships in order to take the exhibit out to the public.

The SJMA partnered with E7S to become their location scout and project manager for this new mural. While working on another project with the CDM, E7S wanted to bring together two long time established community entities for this exciting project.

El Mac is someone who highlights everyday people and in some cases iconic figures. This monumental piece will face San Carlos.

Thanks to the Public Arts Commission’s approval of the project, we will have our own El Mac piece in San Jose.

Our friends have done their part writing grants and calling a local public art curator to collaborate. It’s been a privilege to serve both institutions and they have served us.

Now you can do your part. If you would like to donate and share this cause, visit

https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/sjma/san-jose-museum-of-art-x-the-propeller-group

#ElMac #ThePropellerGroup #SJMA #CDM #communities E7S @mac_arte @the_propeller_group @seewhatyouthink @purplemuseum

SAVE THE DATE - Pow! Wow! San Jose this October!

We are proud to announce that the internationally renowned POW! WOW! arts festival will be making its way to the city of San Jose this October 2017!

After many months of networking and planning, we are ready to bring this celebrated institution to our beloved community, adding to the growing roster of cities, countries, and entities that have participated thus far: Hawaii, Hong Kong, Israel, Japan, Taiwan, Antelope Valley, Long Beach, SXSW, Washington D.C., Worcester, and now San Jose.

There will be more updates and announcements about our schedule of events, partners and sponsors in the weeks to come, so please stay up to date with us on our social media portals: Facebook (@powwowsanjose), Instagram (@powwowsanjose), Twitter (@powwowsanjose), and on our website, www.powwowsanjose.com.

#powwowsanjose #PWSJ17

"Here & There" works by Sam Rodriguez on view until August 31

Original artworks and giclee prints on velvet fine art paper available!

Come check out the exhibit and take a short walk one block away to visit the new mural on 8th and Empire Street (prints available of the new mural!). 

Gallery hours:
Tuesday - Friday: 12-6pm
Saturday: 12-4pm
and by appointment

About the artist and his work:
Sam Rodriguez is an artist based out of San José, CA and have been fortunate to have had shown his work in public art spaces, museums, companies, galleries, internet, and editorial publications. For a number of years he was self-taught through the graffiti scene, until he later decided to expand his studies by pursuing a Bachelor in Fine Arts from California College of the Arts.  He has since blended what he absorbed from both experiences to create his current style.  At the moment, he is interested in two types of portraiture that he calls, "Topographical Portraiture" and "Type Faces".  Topographical Portraits, are made by stylizing a portrait with topographical lines and shapes in a similar manner to those found through images on geographic maps. Type Faces, incorporate typography and portraiture. He developed these through countless studio sessions, to use as a platform for his interest in social, historic, and cultural hybridity.

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NOTE FROM E7S: 
Our original moving date was delayed and we are still actively pushing our Go Fund Me campaign as we will have to move this fall. Significant funds are still needed to maintain the E7S mission and secure a permanent artists’ space. Please help spread the word https://www.gofundme.com/save-empire-seven