By Roy Hirabayashi, co-founder of San Jose Taiko and a leader in our local arts community.
What are folk and traditional arts? The definition can vary from where you live and the cultural community in your neighborhood. The National Endowment for the Arts (NEA) has the following description:
“The folk and traditional arts, which include crafts, dance, music, oral traditions, visual arts, and others, are those that are learned as part of the cultural life of a community whose members share a common ethnic heritage, cultural mores, language, religion, occupation, or geographic region.”
Grab a seat behind the goal about halfway up the stands at Avaya Stadium. Take in the game and the air traffic of Mineta Airport in the distance, framed by the boxy downtown San Jose skyline and the peaks that form the Santa Clara Valley. The sun sets about halfway through most games, depending on the season. Look to your left, and you’ll see a Vietnamese family sharing snacks, sporting Earthquakes jerseys and bantering back and forth as the game rolls on. To your right, a Hispanic couple, clearly on a first date, is seated next to a group of…
Part #3
In this shelter-in-place season, arts organizations and creatives have faced new hurtles in engaging audiences, donors, and artists. But what better way of overcoming the odds than with a little creative problem solving? Navigating Communications & Engagement for the Arts, a three-week series created by SVCreates, San Jose Office of Cultural Affairs, and genArts Silicon Valley, supports the arts community by sharing strategies employed by a variety of sectors. This is the third of three classes held on November 3rd.
Overview
During part three of this interdisciplinary workshop, three panelists with ties to the performing arts spoke with…
In this shelter-in-place season, arts organizations and creatives have faced new hurtles in engaging audiences, donors, and artists. But what better way of overcoming the odds than with a little creative problem solving? Navigating Communications & Engagement for the Arts, a three-week series created by SVCreates, San Jose Office of Cultural Affairs, and genArts Silicon Valley, supports the arts community by sharing strategies employed by a variety of sectors. This is the second of three classes held on October 27th.
During part two of this interdisciplinary workshop, the discussion turned to marketing strategies employed by the communications heads of two…
“Your brand existed before COVID and it’s going to exist after COVID” — Niall Adler
In this shelter-in-place season, arts organizations and creatives have faced new hurtles in engaging audiences, donors, and artists. But what better way of overcoming the odds than with a little creative problem solving? Navigating Communications & Engagement for the Arts, a three-week series created by SVCreates, San Jose Office of Cultural Affairs, and genArts Silicon Valley, supports the arts community by sharing strategies employed by a variety of sectors. This is the first of three classes held on October 20th.
In the first panel of…
Written by Johanna Hickle
“Let’s get better at having hard conversations!”
When we picture acts of courage, perhaps the first scenarios that scroll through our minds involve men and women who brave skin-melting heat to pull children from flame-ravaged buildings or who throw themselves into the path of oncoming bullets to drag unconscious soldiers to safety. But courage takes many forms and faces.
“Love shows itself in different ways” _Angeline Vu
How do we care for our loved ones well? This question, simple in theory, isn’t always so straightforward. A group of San Jose State University students explore this concept in their story Felt Love, a 2D and stop motion animated short film. In Felt Love, a mom/seamstress finds her son peeking his head through her sewing room doorway, hopeful of story time, and must figure out how to balance work and family. It’s a straightforward film, but it’s sure to strike a chord — especially considering current events. …
By Chike Nwoffiah, Founding Director, Silicon Valley African Film Festival
From the griots of the 12th century Mali Empire to the rappers of present-day America, the artist continues to be the mirror that reflects who we are or should be as a people. I come from the Igbo ethnic group of South East Nigeria, a culture where life’s daily activities are often interwoven with one form of artistic expression or another. Art, therefore, assumes agency for the spiritual wellbeing of the community.
As we sort our way through a COVID-19 world and adjust to new ways of being and doing…
If you’ve ever participated in the First Friday Art Walk, or seen the Phantom Galleries while strolling downtown, or been in to Kaleid Gallery, you’ve probably heard about Anno Domini, operated by Brian Eder and Cherri Lakey, two very passionate individuals who have set out to cultivate the fledgling art scene in San Jose. Read on to find out how.
CHERRI: In 2000, graffiti actually became a felony instead of a misdemeanor, so that was jail time. We really loved the street art that was happening in San Francisco in 98–99, the time when you’d see something really beautiful everyday…
You have probably used one of Scot Herbst’s products before. Not just admired it in a gallery but really used it. Reclining on garden furniture, riding a bike, cutting open a box, perhaps you even pulled your kids around on one of his wagons. Unfortunately, we do not always notice an object when it works well. It is recognized only when something doesn’t work right, and that frustration you feel is poor design. Product design is all about solving problems and making our lives better. It is easy to take advice from the calm, tousle-haired Herbst. His demeanor is zen-like…
Cultivate | Curate | Connect