It’s hard to believe there was a time when San Jose’s walls were bereft of murals. There are so many downtown now that it’s hard to keep up with them all.
The newest — for now, at least — is a colorful mural celebrating Mexican heritage and San Jose at the old Valley Title building at South First and San Carlos streets. Created by Artes Luis Fernandez Luna, who was born in Guadalajara, Mexico, the mural includes images of a cactus, an eagle and a heart — all symbols commonly found in Mexican art — as well as the sun graphic used in the City of San Jose logo. It was sponsored by Adobe and the San Jose Earthquakes, which is why the team’s logo is imprinted on the heart.
“This has been a tremendous experience,” Luna, who has lived in San Jose for years, said in a statement. “I focus on remembering where I’m from but at the same time appreciating and mixing with the culture of San Jose.”
His artwork was originally displayed at the Quakes’ match against LAFC at Levi’s Stadium in May as part of Mexican Heritage Night, with posters given to 45,000 fans. Now, the mural makes the artwork available for everyone to see, and it’s a nice addition to the Westbank-owned building that’s already quite artistic, serving as the home of arts groups like Local Color and San Jose Jazz, as well as the Kaleid gallery and the SJZ Break Room performance space.
JAZZING IT UP: Speaking of San Jose Jazz, Executive Director Brendan Rawson and his crew are gearing up for Summer Fest, which takes over downtown the weekend of Aug. 11-13. But before the big event, there’s the Summer Fest kickoff party on June 23, which promises to be a lot of jazz fun condensed into one night at Blanco Urban in San Pedro Square.
The party, a fundraiser for the Jazz Aid Fund and the New Works Festival, will feature performances by Ian Santillano and David Lechuga — both Jazz Aid Fund recipients — plus the SJZ High School All Stars U19s. Bites are being provided by Full Circle Catering, and VIP ticketholders will get to mingle with a guy who knows a lot about jazz, KCSM-Jazz 91 host Greg Bridges, who is serving as emcee. Tickets are available for $95-$485 (the higher end includes VIP admission to the party and Summer Fest tickets) at www.sanjosejazz.org.
And jazz fans certainly don’t have to wait until August to enjoy some tunes. Los Gatos Music and Arts’ Jazz on the Plazz series kicks off with Gunhild Carling on June 21 at Los Gatos Town Plaza. The theme of this year’s free series is “An Etta James Summer,” and it runs through Aug. 23 with performers, including the Etienne Charles Sextet (June 28), Pamela Rose (July 5), the Ren Geisick Quartet (July 12), the MJF Regional Band and Vocal Ensemble (July 26), Tiffany Austin with Full Spectrum Jazz (Aug. 16) and David Benoit (Aug. 23). The shows start Wednesdays at 6:30 p.m., and you can go to www.jazzontheplazz.com for the full schedule.
GAINING MOMENTUM: Parisi House on the Hill and Momentum for Health collaborated for more than a quarter-century, but they officially joined forces this month when Parisi House became a program of Momentum. The consolidation, which has been in the works for a while, was celebrated with a gathering Thursday morning at Parisi House headquarters near Coyote Creek Parkway in San Jose.
San Jose Mayor Matt Mahan and Santa Clara County Supervisor Susan Ellenberg joined Momentum for Health CEO David Mineta and former Parisi House Executive Director Pat Mitchell at the ceremony. Mitchell will now transition to a new role as Momentum’s Chief of Staff.
VINTAGE DISCUSSION: Alice van Ommeren and Gail Unzelman will be talking wine June 20, specifically about Paul Masson, the pioneering vintner who established his winery in Saratoga — introducing champagne to California and starting a global business. Both women are longtime postcard collectors and wine researchers, and their presentation for the Saratoga Historical Foundation will be based on a complete set of vintage postcards of the winery and champagne cellars. It’s all happening on Zoom at 7 p.m. — which means you can enjoy wine at home — and it’s free. Go to www.saratogahistory.com for more details.
PLANET ART: “Earth,” the last installment of the Palo Alto Art Center’s Climate Connections series, will be the focus of this month’s Friday Night at the Art Center event on June 23. The planet’s a big place, so it’s no surprise the show features the work of 34 artists from around Northern California who are providing their perspective on the worldwide climate crisis through photographs, paintings, sculpture, digital media and more.
At the free event running from 6 to 8 p.m., visitors will be able to meet the artists, make art of their own and even enjoy “Earth-themed” cocktails — just hold the dirt on mine, thank you. There’s only one spot on Earth where it’s happening, too: 1313 Newell Road.
Source: www.mercurynews.com