The 6th Annual San José Day festival is coming to Japantown on Saturday, April 6, 2024 from 12-6pm. San José Day is a cultural festival celebrating the city's diverse arts and culture through live music, dance, art displays, a local business fair, and food. This year’s event features 80 vendors, multi-cultural performances, several music genres, food, live painting, and a visual arts exhibition featuring over 100 locals in our Gallery. Seventh Street between Empire & Jackson Streets will be closed for the event. We encourage visitors to arrive by public transportation or bike.
Empire Seven Studios continues to open up its space for creatives with determination and dedication. Haley Cardemon, Executive Director of San José Day, wanted to bring back the festival to the place where it all started in 2017, however the old cannery building on 9th and Taylor is no longer around. When it still existed, the building was a playground for street brands like Breezy Excursion, Clout Magazine, Pops Cycles, Booger Kids, and the legendary Phil Wood Co. Prior to these companies, the cannery was home to artist studios.
Juan Carlos Araujo, owner of Empire Seven Studios, co-founder of San José Walls, artist, and curator met Haley Cardamon on several occasions while painting walls in downtown San José. “Haley was persistent in showing up and always brought a great energy and positive attitude, expressing her eagerness to contribute, and volunteer at times. On one specific occasion she wanted to learn how to clear coat murals, Jennifer Ahn and Haley Cardamon sprayed over 2,000 square feet of wall, and they did magnificent. Experiences like that are what community, friendships, and camaraderie are built on,” Araujo says of Cardamon.
In 2023, Cardamon reached out to Jennifer Ahn, Director of Gallery Operations and Co-Curator at Empire Seven Studios to participate, ultimately deciding to bring the event in front of Empire Seven Studios and Exhibit at JTown Apartments. Empire Seven Studios reopened in 2022, and has already hosted hundreds of makers, vendors, artists, performers, and exceptional art exhibitions. In just one year they’ve picked up right where they left off, only now with additional wisdom.
San José Day performers will have accommodations at Exhibit at J Town Apartments; an event sponsor. Amenities at the recently built apartment building were intentionally designed to host events like this. Derek Allen, president of TriForge Capital, is beyond ecstatic that the partnership with Empire Seven Studios continues to contribute to the vibrancy of the Japantown neighborhood. JTown Clay will also join in on the festivities, recently opening up their newest pottery studio location directly across the street from the art gallery. There will be ceramic demonstrations along with ceramic artists selling their works. Japantown boutiques on Jackson Street like Cukui, Headliners, and Coterie Den will also participate in curating art shows at their store locations.
Anyone interested in collecting artwork by local artists will have an opportunity to purchase from many incredible 12”x12” multimedia canvases that can fit almost anywhere in your home or office. The exhibit was co-curated by Jorge Camacho, Creative Director of San Jose Day, and Empire Seven Studios’ Jennifer Ahn and Juan Carlos Araujo. Artists were asked to express themselves and to be representative of who they are as locals that make up the fabric of San José’s visual arts representation.
Empire Seven Studios will also be launching the grand opening of their new Sky Deck Gallery, located on the 4th floor of Exhibit at J Town Apartments, featuring new artworks by Nicholaus James Dalton in his exhibit titled “Concentric Spectrums.”
If you would like to purchase artwork before the big event, we recommend visiting during regular gallery/gift shop hours Tuesday-Friday 12-8pm. Bring the kids and invite the relatives! This is a great day to have people visit and venture to Japantown restaurants to dine, shop, explore, or hang out at the Beer Garden on what we hope will be a sunny San José Day!