Save the date as we have new vendors moving! Also a reminder we have the opening of “Sour & Sweet” with over a dozen new artists showcasing works that are a little sweet, sour, and twisted! For more info, visit the last blog post.
For vendor opportunities, please email sanjosemakers408@gmail.com
Empire Seven Studios presents our first group art show for 2023! Artworks that are a little sweet, sour, and twisted. Excited for this and look forward to seeing you all soon!
OPENING RECEPTION: Saturday, February 11 • 6:00-9:00pm
ART EXHIBITION ON VIEW: February 11 - March 4, 2023
If you would like to be added to the art preview list, please contact us at info@empiresevenstudios.com.
#E7S #SourAndSweet #Jtwon #JapantownSJ #SanJose #Artshow #ArtCollection #ArtCollectors #Collector
To all the wonderful people who donated to the preservation of Empire Seven Studios (E7S):
This has been a LOOOONG overdue message. We want to thank you for the tremendous support and dedication to the arts in San Jose.
It’s been six years since we launched our Go Fund Me campaign. Although we only achieved 2.5% of our overall goal, we remained resilient and learned that we have a community that cares. It was bittersweet losing our original brick and mortar location, however we have learned a wealth of knowledge and life experience in the process.
The original building was once a safe haven for apathetic youths, a place for culminating and showcasing lifestyles from countercultures in the most authentic and genuine way that an artist can freely express.
Unfortunately, the dreams we wished for in our Go Fund Me campaign fell through. Affordable space for lowbrow art venues is clearly a thing of the past. While looking for a new space, we narrowed it down to three other potential gallery venues. We will spare you the disappointing details, but in short, they all offered us unfair lease agreements. Ultimately, we walked away to avoid repeating a similar ending to what we did in the original E7S.
The irony of where we landed is not lost on us. Our displacement happened to make way for 97 new luxury apartments developed by LandForge Developers. Derek Allen, Neal Yung, and Colin Eckles reached out to discuss the possibility of having E7S provide art consultation on the project. Once we received the “this land has been sold” letter from our former landlord, we received a voice message from Derek. However, it took us one month to return his call. We had two options: listen to what the possibilities could be, or walk away and watch the neighborhood change forever without providing any input, especially after all the work E7S had done in this community.
The decision to collaborate with the very developers that originally displaced us created a partnership that would take five years from start to finish. While all this was happening, we were still actively looking for potential new spaces, and that’s where the irony sets in. With the real estate available in town, there were no places that offered a sustainable location for us.
Empire Seven Studios is very proud of the wealth of knowledge we gained during this period in our history: from losing the original space to rebuilding on the same 525 North 7th Street location, to working with developers who understood the importance of our community and our contributions to the arts in San Jose and beyond. Consulting with the developers during the early stages of our building’s design and construction created a unique opportunity to include artists' needs as an integral part of the site instead of as an afterthought. For example, exterior walls were smoothed down to provide an optimal painting surface for murals. Ten thousand square feet of outdoor space with murals, benches, a sculpture, and a space to activate outdoor markets were designed with the arts in mind. Brokering real estate deals and negotiating affordable rent was not an easy feat with a project of this scale, but we made it happen.
Andrew Schoultz
Amy Sol
Roan Victor
Soft Grand Opening of E7S
We are very excited and happy to share with you that this was the best option for the future of E7S. Thank you for your patience, your dedication, and for believing in us. We are looking forward to seeing familiar and new faces come together to enjoy the space for years to come.
Sincerely,
Juan Carlos Araujo & Jennifer Ahn
Don’t miss out on our Holiday Art Sale 30% of original artworks by Lacey Bryant. Happening now through December 23!
Purchase something special this holiday season, with a one of kind artwork or simply add to your current collection. You can also start a collection by supporting local artists!
Visit our online store or come in person!
We are happy to announce the opening of our Consignment Small Shops in collaboration with SJ Makers featuring local artists and creatives. A new shopping destination like no other were intertwine original artworks alongside handmade goods from local creatives.
We would like to invite you to grand opening this Friday, December 16 from 10:30am-2:30pm and 4:30-8:30pm.
On-going days of operations will be Tuesday-Saturday!
We’re very happy to have been selected as the producer for this project with First Community Housing in collaboration with artist Roan Victor for Iamesi Village Apartments.
Iamesi Village is an urban village serving the veterans, chronically homeless and workforce residents of San Jose. This was a project that tested all of Tom’s many talents to structure. He brought together the former redevelopment agency, the Veteran’s Administration, HomeFirst, the Housing Authority of Santa Clara, Cap and Trade funds, and Infill Infrastructure Grant funds.
Tom Iamesi was the Director of Operations & Development at First Community Housing. After a long battle with cancer, Tom passed away in 2020.
Tom was a affordable housing professional who left an indelible mark on friends, family and the affordable housing industry in the Bay Area as reflected in the thousands of low income households his developments served and in the many affordable housing leaders and professionals in this industry he trained.
A special “thank you” to Bianey Martinez with First Community Housing and the lovely folks at Iamesi Village to make this happen. We didn’t have the opportunity to meet Mr. Iamesi but feel honored to have learned about all the great things he did for affordable housing.
Thank you to Marc Wallace and Sean Boyles for helping Roan during the final last days. A shout out to Lan Nguyen for capturing daily moments and final shots along with sidekick Gus during these chilly cold days!
Appreciate your continued support. Blessings and Prosperity.
#FirstCommunityHousing #IamseiVillage #RoanVictor #AffordableHousing #installation #mural #SanJose #E7S
SEPTEMBER 9 (FRIDAY) - 6:00 - 9:00pm
Empire Seven Studios will be having an official grand opening at Exhibit Jtown and the opening of “State of Grace Twenty” a new exhibit curated by Taki Kitamura with over 30 artists celebrating the 20 year anniversary of State of Grace Tattoo.
SEPTEMBER 10 (SATURDAY)
JAPANESE AMERICAN MUSEUM SJ - Exhibit hours 5:00-7:00pm / Panel Discussion 5:30-6:30pm
In conjunction with “Creatives of Japantown” art exhibit at the Japanese American Museum of San Jose (JAMsj), this will be an evening panel discussion with Juan Carlos Araujo of Empire Seven Studios , Taki Kitamura of State of Grace Tattoo and Momo Cha who has created some of the chalk art in the neighborhood
Cukui - 6:00 - 9:00pm
Cukui will be having a new community based group photography exhibit
SEPTEMBER 10 (SATURDAY) & SEPTEMBER 11 (SUNDAY) - 12:00PM-5:00PM
Art Market hosted by SJ Makers will be activating the new outdoor space located at Exhibit Jtown
Saturday - music will be provided by Love Talkin’ Sound.
Sunday - music and dancing provided by SF Bay Area Dance Movement (SFBADM).
Empire Seven Studios will be open for 20 year anniversary exhibit.
Each of the participating shops will activate something special. Whether it be an exclusive tshirt, creative activities or a scavenger hunt, make sure you stop by each location to see what's happening!
Biscuits
Classic Loot
Cukui
Empire Seven Studios
Headliners
Japanese American Museum of San Jose (JAMsj)
Plant Theory
Roys Station (Saturday only)
State of Grace Tattoo
Zonkey
Art Object Gallery will have various art studios open!
Chantal Jung Studio
Infuse Glass Studio
Jacquelin de Leon Studio
Ken Matsumoto Studio
Know Future Gallery
Lanny Nguyen Photography
#JtownArtWalk #JtownArtWalkSJ #JapantownSJ #SanJoseJapantown @jtownartwalk
“When the Mountain fell in Love with the Sea” new installation by Lacey Bryant @laceybryantart
“In this piece I wanted to create a landscape that is both grand in scale as well as intimate and close, making use of scale shifts to incorporate both a large landscape as well as flower large enough to make the viewer feel like they are Alice walking through a (California) wonderland. I wanted to take the landscape back to the period before the land was developed and celebrate the natural beauty of this place. The figures emerging from the land/seascape embrace to create the “Bay Area” and are also a celebration of the connections between those who are grown here and those who came from across the sea to help make this region what it is today.” -Lacey Bryant
Made possible by the Ryland Mews HOA. Special Thanks to Paula Schnur for her dedication to community projects. Marie Millares for connecting local organizers & producers, creating opportunities for artists.
It’s been a very hot couple of weeks, but we did it!! A special thank you and shout out to Marc Wallace and Stephen Longoria for working extremely hard the last few weeks assisting and helping us manage operations on-site, and photographer Lanny Nguyen for documenting beautiful photos in the trenches with us. Final photo will be coming soon!
As always our #E7S PM-BD department Stacey Kellogg and Jennifer Ahn.
Thanks to all the amazing people we met, and brought us snacks, cold refreshments, and great company.
See you soon at Lacey’s Art exhibit reception this Saturday!
Empire Seven Studios is so excited to present “WALLFLOWERS” a surprise pop up art exhibit with new works by Lacey Bryant @laceybryantart
“Wallflowers is a series of oil paintings on wallpaper scraps. The figures which emerge from the patterns display a range of emotions related to their partially obscured nature. Some find solace in being hidden, others are straining to escape or to be heard. Whether chosen or imposed upon them, the barriers grown into patterns define them.” - Lacey Bryant
#Empire #Seven #Studios #Empire7Studios #LaceyBryant #BayArea #Women #Art
State of Grace Tattoo was founded by Taki “Ryudaibori” Kitamura in September of 2002. Originally located on Berryessa Road, Taki moved the shop to the San Jose Japantown neighborhood in 2009. With the support of the Dobashi Family, State of Grace reopened the second floor of the historic Shanghai Building. While definitely seen as a home of traditional Japanese tattooing, including two resident artists straight from Japan, the diverse staff strives to offer an authentic experience for the discerning collector.
In addition to a full time tattoo schedule, the shop has been involved in publishing, museum exhibitions, lectures, art shows, murals and Horitomo’s lifestyle brand: Monmon Cats
ARTIST ROSTER (with their IG handles):
Akoni Gumataotao @watufukas
Alan Pham @alanpham
Berto Garcia @itsbertogarcia
Big Meas @bigmeas
Britton McFetridge @brittyb916
Chris Alta @chrisaltaa
Christopher Brand @cbrandworks
Coatl @xiucoatlmeji
Colin Kenji Baker @colinbaker
Dan Smith @dansmithism
Deno @denotattoo
Doug Hardy @tattoosbydoughardy
Drew Flores @doryu_san
En aka Horizaru @en_horizaru
Frank Ball Jr @frankballjr
Horifuji @fuji_stateofgrace
Horifuku @horifuku
Horitomo @horitomo_stateofgrace
Jakoh Cix @jakoh_kurikaratattoo
Jason Eisenberg @jasoneisenberg73
Jose Guevara Morales @cheeseburgerchampio
Juan Puente @classicjua
Junko Shimada-junii @junii_shimada
Kenji Stoll @_yokenji
Matt Shamah @mattshamah
Mike Suarez @mike_suarez
Molly Kitamura @knivesandneedles
Sulu'ape Steve @pacificsoul_steve
Rob Struven @rob_struven_tattoo
Sef Kavafornia @sef_kavafornia
Si'i Liufau @siiliufa
Taki Kitamura @stateofgracetaki
Tyler Harrington @tylerharringtontattoos
#StateOfGraceTattoo #SOG20 #EmpireSevenStudios #E7S #JtownSJ #Japantown #SanJose
Friday, June 3, 2022 – Sunday, November 6, 2022
Wayfinder: Juan Carlos Araujo is a public art project that encourages visitors to explore the heart of downtown San José. Commissioned by the San José Museum of Art, 40 streetlight banners designed by Araujo with bright, ebullient colors and dynamic imagery are installed along East Santa Clara Street between Market and 20th streets. Each banner features similar yet unique details of Serpiente Emplumada, a large mural painted by the artist in 2020. Araujo’s abstract and vivid patterns recall the dynamic underwater movements of schooling fish or the unfurled wings of a bird. Sited along the main traffic corridor connecting East San José with the city’s urban core, Araujo’s installation combines personal and cultural motifs to celebrate the energy of the area’s legendary lowrider car culture and to honor ancestral connections.
Launched in 2021, Wayfinder is a new commissioning program by SJMA that invites Bay Area artists to design streetlight banners for temporary display in downtown San José. Juan Carlos Araujo is the second artist invited for this series, which offers pedestrians, commuters, residents, and Museum visitors continuous access to contemporary art as part of SJMA’s overarching goal to become a borderless museum, essential to creative life throughout the diverse communities of San José and Silicon Valley. Wayfinder reimagines existing banner infrastructure as a venue for public art, enlivening city streets with cutting-edge art and design.
ABOUT THE ARTIST
Juan Carlos Araujo is an artist, community organizer, and director of Empire Seven Studios (E7S), a contemporary art space located in San José. Araujo cofounded E7S with his partner, Jennifer Ahn, in 2008, and together they have provided opportunities for local and global artists through public art initiatives, innovative pop-up shows, and gallery exhibitions. The artist grew up on East Santa Clara Street and remembers hanging out with friends and cruising the boulevard as a teenager. On Sundays, he would stand in line for a free meal at Roosevelt Park and then walk across the street to Chaparral Supermarket to buy groceries using food stamps. For Araujo, East Santa Clara Street was a lifeline and a lively, vibrant place. A self-taught painter with a background in graffiti and street art, Araujo creates large-scale public murals that often combine numerous small, painterly marks with striking colors to impart a sense of vitality, movement, and flow. His work evokes the spiritual energy of generations of people who have coursed through a place and honors the sacred, ancestral realms of nature.
SUPPORT
Wayfinder: Juan Carlos Araujo is supported by the SJMA Exhibitions Fund, with a generous contribution from First Tech Federal Credit Union.
Operations and programs at the San José Museum of Art are made possible by generous support from the Museum's Board of Trustees, US Small Business Administration, Internal Revenue Service, a Cultural Affairs Grant from the City of San José, the Lipman Family Foundation, the Richard A. Karp Charitable Foundation, Yvonne and Mike Nevens, The David and Lucile Packard Foundation, The Yellow Chair Foundation, the John S. and James L. Knight Foundation, Brook Hartzell and Tad Freese, the SJMA Director's Council and Council of 100, the San José Museum of Art Endowment Fund established by the John S. and James L. Knight Foundation at the Silicon Valley Community Foundation, and The William Randolph Hearst Foundation.
SPONSORS
THIS IS THE WAY
Art Show & Soft Grand Opening in Collaboration with San Jose Walls.
Did you know? In 1968, the song “Do You Know The Way To San Jose” was released and it has branded our City ever since. Around 2005, Team San Jose (formally the SJ Convention and Visitors Bureau) created the slogan “This Is The Way.” Fast forward to 2019, The Mandalorian premiered with “This Is The Way” and has become a global sensation in conjunction with Star Wars epic George Lucas films; a production seeded in Silicon Valley!
Episode II, come start the journey with us! Our first exhibit will feature artists who are participating and contributing to the longest public art corridor in the Bay Area; located on the Guadalupe River Park Gardens 2.5 mile long corridor.
Seeing murals on a big wall helps gain the interest of patrons to support artists by purchasing smaller artworks created in their studios. In this exhibit you will have an opportunity to champion your favorite artist, and purchase some of their work. Worldwide Walls and its sister cities like San Jose represent a gathering of contemporary artists that engages with the broader community in the process of creation of art. This is the Way.
“This is The Way” is the future; a slogan to be highlighted and featured in our annual exhibition, campaigns, and so much more.
Artists Roster:
Alan Pham @alanpham
Alberto Garcia @itsbertogarcia
Alfonso Salazar @alfsal
Andrew Schoultz @aschoultz
Bryan Sanchez @bryansanchezzzzz
Catrina Sida @catrina_seed
Eddie Ramirez @eddieramirezish
Edgar Sanchez @sanchez9215
Frank Facio @frankie4fingers_
Horitomo @horitomo_stateofgrace
Ian Lundie @1ill510
Jacquelin de Leon @jacquelindeleon
Jeff Quintano @jeffquintano
Jennifer Gonzalez @jenniegonzmedia
Joe Gonzalez @uglyeye
Jordan Gabriel @jgabrielart
Kristina Micotti @kristinamicotti
Lanny Nguyen @lannysphotos
Melissa Manuel @melchonattack
Monmon Cats @monmoncats
Orly Locquiao @orlycukui
Patrick Hofmeister @hofmeister.art
Ricardo Gonzalez @gonzoetattoos
Roan Victor @roanvictor
Shayne Oseguera @pacish1
Sylvia De La Garza @anglsndemns
Trudy Levy @glevyartist
Tyler Harrington @tylerharringtontattoos
Yoshi 47@yoshi_47
#ThisIsTheWaySJ Let's go!
Design by @indievrocker
This SJ Walls film below is a documentation of an outdoor gallery of murals along the Guadalupe River Park and Gardens in partnership with the Guadalupe River Park Conservancy (GRPC), creating the longest public art corridor in the Bay Area. To read the full write up we did on the SJ Walls blog, visit HERE
Heading into our fifth year, the Guadalupe River Park Conservancy and San Jose Walls will continue expanding the Art Walk by bringing 17 local artists for nine new installations at four different sites along the trail, which is located on a low-line below the city’s street level. This will be the first festival among the Worldwide network to center the murals along a natural waterway. Our shared vision is to use the Guadalupe River Park and Gardens as a natural public art gallery to create a series of new art installations that become a permanent cultural destination in downtown San Jose. For more info and full calendar of events, visit HERE
I wanted to take a moment to wish you a Happy New Year, and thank you for all the kind years of support. Although we are not physically curating free monthly exhibits, we continue to support artists by representing them in some amazing commission opportunities.
We have brought on new team members that make our projects a success; elevating our experiences by showcasing local and international talent collectively and creating a global network with no barriers or limitations to our creative process.
These last series of projects are specifically special to me due to the growth through our Artist-Owned Gallery & Art Production Firm has achieved in the last couple of years. Bringing on Stacey Kellogg, a professional consultant and business development strategist, has benefited our small business tremendously by financially creating sustainable opportunities for creatives.
Jennifer and I sincerely appreciate the genuine love and support you give us with an authentic community experience.
Jennifer Ahn, Juan Carlos Araujo, Stacey Kellogg (photo by Jennifer Gonzalez)
Jennifer Gonzalez is an award-winning visual storyteller based out of the San Francisco Bay Area. She studied at San Jose State University and graduated with Bachelors degrees in Journalism and English Literature in 2017.
Jennifer has a passion for all things visually engaging - from photography to documentary filmmaking to aerial cinematography. She is a trained Mōvi Freefly operator and an FAA licensed drone pilot. Her goal is to combine interactive multimedia with the power of storytelling in an effort to leave a lasting impact on audiences.
She previously worked at NBC Bay Area and Telemundo 48 as a Digital Video Journalist.
Frank Facio and Jennifer Gonzalez
Jennifer Gonzalez Media has documented every project we have produced since 2020, and has brought on board a team of students and young BIPOC film makers to capture the awesome content you see on SJ Walls social medias, blogs, and Empire Seven Studios news outlets.
Looking ahead we are working around the clock to reopen our Gallery doors, and bring San Jose Walls festival this spring! We appreciate you tuning and being part of the journey, please share with your friends and tell to them join us and subscribe.
Peace on earth,
Juan Carlos Araujo
Empire Seven Studios launched their first artist in residence program for the LinkedIn campus in Sunnyvale California. Artist Jaque Fragua created a mural of hope in Silicon Valley; the tech capitol of the world.
Fragua connects to ancestral energy, creating sacred murals with symbols, textiles, designs, prayer and motifs that represent indigenous stories in our contemporary times. A unique experience was commissioned to launch the return back to work. Our team's expertise beyond murals are lifelong experiences with people in the process of creating art. If we sign up for the work it's because our partners have given thought to equity, inclusion, and most importantly freedom of expression.
Collaborating with partners that understand our vision is our strength and in return we strive to produce the best work. LinkedIn Design and Build worked closely with our art firm to curate an experience employees would resonate with. Through our process and business developing strategies, we prepared to navigate interaction with hundreds of employees in one week to produce a mural. Due to the second wave of the pandemic we decided to cancel the event.
Moving forward was the only way and it was decided that the design was to be solely completed by Fragua and his assistants. Patterns weave intentional with the juxtaposition of architectural post design and deck railings that weave quilted patterns through the trail of linear steel cables, aluminum and wood. The wall provides white negative spaces balancing the amount of color from top to bottom, and the LinkedIn interior design. Flawlessly it's a traditional mosaic quilted blanket with simplicity of shape shadow and mathematical technique shows it’s formulated from some years of experience. Jaque’s work is a process with the intention to preserve, and educate people about his culture with visual prayers or performance.
It's been a humbling experience finally having the opportunity to work with a company like LinkedIn. Curating in one the main campuses in the Silicon Valley has been our dream, and we are living that moment.
We look forward to continuing to build on our relationship with LinkedIn as this was our our second collaboration with the worldwide brand. The first project took place last summer in Mexico City in collaboration with Artsynonym which featured several artists creating unique pieces for the new offices. Link HERE for blog write up.
Artist Bio:
Jaque Fragua is an indigenous artist, whose work features visions drawn from traditional Native American ceramics, blankets, tattoo designs and more. Fragua authentically repurposes his culture’s iconography, which conceptually subverts our overconsumption of misappropriated Native American design and identity.
Jaque Fragua is an acclaimed multi-media artist from Jemez Pueblo, New Mexico. From his cultural background, he has developed a yearning for creativity and for the intrinsic process that is Art. Experimenting with various mediums, such as aerosol, found-objects, earthworks, poetry and music; messages of civil unrest, social justice, and emotional introspection and personal healing have heartened his unique perspective on life through art.
Fragua has studied at the Institute of American Indian Arts, and in turn, has taught many community-based workshops, such as mural projects/public-art studies, and studio classes for figure drawing and painting. Fragua has worked with fine establishments such as the Smithsonian National Museum of the American Indian, Institute of American Indian Arts, and Museum of Indian Arts & Culture to produce progressive/innovative exhibits concerning the plight of Native America.
Portrait and final photos by: Jennifer Gonzalez Media
Empire Seven Studios recently accomplished a collection of curated murals inside Yahoo! (Y!); one of Silicon Valley’s prominent companies. A hyperlocal artist roster was selected featuring Camer1, Jorge Camacho (J.Duh), Roan Victor, Ryan Bubnis, and Trav. This group was invited to paint a “love letter” to the California experience.
Yahoo’s new campus in San Jose provides interior design elements which showcases a variety of architecture and textures. Inside the paseo, the essence highlights northern and southern California elements such as natural redwoods/habitats to industry/suburban cities living in the tech capital of the world. Artist’s concepts focus on their hometown somewhere between or along the West Coast.
Roan Victor’s installation is located at the “Open Lounge”, a south entrance and lobby. An overgrown garden with larger than life tall grass constructed of pixelated abstract colorful shapes to the ceiling. Serenity landscapes resembling a house view from the yard to the hillside of the valley. Native flowers, such as the Iris, weave into the installed wooden casita structures designed for employee meetings and daily operations. Along the corridor is decorated with house plants, contrasting Victor’s bold color palette from a distance; day and night bringing together the entire south end of the building in harmony.
Camer1’s two story “Stairwell” is directly across from the main building; connecting the first floor cafeteria, and upstairs gym which is facing the outdoor basketball court. His walls can be viewed from several angles on campus which showcases monarch butterflies, avocados, a scrub jay, and plush succulents; all species native to the Bay Area. A unique LED “saber light” installation draws in a interactive playful placement of art and functional lighting.
Jorge Camacho painted an outdoor “Basketball Court.” His design for the company’s unofficial basketball team features in motion cartoon arms and hands dribbling a variety of the Valley of The Heart's Delight memorabilia which include a fresh peach, a brain with a sim card, a fishbowl with a shark that looks like it’s ready to jump through the hoop. Jorge’s mural immerses an entire wall and floor dripping with a cool teal, accompanied with a striped basketball court key. A purple 8-bit pixel design breaks off from the wall giving it a futuristic-like platform and multi-dimensional effect from a birds eye view. Accessible from the parking garage, employees will see this space daily walking into the campus.
Ryan Bubnis painted a “Pop Up Shop”, where the illustrations represent a modern textile pattern. The bold iconic symbols connected to graffiti, skateboarding, and nature; are on the boutique’s façade. A striking white brick wall where even tan colors loudly pop, next to California poppies, a 6 foot purple quail skater in the hallway and Ryan’s overall signature style. Abstract shapes in all colors compliment the interior design arrangements perfectly. Every component of the art is synchronized with the entire design and connected with the surrounding color palettes. In the surrounding areas, you will find the Yahoo insider culture which includes a 70’s mini cooper, a red telephone booth from England, and the infamous purple cow.
Trav’s “Hot Spot”, south of the road map in the paseo, resonates Los Angeles bodegas and corrugated store fronts which still represent a classic Americana era; small businesses boasting hand-painted signage, canopies, neon lighting, even large donuts still sit on top of buildings in LA. Trav’s inspiration comes from wanting to preserve and share a story of an antiquity, industry transpired in a setting where technology is profuse. The aesthetics of old and new combining forces bring nostalgia, a perfect opportunity for conversation and collaboration.
Our team is a group of local creatives, curators, and producers based in San Jose who are passionate about the arts:
Stacey Kellogg for Business Development and Project Management
Shayne Oseguera for Production Support
Juan Carlos Araujo for Operations and Production Management
Jennifer Ahn for Administrative, Photography and Social Media
Jennifer Gonzalez and Frank Facio for Photography and Film Production
Here are some amazing photographs by Bernardo Grijalva showing some of our work within the Yahoo! landscape with very awesome design elements!
Roan Victor is a fine art painter, muralist, youth arts educator based in San Jose, CA. Lush foliage, textile patterns and figures in passive poses are common subject matters in Roan’s paintings. Her recent works, in watercolor and gouache, explore the dichotomy of strength and vulnerability presented in a delicate balance. Visually, her paintings are rendered in detail, with thoughtful intricacies mixed with bold and decisive strokes and use of color. These also reflect in her murals and oversized paintings, the same elements painted larger than life.
Ryan Bubnis is a multi-disciplinary artist, illustrator, and educator based in Portland, Oregon. Bold, graphic and deceptively simple, Bubnis’ imagery lives in the space between the abstract and representational. Equally influenced by DIY culture, art history, illustration, and design, he explores themes of memory, nostalgia, good vibes, and the human condition. Bubnis has collaborated with a number of commercial clients and agencies and his work has been exhibited across the U.S. and abroad. He is currently an Assistant Professor at The Pacific Northwest College of Art and is usually covered in cat hair.
Cameron "Camer1" Moberg's art often has a theme of life, nature, positivity and spirituality. Growing up surrounded by concrete buildings and urban blight, Cameron wanted to contrast his surroundings by changing the mood of his community. Bringing nature into a place where nature is lacking can often inspire and bring warmth to a cold, hard environment. Painting things of love and hope can often help someone make better decisions and continue persevering in hard times. Cameron resides in San Francisco with his wife and two sons where he paints murals and canvases. He is heavily involved in his community teaching classes for all ages. He curates gallery shows and art festivals as his desire is to see other artists pursue their passion or art and business.
TRAV is a Los Angeles-based artist who has made a name for himself painting graffiti on walls and trains throughout the United States. His work documents current times in society as we evolve from the physical world and emerge into the digital space. He pays homage to the craftsmanship of an older generation while embracing current technology to produce his work. Trav has chosen to focus on creating public work around this narrative to give back to the community. Collaging photographs of vintage signs and handcrafted typography, arranging them in various compositions that interact with geometric patterns. Bouncing between studio, public, and commercial work cohesively, staying true to his narrative and true to himself. He believes “living life on your own terms'' is essential to his process. Trav’s work stands somewhere between fine art, and graffiti; he has moved beyond the sphere of traditional graffiti to occupy a more permanent legacy.
Jorge “J.Duh” Camacho is a first generation Nicaraguense, self-taught artist who paints full time in San José, California. The San José born and raised illustrator expresses himself through classic Americana hand-painted signage with a cool punch line and street culture influence. In the past few years J.Duh has been able to execute dozens of large scale murals, as well as designs around the Bay Area. His work can be found at Eastridge Mall, San Jose Giants Stadium, Oracle, Nutanix , City of Palo Alto, California’s Great America, and now the Yahoo! San José Campus.
Photo credit:
Finals and portraits by Jennifer Gonzalez / In progress shots by Jennifer Ahn (E7S)
It is a pleasure for Empire Seven Studios x POW! WOW! San Jose x Artsynonym to present their first collaboration together in Mexico City, for LinkedIn Design & Build, where the work of four Mexican artists was curated and produced on site: Holalou, It's a living, Smithe and Ricardo Luevanos. Inspired by the LinkedIn mission to connect people, the global collaborators and artists carried out six artistic interventions in the first LinkedIn offices in the country.
Large-format pieces now decorate the conference rooms, as well as the lobby, in the offices located on a 16th floor on Paseo de la Reforma, next to the emblematic Chapultepec Castle, on one of the main avenues of this great city.
The themes on which the pieces are focused seek to highlight celebrated places in Mexico such as Taxco, Palenque, Dolores Hidalgo and Casa Azul.
Holalou’s artwork located in the first conference room corresponding to Palenque, have a palette of calming colors and minimalist shapes that resemble the iconic Aqueological sites of Palenque, its colossal sunrise and sunsets that culminate in a dense and humid jungle. Lines that represent the falling rain and a relaxing version of its lively green water-colored natural pools that play with visual balance for a soft but strong composition.
Likewise, her piece corresponding to the Taxco room, takes into account the colorful architecture of Taxco, the eclectic craftsmanship, culture centered on minerals, and that the rich tones of terracotta-looking oranges appear next to the traditional blue tones of Taxco. Details such as a bright sun shining on the mountains of the city, as well as dried flora are included in this piece.
On the other hand, the piece by Ricardo Luévanos, corresponding to Dolores Hidalgo conference room, seeks to represent how Mexico's war of independence was a political problem and social process that took place for eleven years and began precisely in Dolores Hidalgo on September 16th of 1810 and ended on September 27th, 1821 by liberating Mexico from Spanish rule.
His artwork represents the fight for freedom, where a Mexican bird defends its roots represented by an endemic cactus from Dolores, Hidalgo. This is a way to bring a historical event with a contemporary aesthetic onto two canvases, through paint, wood blocks, and a hanging acrylic installation that complements the piece.
Next, the large-format piece by Smithe located in Casa Azul conference room incorporates elements from the house of Frida Kahlo and Diego Rivera, where the kitchen tiles and talavera vases are very characteristic within the space. The green area in the background also represents the importance of plants and vegetation and the constant of skulls inside the house also add to Smithe's artwork. Finally, the architecture and color also represents the importance of these elements in Casa Azul and Coyoacán area, which is the area where this emblematic artistic space is located.
Likewise, for his pieces of tiles, which are found in the rest area of the office, Smithe reflects the same line of showing the importance of art in tiles and talavera that are not only found in areas such as Coyoacán, but throughout Mexico as they represent an important part of the artistic development of Puebla, Oaxaca and Veracruz, to name a few.
Last but not least when entering the LinkedIn offices, the artwork in the hall is by the artist It's a Living, also known as Ricardo González. His piece carries a significant message with the phrase: Nuestra Herencia / "Our Heritage", highly linked to the importance of Mexico as a collective culture. The colors that predominate are colors not only of Mexico City, but also colors of the graphic identity of LinkedIn. A reminder of the positive impact that companies and communities can have when they work together to improve our spaces.
A special thank you to the media team:
Videography - Julio Bohorquez and Gladys Gonzalez / Editing - Victor Espinosa / Photography - Julio Bohorquez
It's a living (Durango, Mexico)
It's a living is not just a statement, but also a philosophy of life for Ricardo González, a designer and artist from Durango, Mexico who currently lives in Brooklyn. His signature writing style can be easily recognized from large-scale murals, to commercial work for some of the biggest brands, or a simple street print.
The ambiguity in the typographic messages continually creates a dialogue between the viewer and the artwork. "A word is an image" and an image can be interpreted in many ways. The direct approach of typography has been a path of exploration where the main objective is to question our daily life and produce a positive impact. After all, it is a way of making a living.
Luisa Salas, better known as Hola Lou is a Mexican illustrator and artist. Her work explores the local flora and fauna in visual illusions, simple figures, and bright colors. She is a Mexican artist and illustrator based in the Mexican Caribbean. Lou focuses on the development of scenes, objects, and abstract situations, drawing on some of the main foundations of visual design: color theory, balance, and graphic composition.
Her paintings and illustrations have been the result of years of observation and understanding of the balance in the local flora and fauna. Currently, Lou's style is based on minimalism and modernism, always having a touch of ‘Geometric Abstraction’ - an artistic style that unfolds in visual illusions, simple figures and high contrast colors.
Ricardo Luévanos (Guadalajara, Mexico)
He lives and works in Guadalajara, Mexico. In his work he explores concerns and longings that coincide with the viewer, taking emotional aspects as a starting point. Maximalist saturation and references to flora and fauna are key in his artwork and appear in it through various techniques such as collage, illustration and digitization of drawing and photography.
In recent years he has worked metaphors of different species of birds with the human being, as well as fusions of analog and digital in pieces that capture different periods and processes, in addition to specializing in the production of textile prints.
Her work can be found in galleries, magazines, album covers, and national and international clothing lines.
Smithe is an illustrator, designer, sculptor, and musician. An artist who prefers to recognize himself as an illustrator, but who passes seamlessly from canvas to a wall, from sculpture to music, to streetwear design and back to drawing. A 'superstar' creator according to Pharrell Williams himself and at the same time a simple and self-taught young man. He is proof that if there is talent and dedication, recognition falls without seeking it.
His style is recognized by the surreal defragmentation of the characters within his work. He is influenced by local comics, 1950s graphic style, and science fiction movies. He started painting graffiti at age of 13 for fun. Always drawn to the fine arts, Smithe has experimented with existentialism and human individuality to reinvent his own style every day.
About Artsynonym:
Artysonym is a leading house in creative management and a dynamic liaison led by Enriqueta Arias, which is dedicated to building bridges between artists and partners who want to communicate in an artistic way, whether through murals, exhibitions, residencies and artistic strategies.
Based in Mexico City, but with a global focus, we have an international network of more than 200 artists, curators, designers, art consultants, festivals, brands, museums and galleries.
Some of our clients are: Nike, Gucci, Gaia, Netflix, MLB, Shake Shack, WeWork, LinkedIn, Adobe, Apple, United Colors of Benetton, Nestlé, Stella Artois, L'Oréal, Sony, Universal Music, Rappi, among others .
About POW! WOW! San Jose and Empire Seven Studios:
POW! WOW! San Jose, established in 2017, is an internationally-branded and locally-led arts and culture festival rooted from a collective of San Jose artists and creatives from Empire Seven Studios—a contemporary urban art gallery and cultural institution in Japantown, San Jose, California. The organization leads are Co-Directors Juan Carlos Araujo, Stacey Kellogg, and Jennifer Ahn. Collectively, the PWSJ team has produced over 60 murals throughout the City in various neighborhoods with a focus on under-served communities. Established in 2008, Empire Seven Studios (E7S), advocates for local and global artists by creating opportunities to elevate and highlight emerging talents on a grand scale. E7S has enhanced the San Jose art scene by bringing life to the city through murals, innovative pop-up shows, and gallery exhibits. E7S has evolved as a meeting place for artists of different disciplines to engage and connect with the public.
Join us virtually to celebrate the latest mural by Alfonso Salazar "We Are Still Here," with an unveiling ceremony in partnership with the Muwekma Ohlone Council, and Calpulli Tonalehqueh. We'll be celebrating the work with an artist Q&A, formal commendations for the Muwekma Ohlone Council, and a ceremony performance from Calpulli Tonalehqueh.
While we had hoped to celebrate this mural with you all in person, the current rise in COVID-19, has shifted our plans and we'll be streaming the event live Saturday, August 21 from 11:00am-12:00pm on Instagram Live @powwowsanjose. Link to register HERE
The Guadalupe River, formerly known as the Thámien River, is an under-appreciated lifeline in our community. When our team commenced programming along the river in 2020, it became abundantly clear the area was in deep need. Adding new public art is only part of the solution - environmental, social, and spiritual healing are also needed. The incorporation of traditional methods and indigenous practices from local tribes can continue to help us cleanse and bring spiritual healing to spaces like the River Trail.
This ceremony allows us to advocate in prayer, song, and dance as we continue our efforts to create the longest public art corridor in the Bay Area, stewarded by our collaborating partners and friends at the Guadalupe River Park Conservancy.
Join us to learn more about the new mural, our collaboration with artist Alfonso Salazar and the Muwekma Ohlone Council, and the ways you can get involved to support the Conservancy.
Missed blogging about the AIR#3 here on the E7S site but you can go read the full write up at this LINK
Sincerely,
Carlos, Stacey and Jennifer
Alfonso Salazar was born in 1962 at and grew up near Penitencia Creek off of McKee and White Road in SJ. His parents immigrated to San Jose from Mexico in 1958. He was one of the first students to attend Independence High School in 1976 where he studied as many art electives available.
Influenced by Walt Disney, cartoons on TV, comic strips, books and Mad Magazine. Alfonso often drew caricatures of his classmates and teachers and became the school’s first cartoonist for their newspaper.
Alfonso studied at the Otis Art Institute in Los Angeles. Known for the El Tarasco mural that was painted in 1986 then whitewashed in 2011 when a new owner moved in. The mural was his largest work after he graduated from Otis. He later became a graphic designer and clerk for the postal service.
In the coming weeks, we'll be sharing more about Alfonso's residency, for his mural along the Guadalupe River Trail for POW! WOW! San Jose and the Guadalupe River Park Conservancy
Now that many of you have seen the progress and final photos of Kristina Micotti’s 2,550 sq ft mural along the Guadalupe River Trail, this will be an opportunity to join in on our virtual Unveiling where we will be premiering a short film of her experience!
This Thursday, March 18 from 6:00-7:00pm, moderated by Juan Carlos Araujo, one of the PWSJ Directors, and Trami Cron, founder of Chopsticks Alley; who will be diving into the topic of “Southeast Asian Artists in the Arts."
ZOOM link HERE
During this hour, in celebration of Women History Month, we will also be having a panel discussion with the many women on our team. From the creative team (photography, videography, graphc/web design) to the PWSJ Directors and GRPC team who make this a cohesive experience. We celebrate Women's History Month to remind ourselves of the accomplishments of women throughout the years to our culture and society. From science to politics to the arts. It is a chance to reflect on the trailblazing women who lead the way for change.
A shout out to Alca and Carlos of Drink and Draw and Dan of Art Boutiki for providing their virtual platform. Since 2018, Alca Usan and Carlos Velazquez have served as co-hosts of the monthly Art Boutiki Drink and Draw, a free, all-ages social drawing and all-vinyl music night at the Art Boutiki. Once we wrap up our event, we are inviting folks to stay on and join us in the Drink and Draw from 7:00-9:00pm where folks can draw items to share with us to influence future projects along the GRPC!
We are thankful for the sponsors and partnerships in their commitment to the arts, culture and public spaces in our City! Looking forward to adding more art in and around the trail to create the “Bay Area’s Longest Public Art Corridor!
To help support, visit link HERE
