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| MAKE RECOLECCIONES AT THE KING LIBRARY A DOWNTOWN DESTINATION THIS SEASON! |
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The Dr. Martin Luther King Library is a great destination during these shorter, cooler days when indoor activities can be even more inviting. The Library is home to Recolecciones, the public art collection created by an artist team led by Mel Chin. Recolecciones contains 34 artworks that vary widely in form: they include functional installations such as chairs, tables and shelves as well as wall paneling, sculptural ceilings, technology-driven works, and more traditional sculpture.  Recolecciones is designed to pay homage to the Library's collections; the artworks are site specific, with adjacencies to various Library collections that add context and layers of meaning. Recolecciones is intended to pique interest and curiosity and to encourage exploration of the Library. Some pieces are sited to provide an element of surprise or a sense of mystery and wonder. Some of the concepts are invested with a sense of humor and quick wit, others are designed for reflection or contemplation, and some may require repeat visits to discover them.  Recoleciones can be best viewed in live visits to the Dr. Martin Luther King Library. A free Recolecciones brochure is available at the Library Information Desk; it provides information and pictures of all 34 artworks, a guide to their locations throughout the facility, and information on the artist and his collaborators.
The collection can also be explored in great detail online from the comfort of home or another location: go to www.sjlibrary.org/mlkart, Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Library's informative webpage about the Recolecciones collection: a docent-led video tour of Recolecciones is also available on this site. The Recolecciones brochure is also available from the San Jose Public Art Program: details on how to request a brochure are at the bottom of this newsletter. Lead artist Mel Chin is an internationally recognized artist, known for creating works in a broad range of media and scale including objects, temporary installations and permanent public artworks. His works often join cross-cultural aesthetics with complex ideas including political and ecological issues. His current effort Fundred seeks to raise national awareness to abate a critical environmental hazard in post-Katrina New Orleans. For more information about Chin go to www.wikipedia.org or www.fundred.org . Rosetta: Rosetta's glass face is permanently etched with the inscription from the original Rosetta Stone. Behind the glass is an LED board on which appear fleeting digital messages, including an anthology of multi-lingual writing from or about San José, a bulletin board for public announcements related to the library, and hexagrams from the Chinese classic Book of Changes.
Migration:The path of Migration begins with the ascension of thousands of brilliantly colored cast metal Monarch butterflies along the brilliant blue wall of the South East stairwell. The butterflies escape the stairwell and migrate toward the book stacks resting on the ceiling.
Golden Gate: The gateway to the Library's Special Collections displays 88 golden carburetors. The construction of the gateway recalls the form of the Golden Gate Bridge, an emblem of the utopian hopes and dreams of California and an organic part of the state's highway culture. |
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PUBLIC ART COMMITTEE |
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The Public Art Committee will hold its regular monthly meeting on Tuesday, November 17, 2009 at 5:30 P.M. The following discussion and action items are on the agenda:
1. CONCEPT DESIGN REVIEW
Approval of Concept Design proposal for the Water Pollution Control Plant public art project by artist Mark Brest van Kempen. (CityWide) .
2. DESIGN DEVELOPMENT REVIEW
Approval of the Design Development proposal by Bill Fontana for the Jet Way Platform as part of the Art & Technology Norman Y. Mineta San Jose International Airport 2008-2010 Program. (CityWide) .
3. DISCUSSION ITEM Update on "Wind and Wood" project for the Norman Y. Mineta San Jose International Airport Rotating Artworks Program 2008-2010. (CityWide).
Public Art Committee meetings are open to the public. The meeting is in City Hall, 200 E. Santa Clara Street, Meeting Room W-119 in the Council Wing.
The Public Art Committee, a sub-committee of the Arts Commission, is advisory to the Commission and to San Jose City Council. The Public Art Committee monitors and provides oversight in the artist selection, development and design review of public art projects throughout the City. |
| PUBLIC EXHIBITIONS, EVENTS & MORE |
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Current listings for November- December 2009 as of newsletter distribution
CITY HALL - CURRENT EXHIBITIONS
This is San José Calling! Celebrating 100 Years of Radio Broadcasting, sponsored by History San Jose and KCBS. (In City Windows Gallery, the storefront exhibition space located at City Hall along the 4th Street facade.)
Hidden Heritages: Six African American Families, San Jose 1860-1920 (In City Hall Tower, Santa Clara St. Lobby)
Six of San Jose's pioneer black families are brought to life in portraits pieced together from historical facts and public records, family recollections, artifacts, old photographs and artist renderings, each telling the story of a unique community from a different perspective and providing a poignant glimpse into San Jose's past during a pivotal period in history.
Face2Face: Highlights from the Student Art Collection at the Santa Clara County Office of Education (In Tower, 18th Floor Mayor and Council Office Lobby Gallery)
Featuring artwork created by children in conjunction with the Young Artists Showcase, sponsored by the San Jose Water Company.
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| PLEASE HELP SHAPE SAN JOSE'S FUTURE!
IT'S EASY: TAKE THE CULTURAL VISION PLAN ONLINE SURVEY |
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CULTURAL VISION PLAN TOWN HALL MEETING
The Envision San Jose 2040 General Plan Update is creating the blueprint for the City's future growth and development. As part of this effort, the Office of Cultural Affairs is developing a Cultural Vision Plan that will provide a vision for cultural development in San Jose.
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TWO FUN WAYS TO EXPLORE PUBLIC ART IN DOWNTOWN SAN JOSE |
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Create your own walking tour!
Here are two ways you can enjoy public art in Downtown San Jose.
DOWNTOWN PUBLIC ART MAP - Updated 2009 Edition Now Available!
The San Jose Public Art Program's colorful, informative map of public art projects in downtown San Jose has recently been updated. The 2009 Downtown Public Art Map is a fun and easy way to see public in downtown San Jose.
Use it to create your own walking tour and include opportunities to stop and enjoy other features in the district including museums, galleries and restaurants.
RECOLECCIONES: THE MARTIN LUTHER KING, JR. LIBRARY PUBLIC ART COLLECTION
The Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Library includes an award-winning collection of more than 34 site-specific public artworks in locations throughout the library. Finding them is a process of exploration, discovery and is filled with surprises! A free colorful detailed brochure is available from the San Jose Public Art Program that will help you appreciate this extraordinary collection.
You can request a free copy of the 2009 Downtown Public Art Map or the Recolecciones - Library Art Collection brochure. Please e-mail your request to patricia.walsh@sanjoseca.gov, and include your mailing address.
You can also access a printable pdf version of the Downtown Public Art Map on the Public Art webpage of the Office of Cultural Affairs website at San Jose Downtown Public Art Map. |
| MISS AN ISSUE OF SAN JOSE PUBLIC ART? FIND IT NOW ONLINE! |
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Visit the online archive to view past issues!
Current and past issues of San Jose Public Art can now be viewed on the Office of Cultural Affairs website on the Public Art webpages.
Go to www.sanjoseculture.org. |
| MORE TO COME IN SAN JOSE PUBLIC ART! |
San José Public Art is the way to keep connected and informed. Please stay with us for future editions.
We welcome your comments, ideas and suggestions. You can e-mail us at publicart@sanjoseca.gov.
Please forward this to people you know who might like to keep informed about public art in San José.
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