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San Jose Public Art e-News
  The Online Newsletter of the City of San Jos Public Art Program 
August 2010Volume 3, Issue 8
In This Issue
Artworks Enliven San Fernando Street
Public Art Committee: Next Meeting July 20, 2010
City Hall - Current Exhibits
Explore Public Art
San Jose Public Art - Online Archive
Quick Links
Join Our List
Join Our Mailing List
Temporary Artworks Enliven San Fernando Street - From Market St. to Diridon Station
 

Six temporary artworks are enlivening  San Fernando Street at locations between the Market Street fa�ade of the San Jose Art Museum to the Diridon Station. The projects enhance and animate this important transit corridor for the hundreds of pedestrians, cyclists, bus riders and drivers that travel it daily and for those who will attend the many festivals and events in the coming months.

 
Each artwork uses some form of technology-supported media. Commissioned by the San Jos� Public Art Program in association with the San Jose Redevelopment Agency and ZER01 they all focus on the theme of the upcoming 01SJ Biennial, "Build Your Own World."  
 
The artworks in this large scale 'urban gallery' can be viewed now through November or as noted below.  Updates, detailed schedules and more information about these projects will soon be available at www.sanjoseculture.org.
 

 

The Poetics of Dis-Communication
Artist:  Patrick Manning
 

Poetry is displayed on the kiosk screens; this one located on Market St. at the Art Museum.

KioskCloseUp
 
The Poetics of Dis-Communication generates poetry from sounds and images in the environment by using publicly displayed text and translating ambient images from the surroundings to create 'poems'.  The poems are presented in two steel kiosks, each containing a 52" monitor along with a webcam, speakers, computer, and other hardware. In creating poems, the webcam is positioned to record images from the areas surrounding the kiosks. The computer analyzes the images and attempts to 'read' them for text to create poems.
 

Poetics of Dis-Communication poem emerges on the screen as it is created.

KioskCloseUp
 
 
WHERE TO FIND IT: There are two Kiosks. One is located at the San Fernando VTA station, the other on southeast corner of Market and San Fernando in front of the San Jose Musem of Art. The archived poems can be found on the artist's website along with more information about the artwork: http://sjpoems.pcmxa.com/ 
 
 
A Floating World: A Camping Ground/Tent City for Displaced Human & Bird Songs
Artists:  Robin Lasser & Marguerite Perret
   

Four of the five tent encampments in A Floating World.

 
KioskCloseUp
A Floating World is a group of five "tent encampment" sculpture installations cantilevered off the Guadalupe River Park overpass on the south side of San Fernando Street, appearing to "float" above the water. The artwork installation, at a site where the built human world and nature converge, explores connections between both and seeks a sustainable balance for both worlds. Each encampment consists of multiple tents made of durable fabric and metal and are animated with sound and light. The tent designs are fashioned after FEMA relief shelters, but are scaled for birds. Each encampment features a different audio element, each one addressing a particular aspect of environmental health including the Guadalupe Watershed, birds, flooding, and the relationship of floods to climate change.The sound installations are activated by passing pedestrians and are interactive: viewers can speak into designated microphones and affect the broadcast sound elements. LED lights inside each of the tents illuminate the project at night.
 
WHERE TO FIND IT: From 8:00 A.M. to 10:00 P.M. daily on the south side of the San Fernando Street Bridge over the Guadalupe Rive, beneath Highway 87.  More information about the project can be found at www.afloatingworld.com .
 
Particle Falls
Artists: Andrea Polli & Chuck Varga
  

Particle Falls image when the air is 'clean" (above) changes when pollutants are detected (below) .

KioskCloseUp
 
Particle Falls uses a large scale image projected on the fa�ade of the AT&T Building on the northeast corner of S. Almaden Blvd. and W. San Fernando St. to examine the subject of air quality. The image, in the form of a waterfall of light, is a real-time data visualization of the amount of particulate matter in the air. The project uses a piece of scientific air monitoring equipment called a nephelometer to measure air quality at the site of the artwork; a computer translates that data into the artwork's  visual imagery. The project's air monitoring is intended to educate the public and to promote air quality improvement
. The artists combine public art with science and online media to stimulate public interaction around the air quality issue.

ParticleFallsOrng

 
WHERE TO FIND IT: Nightly on Almaden Blvd. at the intersection of San Fernando St.
on the Northeast corner. Summer hours are 8:30 P.M. - 12:00 Midnight; the projection  will start earlier as the days get shorter. More information about the project will soon be available at www.particlefalls.org
 .
 
 
A Champion Flock of Weed Eaters
Artist: Jed Berk
 
 

A sheep 'grazing' at the San Fernando VTA Light Rail Station.

SheepatVTAStation
 
Jed Berk's installation of A Champion Flock of Weed Eaters at Diridon Station Green uses the concept of a flock of sheep to reflect on the stewardship of land in urban space. The project is comprised of four main components:  a flock of miniature nomadic sheep, a "green" Barn with a Mother Sheep, a shepherd, and the public. Situated on Diridon Station Green is a "green" barn around which the project is centered. The barn houses the stationary Mother Sheep; she contains a visual display that cycles through images of the smaller sheep. The small sheep are taken throughout the city by a group of urban 'shepherds'. These are members of the public who take the sheep to "graze" throughout the city and transmit images of the sheep back to the Mother Sheep to share information on their urban grazing patterns. The public is encourged to participate in this project.
 
WHERE TO FIND IT: Starting August 23, the shepherds will be onsite at Diridon Station Green and citywide during festivals that occur from late summer to early fall, including the 01SJ Biennial. Details will be available at  www.sanjoseculture.org.
 
 
Mobile Arts Platform (MAP)
Artists: Peter Foucault & Chris Treggiari
 

MAP's Fal-Core Van featuring a live performance at San Jose's Left Coast Live in June.

MAPinAction
 
The Mobile Arts Platform (MAP) is comprised of two large-scale, interactive sculptures that are "activated" by a mobile exhibitions program. MAP brings together Peter Foucault's Fal-Core Van and Chris Treggiari's Mobile Store; these appear in locations throughout the San Fernando Corridor. MAP events include film screenings, visual art display and making, performance art, and live music, featuring local talent from throughout the Bay Area. In essence, they build a temporary, creative microcosm where community and creativity can intersect and flourish.
 
The artists are displaying MAP in San Jose on a number of occasions August through September 2010. The events include a
Community Mural creation event at City View Plaza in which MAP will sponsor a community-engaged mural painting project around the theme of "Build Your Own World" in August;  September 16-19 as part of the 01SJ Biennial MAP will set up a multimedia stage for AbsoluteZero that brings together spoken word artists, a robot interface art creator, computerized animation, and music in an exploration of enhanced creativity.
 
WHERE TO FIND IT: MAP activities will be featured at various locations; please check www.sanjoseculture.org for specific details. More information about MAP can be found at
 
Flag
Artist: Leo Villareal
 

VillrealFlag

Flag, an LED-based light sculpture, is a dynamic representation of the American flag, a potent symbol of national identity. The artist programmed the LED tubes to flicker from bright to dark, from abstract patterns to hints of the Stars and Stripes. Villareal sees the flag not as a static, immutable icon, but rather as a symbol of transition and change. The work was initially created in 2008 in conjunction with the Presidential Election.
  
WHERE TO FIND IT: Southeast corner of San Fernando and Market,
on the north fa�ade of the San Jose Museum of Art (It will be installed in September prior to the 01SJ Biennial and will remain on display through the Leo Villareal exhibit at SJMA, on display through January 9, 2011. 
Public Art Committee
The Public Art Committee will hold its regular monthly meeting on Tuesday, August 17, 2010 at 5:30 P.M.
 
The meeting is in City Hall, 200 E. Santa Clara Street, Council Wing - Meeting Room W-119.
 
The following report, discussion and action items are on the agenda:  
 

STAFF REPORT ITEMS

1. Update on Current Projects.  

2. Update on San Fernando Temporary Artworks 

  

 DISCUSSION & ACTION ITEMS 

1. BUDGET INCREASE REVIEW

a. Approval of an amendment between City of San Jose and Camille Utterback (dba Creative Nerve) toincrease the budget for the public art project Shifting Time for the Art &Technology Norman Y. Mineta San Jose International Airport by $8,500 to

$32,500. (Citywide)

 
2. ARTIST SELECTION REVIEW - no items
 
3. CONCEPT DESIGN REVIEW - no items
 
4. SCHEMATIC DESIGN REVIEW- no items
 
5. DESIGN DEVELOPMENT REVIEW

a. Approval of design development proposals for two events scheduled for the San FernandoCorridor Project Site 4: SR 87 to Market Street by artists by artist Peter

Foucault and Chris Treggiari. (District 3)

 

6. RELOCATION OF ARTWORK REVIEW

a. Relocation of Fallon Statue to accommodate street re-routing. (District 3).

 

7. CONTRACT AMENDMENT REVIEW

a. Action to amend the agreement with BIOS to design, fabricate and install and work of art at Diridon Station Green from a design, fabricate and installation agreement to a design-only agreement. (District 3).

   
 
The full agenda packet can be viewed in a dowloadable format at www.sanjoseculture.org
 
Public Art Committee meetings are open to the public.  
 
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 planning, artist selection, development and design review of public art projects throughout the City. 
City Hall - Current Exhibits

Current listings as of newsletter distribution   

The following exhibits are presented by the City Hall Exhibition Program, a project of the San Jose Public Art Program. All exhibits are free and open to the public. 
 
CURRENT EXHIBITS
 
The Big Idea: Art on a Grand Scale

 
Location:  City Hall Wing Galleria 


 
BenBigArtPainting

 
BenBigArtPaintingThe Big Idea: Art on a Grand Scale
showcases the diverse and extraordinary talent of eleven local artists, all of whom create art works in large-scale format. Scale in art is about much more than size. Rather, it is a tool employed by artists to convey complex and often subtle concepts.  In This exhibit, large two-dimensional works on paper and canvas mingle with sculpture that explores weight and mass through the use of unexpected mediums. The Big Idea: Art on a Grand Scale will be on view through September 2010.   
 
Images (above):   
1. Top: The Decision Makers, Ben Alexy.
2. Bottom: Woman With Boa, Ted Fullwood.
 
 
 
Earthbound
 
Location: City Windows Gallery, the storefront exhibit space on 4th Street
 

BenBigArtPainting

Image (above):   Redbird, Stan Welsh, ceramic on plywood, 2008. 
 
Eleven area ceramics artists bend, twist and enhance their medium of choice in provocative ways in Earthbound. Bound to the elements  - earth, air, fire and water - each of these artists manipulates the medium to form their own expressions.  The intrinsic nature of clay lends itself to the expression of the human condition.  The personal and universal intertwine to weave narratives of history and present-day social and political circumstances.  Each has a tale to tell.  Each has a story.  But all have chosen to work with the elements.
 
The artists included represent but a portion of the exciting work being created in the greater Bay Area by artists working in ceramics.  They include Tessie Barrera-Scharaga, Kimberly Cook, Don Fritz, Ted Fullwood, Diane Levinson, Gustavo Martinez, Max Rain, Shelby B. Smith, Gabe Toci, Monica Van den Dool and Stan Welsh. Earthbound will be on view through August, 2010.  
 
 
 
Hidden Heritages: Six African American Families, San Jose 1860­-1920
 
Location: 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. Hidden Heritages will be on view through August, 2010.   

Face2Face: Highlights from the Student Art Collection at the Santa Clara County Office of Education  
 
Location: City Hall 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.  Face2Face will be on view through August, 2010. 
 

Explore Public Art in Downtown San Jose 

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 and discovery that 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.  
 
To request a free copy of the 2009 Downtown Public Art Map or the Recolecciones - Library Art Collection brochure, please e-mail your request to  [email protected], and include your mailing address.
 
A printable pdf version of the Downtown Public Art Map is also available on the Public Art webpage of the Office of Cultural Affairs website at
San Jose Downtown Public Art Map.
SAN JOSE PUBLIC ART - e-Newsletter Archive 
Visit the Online Archive to view past issues! 
  
Current and past issues of San Jose Public Art can be viewed on the Public Art pages of the Office of Cultural Affairs website.
 
Go to www.sanjoseculture.org
 
More to come in SAN JOSE PUBLIC ART!
 
 
 
 
San Jos� 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 [email protected].
 
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