Photo credit: Vicki Scuri

On September 28 residents in south San Jose joined civic leaders and officials from Valley Transit Authority (VTA) in celebrating the new Blossom Hill Pedestrian Bridge. The bridge includes public art elements by artist Vicki Scuri.

The pedestrian bridge crosses over railroad tracks and the very busy Monterey Road highway, providing safe passage for the residents of the vibrant, multi-ethnic neighborhood on one side to the popular neighborhood mall on the other. Prior to its construction residents habitually made the dangerous crossing over the tracks and highway. With the tragic loss of a child's life in this location the community, City of San Jose leaders and the Valley Transit Authority committed to the bridge as a permanent solution.

Scuri, a public artist who has worked on many large scale transportation and infrastructure projects, joined this project when the bridge structure was already designed, leaving her to tackle the creative challenge of how public art could best enhance the bridge. The bridge's cherry blossom theme is the result of her meetings and conversations with community members from which she learned about the area history and ideas important to area residents.

Photo credit: Vicki Scuri

The memory of the area's famed cherry orchards, once visible from Blossom Hill Road and attracting tour buses of visitors to the area, persists and their image in the artwork creates a connection to a fondly remembered past. The sun disks of cherries also represent the cycles of life and death and commemorate the death of a child on the tracks; the bridge, named Xander's Crossing, honors his passing and celebrates life and renewal, and provides safe crossing. The cherry blossom disks and color clearly enhance the beauty of the bridge when viewed from the roadway. They also cast shadow patterns onto the bridge that shift with the sun throughout the day; these are complimented by the same pattern, sandblasted into the bridge walkway. Taken together, these public art elements transform the bridge-crossing experience.

Photo credit: Vicki Scuri

For more information about artist Vicki Scuri and her work, please go to www.vickiscuri.com 

On Exhibit at City Hall 

Fire Inspired: Asian Techniques and Traditions in Ceramic Art 

 

The exhibit showcases a small but select sampling of the works created by seven contemporary ceramic artists working in the greater Bay Area. Although form, function, texture and surface color vary greatly, the work of all seven artists explores the sensory experience of clay. Each, in his or her own way, follows the Asian practice of marrying deeply established and satisfying traditions of function with evocative and modern visual aesthetics.    

Click here for more information about this exhibit.

 

Location: City Hall Tower - 1st Floor Lobby

 

On display during regular business hours, Monday through Friday, 8:00 AM to 5:00 PM through March, 2013

                                                                                           

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Climate Clock    

  

 

Organograph concept drawing.

The Climate Clock is a long-term project to create an iconic artwork for San Jose that uses Silicon Valley technologies to demonstrate climate change and affect behavior change. The exhibit in the City Hall wing niches describes the competition process, explores the work of the three finalists and showcases Organograph by Geo Homsey, Chico McMurtrie and Bill Washabaugh, the team that designed the award-winning project.

Location: City Hall Wing - 1st Floor Corridor 

On display during regular business hours, Monday through Friday, 8:00 AM to 5:00 PM through November, 2012

San Jose  "Green Buildings" Exhibit     

Urban Rain by Jackie Brookner at Roosevelt Community Center slows and filters stormwater from the building roof as it flows toward Coyote Creek.

The Mayor Council Lobby is the venue for the San Jose Green building exhibit. The exhibit highlights buildings constructed in San Jose during the Decade of Progress, showcasing the features that contributed to the buildings' success as LEED-certified 'green buildings'. 

Location: San Jose City Hall Mayor's Lobby Gallery - 18th floor of City Hall    

On display 8:00 AM - 5:00 PM, Monday through Friday through September 2012.

The Healthy Art Program: An Energy Smart Exhibit

The Art Inspector, taking away 'high carbon footprint' materials from artist's studio.

The Healthy Art Program, an ongoing project created by The Art Inspector Danielle Siembieda, is aimed at assessing the energy consumption, material use and environmental impact of art making and at

educating artists about lowering their carbon footprints.    

Click here for more information about this exhibit.  

Location:  City Windows Gallery     

(In the storefront exhibit space along the 4th Street side of the City Hall complex. )

On display daily - all hours.  

Rotating exhibits at City Hall 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.  

 The San Jose City Hall complex is located at 200 East Santa Clara Street,

between 4th and 6th Streets in San Jose. The exhibit spaces are located in various sites throughout the complex.

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