We’re looking forward to seeing you on August 2nd for the FIRST FRIDAY ArtWalk & Street Mrkt in downtown San Jose’s vibrant SoFA District (and beyond!).
The galleries and art hosting venues will be open late (and free of charge) with amazing exhibitions, live performances, and artists in attendance. Plus the STREET MRKT indie urban art faire will transform S. 1st St. into a lively outdoor art gallery full of local artists and indie creatives.
All ages are welcome. Free admission (spend it with the Artists!)
SoFA District
ANNO DOMINI // the second coming of Art & Design – 366 S. First St. map
Anno Domini is proud to present:
Welcome Home Mike Egan solo exhibition
Join us for the final viewing of Mike Egan’s “Welcome Home” site-specific installation and solo exhibit during First Fridays ArtWalk SJ!
Egan is known for his bold graphic style influenced by folk art, horror films, German Expressionism, and his years of working as an embalmer and funeral director in Pittsburgh. This exhibit explores a new narrative focusing on Egan’s personal concept of home.
“Home is a place of love, security and protection and I wanted to make art that represents that. Home, in a way, can also represent what’s inside of us as well. I feel like I always need to protect my heart and that my head always needs a good cleaning.
“No matter what “Home” means to you, I’d like to invite you into mine and sit for awhile. Let’s play music and talk about art. “ ~Mike Egan, 2024 A.D.
Circle A – 380 S. First St. map
“50-YRS-2-LIFE”
Video premiere and exhibition by Jason Adams
Jason Adams aka Burning Boy, will showcase his original stencil art on wood alongside giclee prints available for purchase, with the premiere of his latest video ’50-YRS-2-LIFE.’
If art is a mirror to society, it’s no wonder why San Jose-based artist Jason Adams’ work is so popular. Whether it’s Marilyn Monroe wearing an eye patch that reads “Luv Me,” or a portrait of Charles Bukowski entitled “Kill Yourself Laughing,” his work speaks to the inner desires of the underdog in all of us. His stylized renditions draw from a vast arena of subjects, which share a common feel. That feel, a combination of stencil art and freeform paint strokes, takes familiar images and turns them into tones of emotion, rather than just skillfully crafted reproductions.
8pm screening of “50-YRS-2-LIFE” followed by a sneak peek of Black Label’s new, ‘Light the Match,’ produced by John Lucero and featuring the latest footage of pros Jake and Elijah.
KALEID Gallery – 320 S. First St. map
Artist’s Reception: “Radiant Ambiance”
Mario Dimas Solo Exhibition
Working primarily with acrylic paint and brushes Mario Dimas uses patterns and design to create a sense of light, motion, and vibration in his artwork.
This series of works is Mario’s progressions experimenting with painting a variety of subjects and designs using bold outlines and vibrant color palettes. In this process, he strives to bring a subtle balance that sets a pleasant atmosphere in his art.
Themes of nature, energy, and symbolism weave throughout Mario’s work. From his mystic landscapes to his mandalas and abstract paintings. His influence comes from a deep interest in spiritual beliefs, our natural world, and human language. In search of a profound meaning in his art journey, Mario’s artwork is about seeing differently beyond our physical vision and finding the infinite possibilities of our human creativity.
About the Artist:
Mario Dimas is a Mexican artist based in San Jose California. From drawing in pencil as a little kid to taking animation classes in school. He is a self taught painter experienced in large scale mural work.
MACLA Movimiento de Arte y Cultura Latino Americana – 510 S. First St. map
“From Where I Stand”
“From Where I Stand” features photographers Stephanie Barajas, William Camargo, Alex Knowbody, Adriana Martin, Xelestiál Moreno-Luz, and Miguel Ozuna. The exhibition shares each artist’s perspective considering issues that will be for debate in the upcoming election season. Visitors of the exhibition will be able to take their own photos in the gallery and have them displayed within the exhibition, encouraging dialogue and reflection. Join us to witness the intersections of art and politics, and see how images can influence and reflect the public conscience during this pivotal time.
7:30pm & 8:30pm free performance at our Castellano Playhouse: Mala Greña – Cumbia greñuda y rockera from the Bay Area.
PhantomGalleries at The Pierce – 2 Pierce Ave. map
Artist’s Reception: “TIME”
Trieu Hai Dao solo exhibition
Trieu Dao is a Vietnamese artist based in San Jose, with a career spanning over 45 years. Born in Vietnam, Dao fled the country in the early 1980s with his wife and two children, embarking on a perilous journey across the South China Sea before eventually settling in the United States.
A self-taught artist, Dao creates artwork built on the traditions from his native homeland and informed by his experiences as an immigrant refugee. He works primarily in oil paintings, sculptures, and multimedia pieces. His vibrant compositions contain figurative or abstract elements which reflect his vivid memories and deep emotions that become visceral to the viewer in their presence. As an evolving artist, he continues to seek new and innovative ways of expressing and evoking the emotions which drive his artwork.
Trieu’s work has been exhibited in galleries, museums, and cultural centers throughout California, including the VAALA Center, the Morgan Hill Culture Community Center, the Saigon Civil Center, La Gallaria, the Viet Bao Gallery, the Works Gallery, the San jose Civic Center, Paradise Art Gallery, the Rose Garden Gallery, Martin Luther King Jr. Library Gallery and Citadel Art Gallery.
San Jose Institute of Contemporary Art– 560 S. First St. map
P L A C E : Reckonings by Asian American Artists
Participating Artists: Phung Huynh, Adrienne Pao, Robin Lasser, Ranu Mukherjee, Wanxin Zhang, Mail Order Brides/M.O.B. (Eliza O. Barrios, Reanne Estrada, and Jenifer K. Wofford), Namita Paul, Related Tactics, Bruce Yonemoto, Stephanie Syjuco, Valerie Soe, Christy Chan, and Christine Wong Yap.
The ICA San José and Montalvo Arts Center jointly present an exhibition entitled P L A C E: Reckonings by Asian American Artists. Selected for their powerful voices, all of the participating artists have been artists-in-residence of the Lucas Artists Program at Montalvo Arts Center. Villa Montalvo was the former home of California Senator James Duval Phelan who is remembered for his nativist and racist politics, especially his virulent opposition to Chinese and Japanese immigrants, and his active endorsement of multiple Asian exclusion acts. This exhibition intends to honor and uplift the diverse voices of contemporary artists of East Asian, Southeast Asian, South Asian, and Pacific Islander ancestries who have had to contend with this racist history. Each artist in the show considers their complex relationship and their own agency in association with the spaces that they have inhabited, embedded with histories of exclusion or violence, and how this in turn affects, challenges, transforms, or inspires their artistic practice.
Participate in a yoga session hosted by Downtown Yoga Shala, located inside the Institute of Contemporary Art San Jose, amidst the ongoing joint exhibition, “P L A C E: Reckonings by Asian American Artists.”
San Jose Jazz – 310 South First St. map
SJZ U19s/U21 Jam
Join us for a great night of youth performances and improvisation!
The SJZ U19s will open our youth Jazz Jam at 7pm, with classic jazz standards from artists like Joe Henderson and Billy Cobham, as well as tunes from modern masters like Braxton Cook, Nate Smith, and the late Roy Hargrove. Then, our house band consisting of SJSU students will perform at 7:35pm.
The jam starts at 8:15pm and goes until 10pm, during which time we’ll cover jazz standards, Real Book charts, and the good old 12-bar blues. Don’t forget your instrument! We’ll have a drum set, a piano, and amplifiers for bass and guitar players. Pop in and out anytime from 7pm-10pm to hear the future of jazz. Intermediate and advanced youth musicians in their teens or early twenties are invited for this jazz jam, free and open to the public in conjunction with South First Fridays ArtWalk SJ.
San Jose Museum of Quilts & Textiles – 520 South First St. map
Printed & Stitched
Printed & Stitched, an exhibition examining the overlap between the hand pulled print and the art quilt, highlights recent works from members of the California Society of Printmakers and Studio Art Quilt Associates.
The original artworks in Printed & Stitched are all by members of the Studio Art Quilt Associates (California/Nevada Regions) and the California Society of Printmakers. Award-winning artist Christine S. Aaron juried this exhibition. Aaron is a conceptual and material-focused artist who utilizes printmaking, wax, wood, metal, and paper to create work investigating memory and the fragility of human connection.
Participating Artists: Christine S. Aaron, Nancy Bardach, Mel Beach, Holly Brackmann, Noah Breuer, Pati Bristow and Kent Manske, Donna W. Brown, Judith Content, Linda S. Craighead, Cathie A. Crawford, Elizabeth Dallas, Kathryn Davy, Kate Deak, Adriane Dedic, Robin Dintiman, Giny Dixon, Karen Gallagher Iverson, Ewa Gavrielov, Mimi Ghauri-Young, Susan Gibson Kelly, Alisa Golden, Lynn Hall, Kevin Harris, Rozanne Hermelyn Di Silvestro, Ann Johnston, Barbara Kibbe, Evelyn Klein, Franki Kohler, Danguole Rita Koulas, Carol Larson, Dixie Laws, Susan Leone Howe, Linda Lieberman, Zwia Lipkin, Viviana Lombrozo, Luz Marina Ruiz, Kristina Nobleman, Janis O’Driscoll, Kathleen Oliver, Denise Oyama Miller, AV Pike, Barbara Poole, Deborah Rantz, Priscilla Read, Ashley Rodriguez Reed, Connie Rohman, Robynn Smith, Ileana Soto, Bethia G. Stone, Karen Sunday Spencer, Jami Taback, Jerry Theobald, Edda Valborg Sigurdardottir, Rosanna Lynne Welter, Lori Wisheropp, Carla Wolf, Nanette Wylde, and Linda Yoshizawa
Historic District
Chopsticks Alley Gallery – 38 S. 2nd St. map
Flora & Fauna by Phuc Van Dang
Flora & Fauna features two site-specific installations created during Phuc Van Dang’s residency at Chopsticks Alley Art.
Dang’s depiction of the “long-lost monster” as a manifestation of our suppressed inner nature is a powerful metaphor for the inherent connection between humanity and the natural world. Through his playful imagery, Dang encourages viewers to embrace their inner monsters to reconnect with the innocence and wonder of childhood. He empowers the viewer to rediscover a sense of awe and reverence for the natural world and embark on a transformative journey of alignment and coexistence with the environment.
Come join us in drawing your inner monster and share your artwork on our gallery wall.
Hammer2 Gallery – 101 Paseo de San Antonio map
Opening reception: “Beginnings“
Featuring artists: Jackelin Solorio, Robynn Smith, Dottie Lo Bue, Lani Viet, and Jason Adkins
Experience the grand opening reception of the Hammer2 Gallery featuring the work of San Jose State University Students, faculty, and local artists as part of South First Fridays ArtWalk SJ.
Located on the 2nd floor of the Hammer Theatre, the Hammer2 Gallery will feature a continuously rotating fine art gallery. The gallery will be a site to exhibit artists’ work, support artists financially through art sales, as well as foster young artists’ work.
Moreover, the gallery will provide a unique opportunity to marry the visual and performing arts and to provide exposure to these artists to an audience that may not normally frequent an art gallery.
Works/San Jose – 38 S. 2nd St. map
“Public Secret Selves”
Works presents its 2024 member art exhibition—a wide-ranging survey of South Bay and greater Bay Area artists.
From the most experienced and collected regional artists to new voices, see the work of more than 80 artist members who help support your community art and performance center. Don’t miss this impressive salon of local talent in painting, drawing, photography, sculpture, digital art, video, and more. While we have many members who support our community mission but don’t consider themselves artists, this show celebrates creatives who volunteer and contribute to increase opportunities for everyone.
Martha Gardens District
Art Ark Gallery – 1035 S. Sixth St. map
“Letting Go”
Alyssarhaye Graciano solo exhibition
San Jose-based fiber artist Alyssarhaye Graciano merges yarn and gouache in her solo-exhibition, Letting Go. The work invites viewers to contemplate grief, our relationship with mortality, and the complexities of emotional preservation in marginalized cultures.
MACHU PICCHU Gallery of the Americas, Est 1974 – 199 Martha St. map
“Drawing a Crowd”
Freehand line drawings by Robert McColle
South FIRST FRIDAYS presents: STREET MRKT indie urban art faire
FIRST FRIDAY AUGUST 2nd 5pm–10pm
Free admission (spend it with the Artists!).
Out on S. 1st St. (between San Carlos & William streets) in SoFA District
Join us out on So. 1st St. as artists transform the SoFA District into a unique and bustling outdoor gallery with their creative energy! Imaginative paintings & sculptures, glass art demos, fascinating bone jewelry, classic tattoo art, counterculture zines, and chic fashion are just some of the rare works you’ll find when you come out and support our amazing arts community.
Of course, we’ll keep you fueled with a variety of delicious food trucks and a lively beer garden sponsored by & featuring: Clandestine Brewing Co., Fox Tale Fermentation, and Strike Brewing Co.
FEATURED ARTISTS:
Anthony Alva
Rebecca Anguiano
BAGI / Bay Area Glass Institute
Delilah Bender
The Blunt Letters
Julianne Bonnet
Emmanuel Cervantes Mejia
Crossroads Trading Co.
Dario Cruz
Current Tattooing
Christina Del Alto
Jennifer DeChenne
Joseph Demaree
Mario Dimas
Lorenz Dumuk
Mahsa Emoventur
Flipside DJ Crew
Force129
Cynthia Gonzalez
Hand in Hand Henna
Higher Fire Clayspace
Maureen Holcomb
Jodi408
Katherine Lee
Sarah Loyola
Valentino Loyola
Joe Mandrick
Martha Gardens Arts
Mersay Mattos
David Mejia
Karen Oeh
Leslie Perez
Betty Proper
Ragavon
Francisco Ramirez
Steven Regalado
Marilyn Roaf aka Purl Bailey
Mike Rogan
Ricardo Sandoval
Rene Schilling-Sears
South Bay Ceramics
Suha Suha
–> BEER GARDEN
5:00 – 10:00pm Great music provided by Flipside Crew
featuring Dougie, Jswizza & Notorious P.I.G.
Beer Garden sponsored by & featuring local & regional breweries: Clandestine Brewing Co., Fox Tale Fermentation, and Strike Brewing Co.
All ages welcome, must be 21+ w/ valid ID to drink beer.
STREET MRKT is supported in part by a Cultural Affairs grant from the City of San Jose.
FIRST FRIDAYS ArtWalk SJ & STREET MRKT is produced by CURATUS in partnership with the participating galleries, museums and independent creative businesses.
Join us on Facebook ArtWalkSJ
South FIRST FRIDAYS
366 S 1st Street
San Jose, CA 95113
408-271-5155
info@southfirstfridays.com