Profiles 9.5

CONTENT

Silicon Valley’s Innovative and Creative Culture

Aaron De La Cruz Painter / Muralist

CCONTENT

Issue 9.5

“Profiles” Nov / Dec 2017

The Makers:

Cultivator Daniel Garcia

Editors

Odile Sullivan-Tarazi Kelsy Thompson, Elizabeth Sullivan Grace Olivieri, Vila Schwindt

Circulation/Distribution Elle Mitchell Brand Director Julia Canavese Production Kristen Pfund

Designers

Elle Mitchell, Maggie Moore

Photographers

Stan Olszewski, Arabela Espinoza Scott MacDonald, Moses Kinnah Alex Knowbody

Writers

Tad Malone, Kate Evans Tracy Lee, Brandon Roos Michelle Runde, Nathan Zanon Francisco Alverado, Diane Solomon Kristi Clubb, Daniel Codella Johanna Hickle, Caroline Beleno Haley Kim, Nick Panoutsos, Rashi Gupta

Publisher Silicon Valley Creates

I was going to start by saying that this is my favorite issue theme because we get to cover more people in this issue than in any other. But to be honest, each issue is exciting to me because in each we discover and display such a great range of South Bay personalities. This issue, Profiles, is particularly special because I do all of the portraits, which I love to shoot—yet even more than that, I get to meet each person we profile. And that’s the best part. For me, it has always been about the people. My approach is, “Behind everything is a person.” For me, life is all about relationships: our connection to one another, our acknowledging of the divine and intrinsic value in each other. That’s why this issue is special to me. These are not just stories of people, but people I know, people I consider friends, people it is an honor to know—and to profile.

Enjoy. Daniel Garcia The Cultivator

IN THIS ISSUE

Limón Salon / GRØSS Magazine / Aaron De La Cruz / Raul Peralez / Veggielution

To participate in Content Magazine: daniel@content-magazine.com Subscription & advertising information available by contacting elle@content-magazine.com

o

Content

Profiles 9.5

Nov/Dec 2017 San Jose, California

Day Trip

10 Livermore, Ca

Art

12 Artist, Jimmy Fonseca 30 Artist, Pilar Argüero-Esparza 52 Artist, Robinson Wood 58 Artist, Aaron De La Cruz 62 Artist/Unicyclist, Viviane Ly 64 Artist, Danielle Rahe Fox 66 Muralists, Joey & Gwen Reyes 70 Floral Artists, Jose Ibarra & Efrain Escalante 98 Photographer, Moses Kinnah

Business/Tech 26 Tech, Jessica Dene Earley-Cha 40 Tech Business Leader, Ryan Baird

Community 16 Community Leader, Nate LeBlanc 18 Emcee/Community Leader, Demone Carter 44 Councilmember, Raul Peralez 50 Lawyer/Yoga Instructor, Gemma Morgan 54 Veggielution, Cayce Hill 60 Architect/Educator, Andrew Chandler 68 Roller Skater, Liz Ruiz 74 VTA CEO, Nuria Fernandez

Sports

& Stage

20 Actor/Model, Alyssa Kompelien 36 Peace Dancer, Khalilah Ramirez 72 Mountain Cyclist, Carolina Villafane 76 Dancer, Lauren Baines

All materials in Content Magazine are protected by United States copyright law and may not be reproduced, distributed, transmitted, displayed, published, broadcast or modified in any way without the prior written consent of Silicon Valley Creates, or in the case of third party materials, the owner of that content. You may not alter or remove any trademark, copyright or other notice from copies of this content. For further information, or to participate in the production or distribution, please contact us at editor@content-magazine.com

Councilmember Raul Peralez, pg. 44

Pilar Argüero-Esparza, pg. 30 Claudia Saenz, pg. 96

Gemma Morgan, pg. 50

Food & Drink

Social Policy, Veronica Ruckman

Voltaire Coffee House, Christine Kim

Chromatic Coffee, Otessa Crandell

Vero’s Coffee Bar, Omar Quinonez & Veronica Salazar

Brewery, Umunhum Brewing

Music

Musician/Artist Supporter, Ron Muriera

DJ/Zookeeper, John Beaver

Musician, Tim Lin

Musician, Lake Stovall

Chulita Vinyl Club, Claudia Saenz

Album Picks, Universal Grammar

Style & Design

Limón Salon, Carlos Letelier

GRØSS Magazine, Kevin Peth & Victor Gonzalez

Hive & Hum, Jodi & Gary Maricich

Rathbone, Arabela Espinoza

Writers

Poet, Lorenz Mazon Dumuk

Jimmy Fonseca, pg. 12

Limón Salon, pg. 28 The Dance of Peace, pg. 36

Viviane Ly, pg. 62

Need

escape? Don’t have a lot of time? Living in Silicon Valley provides you with all kinds of options for a short getaway. From the beach to the mountains, wineries to windsurfing, the South Bay is one of the best hubs for launching into world-class scenery and activities. So why not take a day trip?

Livermore, Ca.

Written by Kristi Clubb Photography by Daniel Garcia

On the eastern edge of the Bay Area, about 20 miles north of San Jose, sits Livermore, an art-loving, cowboy-turned-wine-country town with a Mediterranean climate, rolling hills, and lush vineyards throughout. With an eclectic array of restaurants and small businesses, a thriving arts community, and a picturesque downtown, Livermore is an ideal place to spend the day.

To start your day out right in this gorgeous neck of the woods, you will no doubt want to begin at Espresso Rosetta , a locally owned artisanal coffee company. Every porcelain cup these knowledgeable baristas hand you will be filled with the freshest, most naturally rich espresso possible. For non-coffee drinkers, their cozy loose leaf tea service will be just what you’re looking for.

With Livermore’s typically warm days and cool nights, almost every day is a great day for a jaunt in the great outdoors. If you’re up for some boating, fishing, horseback riding, swimming, or hiking after your morning coffee, Lake Del Valle, just a few miles south, would make for the perfect destination. Enjoy the water with the activity of your choice, or wander among the ancient oak-covered hills.

If a day in the backcountry isn’t your idea of fun, perhaps you’d prefer to rejuvenate yourself with a spa treatment. Relax Ave Day Spa offers everything from a 15-minute chair massage to a luxurious 90-minute Ashiatsu

DeepFeet Bar Therapy treatment. Be sure to call ahead to make a reservation.

After either a blood-pumping excursion in the hills or a restorative massage, you’ll certainly be ready to explore the town a bit. Downtown Livermore has a surplus of unique, locally owned and managed shops, boutiques, and services to offer. One local favorite is Van’s Health Foods, a 45-yearold family-owned store that offers products to help you live a healthy lifestyle. Or browse Baughman’s Western Outfitters and get in touch with Livermore’s ranching roots.

Now onto your meal choices. As far as downtown is concerned, one restaurant that’s always packed to the brim with people enjoying a good meal is the First Street Alehouse. With its easygoing ambiance, 28 rotating beers on tap, and the largest publicly displayed beer can collection in the country, the Alehouse is a great spot to grab a burger and sit a spell.

If you want something a little more winecountry-specific, pack a picnic lunch and head over to Retzlaff Vineyards and Estate Winery. Whether you’re inside the tasting room with a bottle of award-winning wine or outside on the shaded picnic area listening to live music on a Sunday afternoon, you can’t help but enjoy yourself when surrounded by such breathtaking grounds. Or for seasonal farm-to-table bites, check out the Underdog Wine Bar at Concannon Vineyards. Both

Day tri p 408

the indoor and outdoor seating areas are simply gorgeous, and the wine and pizzettes won’t disappoint.

To top off your evening in Livermore, you’ve got several great choices. If you’re in an artsy mood, you may want to grab a friend or two and create your own masterpiece over at Pinot’s Palette. Here, you can enjoy the arts and wine cultures of Livermore at the same time. With fun, friendly instructors, guided or self-guided art projects, and access to delicious local wine and craft beer, this art studio is a great place to come paint and sip with a friend or two.

If you’re up for a live performance, you might want to see what’s on at the Bankhead Theater. With live music, theater, dance, lectures, and other special events, they’ve a full schedule Thursday through Sunday nights. Or you might prefer to settle in at Wente Vineyards. As the oldest continuously operated, family-owned winery in America, Wente is home to a spectacular outdoor amphitheater, golf course, tasting room, and an elegant restaurant. So whether you want to grab a meal, enjoy a summer concert, musical, or theater show, or participate in a cooking or winemaking workshop, Wente has what you’re looking for.

With all the beauty and enjoyable activities Livermore has to offer, chances are good you’ll be back soon for another adventure.

an

Welcome to Livermore, CA Population: 86,870

Throughout the mid-1800s, when gold seekers traveled through the Livermore Valley towards the famed Mother Lode area in the Sierras, the abundant longhorn cattle grazing on Livermore’s rolling hills became the perfect resource for local ranchers to feed all the hungry passersby. After Gold Fever subsided, Livermore’s early inhabitants turned their attention to capitalizing on the climate and topography of the area—and a rich winemaking culture was born.

Espresso Rosetta

206 South J Street Livermore, CA 94550 espressorosetta.com

Del Valle Regional Park

7000 Del Valle Road Livermore, CA 94550 ebparks.org/parks/del_valle

Relax Ave Day Spa 159 South L Street Livermore, CA 94550 relaxave.com

Van’s Health Foods 2148 First Street Livermore, CA 94550 vanshealthfoods.com

Baughman’s Western Outfitters

2029 First Street Livermore, CA 94550

First Street Alehouse 2106 First Street Livermore, CA 94550 firststreetalehouse.com

Retzlaff Vineyards and Estate Winery

1356 South Livermore Avenue Livermore, CA 94550 retzlaffvineyards.com

Underdog Wine Bar 4590 Tesla Road Livermore, CA 94550 underdogwinebar.com

Pinot’s Palette 153 South L Street Livermore, CA pinotspalette.com/livermore

Bankhead Theater 2400 First Street Livermore, CA 94550 lvpac.org/bankhead

Wente Vineyard

5565 Tesla Road Livermore, CA 94550 wentevineyards.com

Wente Vineyard

Baughman’s Western Outfitters

Underdog Wine Bar

Espresso Rosetta

Downtown Livermore

Bankhead Theater

Jimmy Fonseca

Artist and muralist Jimmy Fonseca is on a mission to spread his floral aesthetic. Raised in East San Jose, Fonseca remembers the influence of his cousins, adolescent experiments in graffiti, and drawing cartoon characters as his gateway into art. With a degree in graphic design, Fonseca pays the bills working for a print shop, but his real dream is to pursue his own art full-time. He’s on his way, too, with a few murals around town to his name and a current residency at Local Color. He was also a featured artist for September’s SoFA Street Fair.

Fonseca is enraptured by flowers, which are a staple subject in his art. Rendered in lush, expressionist tones, Fonseca creates his flowers with a mixture of spray paint and acrylics, giving them a truly blooming feel. Currently he does a lot of commissions, but in the future, Fonseca hopes to pursue more personal art projects. He also hopes to do more international projects.

“I get inspired by flowers that I see on walks in my neighborhood. It’s something I like to go back to and experiment with. It’s an organic thing, so it’s not very structured. Flowers have contour, shading, lines that can be played with in no right or wrong way. The first time I tried spray painting a rose, it came out cool, so I wanted to do it again, to the point that it became kind of an obsession.”

instagram: jimmypaints

Written by Tad Malone

Veronica Ruckman Social Policy

Written by Johanna Hickle

200 South First Street San Jose, CA 95113

bellanocoffee.com instagram: sopocafe

With a bold name like Social Policy, customers are going to make certain assumptions before stepping through the doors, and co-owner Veronica Ruckman is determined to live up to those expectations. She consistently reinforces Social Policy’s image as a neighborhood meetup for locals—a place that encourages employees to engage customers and customers to “put down a device and pick up a conversation.” But Ruckman wasn’t always fated for cafe life. Initially, she pursued a biochemistry degree, but after her family started toying with the idea of opening a coffee shop, she decided to give the business a trial run. She found it suited her. Together with her father, Ruckman has since initiated such enterprises as Bellano, Kickback, and B2. Social Policy, which opened its doors last April, is their latest undertaking. As with past ventures, they’ve continued honing their ability to unlock the potential of green coffee beans. However, Social Policy expands beyond just coffee. There’s a case of pastries loaded with almond-studded croissants and red plum galettes, as well as a menu split into “brunchy” and “lunchy” options.

“I feel like coffee is this thing that attracts many different types of people for various reasons. If you want to approach it in a scientific way, then you can absolutely do that. There’s also a romantic element to it where you can get really artsy with it, especially with latte art. I like the many different faces that it has.”

Nate LeBlanc

Written by Haley Kim

facebook: nate.leblanc.1

For Nate LeBlanc, a quick trip to San Pedro Square Market isn’t really possible. As a past manager of the popular local eatery, he has to plan time to visit—there are simply too many people to say hi to. With his previous stints at San Pedro and SoFA Market, LeBlanc has been a key figure in introducing the food hall concept to downtown San Jose. Now, as business development manager at the San Jose Downtown Association, he is helping small businesses thrive. But don’t take him for a fan of formal “networking”—he’d much rather get to know a person through a conversation about coffee, basketball, or music and record collecting. Ask him about some of his longtime favorite artists, like A Tribe Called Quest or the Beatles, or new obsessions such as Courtney Barnett and Alvvays.

“I just try to be real with people. I think I’m very opinionated and I’m not shy about sharing those opinions if someone is asking for feedback. That leads to kind of a trust level, and I just think I’ve always been good at that. I want all my friends to be friends with each other, and I’ve carried that through into my work life. Like, if I think someone should know someone, I’ll just introduce them and then get out of the way. It’s more of an ethos than a strategy. Like why not, what’s the worst that could happen?”

Demone Carter Demone Carter Demone Carter

Written by David Perez

instagram: lifeafterhiphop

Demone Carter is an emcee with an encyclopedic understanding of hiphop’s history and cultural influence. His lyrics are punchy, candid bits of verse that often abandon figurative language in favor of something more instructive and direct. Learning this craft began for him as a middle schooler. He took apart a pair of headphones and fed the wire through his sleeve so he could palm the tiny speaker, press it to his ear, and listen to Public Enemy and KRS-One in the classroom—and not be discovered. The lesson he took from that music is very much alive in his work today. He examines the American dream and includes the baggage that comes with it. His upcoming album, Woke Enough to Dream, explores the injustice that pervades American history. For Carter, this subject matter necessitates a style of rap that goes beyond its roots as party music.

“There’s definitely rap for rap’s sake, where it’s really just about putting colorful words together. I love to listen to that type of rap, but I’ve never been good at it. I’m most effective when I’m figuring out how to convey a concept and make it rhyme. Conscious rap approaches rap as lecture— and the end result is like a mousetrap. You know the mechanics of the trap, how all the pieces work together, and if everything works out, it snaps at the right time. It’s this clarity of thought through the rhyming.”

Alyssa Kompelien

Alyssa Kompelien reminisces fondly about scenes filmed in the pouring rain and in cornfields late at night. Her first role was in a short independent film called The Artifact. During the climax, her character—a badass in a black trench coat—faces the antagonist in a spaghetti western–style showdown set within a post-apocalyptic world. Since then, Kompelien has appeared in a number of commercials, independent short films, and feature films and has recently signed with both Stars Agency and Stars Model Management. When she isn’t portraying characters, Kompelien builds on her understanding of them as an essential pillar of storytelling. To this purpose, she’s writing her own short film and studying the Meisner technique—an American acting methodology that strives to “live truthfully under imaginary circumstances” by crafting complex emotional landscapes and honing the ability to be moved by other characters in the moment.

“There are so many different pieces to understanding a character. I start by trying to figure out things about the character—what they want, who they are. What’s the background of this person? Where did they grow up? Who were they before this happened? What are the kinds of things that they wear? How do they do their hair and their makeup? All those little things, but then I dive into their emotional standpoint scene by scene. OK, what’s happening with them here? What brought them to this place? What are they feeling and why?"

instagram: alyssakompelien

“There are so many different pieces to understanding a character.”

Written by Johanna Hickle

Ron Muriera

Written by Tad Malone

490 South First Street San Jose, CA 95113

thestage.org instagram: rpmuriera

Not many people can successfully straddle two worlds like Ron Muriera. Originally from New Jersey, Muriera moved around as a military brat until he and his family settled in San Francisco, where he began pursuing the arts. A multidisciplinary artist, Muriera trained as actor, musician, and comedian while coming up in the Bay Area scene. But in the last few decades, his career has been focused on the business side of the arts. In this arena, Muriera shines. He became a director for numerous nonprofits, served on the boards of several art advocacy organizations, and took on the duties of City of San Jose Arts Commissioner. Most recently, he was made director of development for the San Jose Stage Company, a position that interweaves his theater background with a skill for arts advocacy and enrichment. In this role, he is helping the company buy the theater they perform in and the accompanying property, with the ultimate goal of building an entire performing arts center. But Muriera is still a performer at heart, and he takes any opportunity to hit the stage, doing comedy or playing his accordion and keyboard. No matter his role, Muriera aims to raise up a younger generation of artists and creatives through his work and mentorship.

“Going from a performing artist to making my way now into the other end of the business, being an arts administrator for theater organizations, has been a really great experience. I feel blessed to have my feet in both worlds, navigating that duality in a way that I can serve my community, as well as the city’s art and cultural center.”

voltaire coffee house

Written by Johanna Hickle

360 South Market Street, Suite 80 San Jose, CA 95113

voltairecoffeehouse.com instagram: voltairecoffeehouse360

Instead of diving straightaway into the coffee business, Christine Kim first interviewed CEOs and employees from the top 10 specialty coffee companies in the United States, and then published a book on the insights she gained from her exploration. When she finally did open the doors of her own shop, she named it Voltaire, after the 18th-century French philosopher who, legend has it, drank 80-plus cups of coffee a day. But when Kim found that running the business side of Voltaire monopolized her time and distracted her from her true passion, she chose to sell her coffee house and stay on as a roaster. She now spends her time concentrating on the art of roasting and writing about the origins of rare coffee beans. Kim’s favorite origin? The floral, nutty, complex notes of beans hailing from Ethiopia.

“This priest at church announced that he was going to hold a coffee class. I thought he would teach something like latte art. I applied for it and went to the first class. It was far from latte art! It was all about specialty coffee. He made a pour-over using specialty coffee and that was a ‘wow’ moment for me. Before, I had been drinking auto-drip coffee, which was basically bitter, sour coffee. But the pour-over was smooth and had a lot of different notes. It was a natural coffee, so I could actually taste the fruit in it—I was wondering why people talked about fruit notes in coffee!”

Jessica Dene E arley- C ha

Written by Tracy Lee

chatasweetie.com twitter: chatasweetie

Jessica Dene Earley-Cha grew up in a small city called Calexico. With no one really expecting her to attend college, she was ambitious enough to pursue a degree in sociology. After 10 years of working in nonprofits focused on Latino youth and mental health, Jessica decided to make a career transition into tech and brought the idea of community, connection, and supporting one another with her. Jessica serves as director of part-time education at Hackbright, but she is also a Girl Develop It instructor, a co-organizer of Google Developer Group SF, a Women Techmakers lead, and a technical speaker on technologies such as Python. Jessica is a blogger and has a YouTube channel with her husband called DevelopHerDevelopHim, where they provide introductory videos on how to get started learning to code.

“When I lost my first person a few years ago while working in mental health, I knew I was looking to make a career change. My partner encouraged me to look into computer science. I was accepted into Hackbright, an all-female dev bootcamp and my journey began. I was so happy how the community supported me through my transition, so the first thing I wanted to do after I graduated was give back. I love promoting the idea of community and connection through my involvement in tech. I believe that when you support other people, you support yourself. When you encourage others to be positive, you in turn make yourself into a positive person.”

lim ó n salon Carlos Letelier Carlos Letelier

Written by Kate Evans

3410 Stevens Creek Blvd San Jose, CA 95117

limonsalon.com instagram: limonsalon

Ten years ago, San Jose native Carlos Letelier escaped the boxy confines of the tech world to pursue his dream of opening a hair salon. He created Limón Salon in 2008, a high-end salon with a relaxed vibe that is pushing San Jose into the league of New York, Los Angeles, and Miami salons. As Limón has evolved over the years, Carlos has learned a lot about entrepreneurship and management, and he values the talent of his staff above all else. He attributes his success to the devotion he has for his team, as well as his skill to enable each member to reach his or her potential. With his success at Limón Salon, Carlos not only gives clients looks that range from conservative to punk and everything in between, he also empowers creative genius and makes a serious impact in the fantastical world of high-end hair salons.

“I grew up surrounded by artists and musicians. Their passion for creating definitely rubbed off on me, and it informs my work today. I believe stylists and other beauty professionals deserve and require an environment full of encouragement and freedom in order to reach their full potential, so that’s my focus: I facilitate success.”

Carlos Letelier in front of mural by Eric Victorino

Pilar Argüero Esparza

Written by

pilaraguero.com instagram: pilibean

Staying inside the lines has never been Pilar Argüero-Esparza’s style. Over her 30 years as a practicing artist, she’s evolved from producing traditional two-dimensional art to creating three-dimensional pieces that address issues of culture, race, and home life.

Pilar draws from her experiences as a Latina woman growing up in a family of shoemakers to create unique shoes from scrap leather, much like her parents did. More recently, Pilar has used melted crayons to pour over paper, producing palettes of various skin tones. The idea was first sparked by seeing a pack of Crayola Multicultural Crayons, provoking her to wonder which color her three-year-old daughter would pick as her own skin color and how her choice could change as she grew up. Pilar has used that same eight-pack to pour, weave, and sculpt pieces that prompt us to examine our own notions of color and the role it plays in our lives.

“The interesting thing to me is how my practice has evolved. I trained as a painter and printer in school, but I found myself painting on the frames and stretcher boards. Drawings have always stayed in my practice, but over the years I’ve transitioned from narrative and realism, which are traditional in painting, to materiality and abstraction. It can be still narrative, but often I do work that’s more about material and sculpture. I’ve just always needed to work with my hands.”

Michelle RUnde

Otessa Crandell Chromatic Coffee

Written by Nathan Zanon

17 North Second Street San Jose, CA 95113

chromaticcoffee.com instagram: chromaticcoffee

As one of the founders of Chromatic Coffee, Otessa Crandell has devoted her young career to building community around coffee. The Santa Clara–based cafe recently opened a new location in downtown San Jose, and Crandell, who has been overseeing retail operations since the outset, is transitioning to lead the company’s new roastery in the Midtown Arts Mercantile building on Lincoln Avenue. Chromatic, founded in 2012, has combined the meticulous craft of coffee-making with a friendly and accessible approach to its customers—which helps put the South Bay on the map as a destination for a great cup of joe. In addition, Crandell has fused her own background in DIY punk and art shows with the concept of a cafe as a “third space” to inspire devoted fans and to make Chromatic both a local cultural niche and a home away from home.

“You have work, you have home. Where is the place you can be yourself, that you care about, that isn’t those two places? That’s the ‘third space’— and that’s been the foundation of my coffee career. When people trust you and feel you’re authentic, it totally changes their experience. It just takes time. The downtown environment is an adjustment. All these new coffee places give such a different experience, and people get different things from them. Everyone in San Jose who’s doing something is giving it their all. If you want something, you really have to work hard to make it happen. We are really excited about the idea of San Jose becoming a coffee hub. It’s very special here.”

GRØSS Magazine victor gonzalez and kevin peth

Written by Tad Malone

grossmag.com instagram: gross_mag

Kevin Peth and Victor Gonzalez became friends over shared artistic visions. Together they publish GRØSS Magazine, a Bay Area–based art magazine dedicated to covering artists who run against the grain of an increasingly corporatized art world. After funding a successful Kickstarter campaign for their first issue a year ago, Kevin and Victor have quickly established their reputation as the thoughtful les enfants terribles of the Bay Area art scene. Not only did they set themselves apart with their focus on interactive print media—their magazine contains features like sticker pages—Kevin and Victor included artists they like and admire, rather than following the often hype-based selection process of many art publications. With their focus mainly set on creativity in the Bay, Kevin and Victor also created an offshoot of GRØSS Magazine called RELISH Magazine, a submission-based publication released in tandem with the opening of affiliated pop-up art shows around the Bay Area. In the future, they hope to make the magazines even larger, more interactive and engaging. With its careful attention to craftsmanship, detail, and vision, GRØSS Magazine is a herald of the real Bay Area art scene.

“We made the magazine to bridge the gap between what we saw as the clear distinction between gallery-shown fine artists and museums, and the art for the masses. We saw an opportunity in that area considered more lowbrow, street, and unrefined and wanted to make something tangible for that space that goes beyond a digital platform.”

Victor Gonzalez

Kevin Peth

Khalilah Ramirez

Written by Johanna Hickle

thedanceofpeace.org instagram: thepeacedancer

Khalilah Ramirez has decided her mission is to educate and illuminate through the art of dance. As the creator of the Dance of Peace, Ramirez has traveled the streets of the South Bay for the last eight years to inspire peace among the onlookers through her very own mixture of performance art, dance, and community service. A native of Louisiana, Ramirez was inspired by great forces and later turned to dance to bring her artistic vision to the streets—and there to the people. Ramirez builds upon the Dance of Peace through trial and error, with each performance and with each person who joins her in celebration. The artist pays her bills by teaching yoga and ballet and views those practices as extensions of her life work with the Dance of Peace. She also writes articles for Silicon Valley De-Bug, a multimedia storytelling, community-organizing, and advocacy organization, as another way to carry out her mission. For now, performances of the Dance of Peace are confined to select spots in the South Bay, but ultimately Ramirez wants to lift people up all over the world with her joyous, holistic dance experience.

“The Dance of Peace literally came from searching inside, trying to figure out how I could contribute to my community—then I was kind of shown this by the universe. At first I was like, no, I’m not doing that. But after eight years, beyond still really wanting to bring people happiness and lift their hearts, I wanted to connect with people on the same peaceful vibration so we all can grow.”

John Beaver

Written

by Nathan Zanon

soundcloud.com/djjohnbeaver instagram: djjohnbeaver

John Beaver has three passions: animals, music, and life itself. As a zookeeper at Happy Hollow Park & Zoo, Beaver educates the community about endangered species, leads schoolchildren on tours of the monkey and capybara exhibits, and cares for the animals as if they were his own family. He also moonlights as an electronic dance music DJ at parties and clubs in the Bay Area and, more recently, at national and international venues. A cancer survivor as well, Beaver hopes his positive outlook and perseverance through life’s challenges can serve as an inspiration for others.

“Probably from age 10, I knew I wanted to be a zookeeper. I wanted to study animals all over the world. I started volunteering, taking classes, and got my foot in the door. One weekend, someone took me to a rave, and it was thousands of people dancing—and not just dancing: they were celebrating life. They were happy. It really touched me. I said to myself, ‘This is something I want to do.’ I want to see the crowd having the time of their lives. I want them to think, ‘This is the night that I’ve been looking for.’ I’m going on 16 years as a DJ and a zookeeper. When I had to go through chemotherapy, it was the worst time of my entire life. But I never felt like I was alone. The moral of the story is to be strong through the darkest hour. My goal in life is to teach this to other people. Even beyond playing music, that is how I can touch people’s lives.”

Ryan Baird

4500 Great America Parkway Santa Clara, CA 95054

sv.thegmic.com twitter: focus_on_risk

San Jose State University grad Ryan Baird has lived many lives: as entrepreneur, hedge fund manager, angel investor, startup junkie, and venture capitalist. Having started and sold his first company, Fresh Entertainment, during college, Ryan has had a head start understanding how to run a business, negotiate contracts, and benefit from recurring revenue. After exiting Fresh Entertainment, he worked in private wealth management at Morgan Stanley before working at a hedge fund called Maverick Capital, becoming a top performer there. Ryan eventually left Maverick to create his own hedge fund, Flotilla Trading Partners. When the hedge fund industry began to change in response to SEC regulations, Ryan began angel investing and leaped into tech with an e-sports startup. Now, Ryan works with Great Wall Club (GWC), one of the sexiest startups in China, and helps manage their fund. With investors like Ten Cent, Baidu, and Xiaomi, GWC helps these companies facilitate business development around the world. From large-scale events, such as the Global Mobile Internet Conference (GMIC), to intimate dinners and programs like G-Startup, GWC is key to helping limited partnerships like Sequoia, GDP Ventures, and Cheetah Mobile stay close to innovation.

Ryan’s advice for startups? “Startups get too caught up in building things that don’t make a significant impact on the business. Founders have too much information. As a founder, try to stay as focused as possible and have realistic goals, both short term and long term. Be hyper-focused on the goals you have and evaluate your metrics. Ask yourself if they truly impact the business or are just vanity metrics.”

Written by tracy Lee

Courtney Smith Kramer PureMatter | H2HClub

Written by Brandon Roos

courtneysmithkramer.com twitter: cshasarrived

Courtney Smith Kramer has built an illustrious career in the advertising world through her work co-leading ad consultancy PureMatter (clients include IBM and Cisco) and, more recently, rolling out membership platform H2HClub to entrepreneurs and small business owners. But her recent book, 21 Ways Creativity Is Like Sex, is what has helped her home in on her true passion: inspiring others to discover and harness their inherent creativity by redefining the word. First conceived as a 10-point presentation at an advertising conference, Kramer’s playfully coarse concept was originally explored in a screenplay she called Mojo There the idea languished, with Kramer hoping for a lead in the film industry. But she grew tired of trying to conform her message to suit a formula and chose to retool the concept as a book. The overhaul was a marked success: upon release, the book debuted atop Amazon’s Business Humor list.

“It started because I’m the queen of the double-entendre. I like watching people squirm and get super uncomfortable—I think it’s so funny! We talk a lot about how being human is your competitive advantage, and being creative is one of those things. Humor and empathy, being able to celebrate imperfection, and contextually understanding situations— those are things only our human brain can do…There’s a word ‘autotelic,’ which means doing something for the joy of doing it. I feel like this whole experience was a pure autotelic experience. I can’t wait to do it again.”

Raul D3 Peralez

Written by Johanna Hickle

sanjoseca.gov/District3 twitter: sanjoseinfo

In high school, Raul Peralez couldn’t have told you what he wanted to do when he grew up. Since that time, he has been a mathematics major, a substitute teacher, an emergency medical technician, a fashion model, a police officer, and (most recently) District 3 Councilmember. He believes this string of experiences has given him a wide range of perspectives. In his current position as councilmember, Peralez encourages community member involvement through participatory budgeting, a process that includes brainstorming ideas, encouraging volunteers and experts to develop project proposals, and voting on and funding projects. As he continues to look out for our city’s interests through his duties as councilmember, Peralez will soon be volunteering as a patrol officer for the Police Reserve Unit.

“The role of being a police officer prepared me the most for this role as a council representative. The main basis of both roles is being a public servant, serving the community members here in San Jose. As a patrol officer, I worked with people on some of the most challenging days of their lives. I also have worked all over San Jose—been able to drive through it, walk through it, see the areas that are more challenging and less, the infrastructure that is older and newer, areas that have investment and those that are lacking investment—so I really had an opportunity to get a good view of the city.”

Lorenz Mazon Dumuk

poet

Written by Diane Solomon

instagram: lorenzdumuk

There’s nothing superficial about Lorenz Mazon Dumuk. He’s a poet. His love of poetry led him to California State University, East Bay’s Creative Writing Program and to the epicenter of San Jose’s vibrant spoken word scene. A member of Poetry Center San Jose and the San Jose Poetry Slam, Dumuk stays up late writing the poetry that he recites at performances and slams at competitions. Poems come to him unbidden: they pour out of his pen onto the page. He writes about the complicated love that he feels for his family and for his Filipino culture. He writes about the pain that he feels recovering from his traumatic past and reclaiming himself from a one-size-should-fit-all society. He writes fearlessly about the transformative power that he finds facing his inner demons.

“I write about trauma and the curiosity and childlike wonder that’s survived. Frida Kahlo, Picasso, Pablo Neruda, Langston Hughes, Rumi—there are all these wonderful artists and poets who felt loneliness and solitude. Their art says suffering has a name; pain has a picture. This is a conversation that we can continue because art in its purest sense is a wonderful conversation, and when we become participants, we continue their conversations. It’s an extended conversation. It’s community. I rely heavily on my community because I had to learn how to reach out for support to find my voice. What does writing look like when you don’t have to suffer through that isolation as much? It requires me to offer not only my success but also my struggles. But I’m only as good as my community: when you have community, you can love yourself.”

Honycomb artwork by Maxim Kulikov

On the Day

On the days I feel I am not enough, I will bee my hand into the comb hidden inside my chest, my fingers dripping with honey. I am rich with sweetness.

On the days I feel I am not enough, I will peacock into the wrinkles of my mind, stretch out my feathers, dance—pearlescent plumage—I am full of imagination.

On the days I feel I am not enough, I will cocoon myself with compassion, spin silky threads of tenderness, snug myself against the warmth of friends. I am deserving of care.

On the days I feel I am not enough, I will elephant out my lungs, shout out the loss, memories, and pain that just won’t seem to leave me. Exhale all of the bullshit, frustration. Inhale this present moment. I am full of life.

On the days I feel I am not enough, I will merman my spirit, keep on diving toward who I am, keep on pushing for the more body aches the surface back up, keep on pushing for who I am. I am plenty brave.

On the days I feel I am not enough, I will stare into that mirror, look at my face until it is no longer covered in lies. I am enough.

Gemma MOrgan

Written by Tad Malone

instagram: toolate2dieyoung

Gemma Morgan wasn’t sure what to expect when she moved to San Jose from Australia, but she knew she wanted to have an impact. A lawyer and policy adviser by trade, Morgan first began yoga for a dose of lunchtime catharsis and eventually moved into teaching the practice as a side hustle. While waiting to sit for the California Bar Exam, Morgan became a teacher at Be the Change Yoga and Wellness in San Jose, where she saw firsthand how yoga could create positive change in people’s lives. Since then, she’s been teaching public events such as Sunset Yoga or Yoga in the Park to make the practice more accessible, with each event drawing hundreds of potential yogis. In the future, Morgan hopes to synergize her experience with corporate tension and her background in yoga to help those in the corporate world relieve stress, practice mindfulness, and promote overall self-care.

“I think yoga has a bad reputation for being inaccessible to many parts of the community. There is this sort of stereotype of what a yogi looks like or who yoga is for, but then you go to one of these free outdoor events, and there is no one type of person showing up: it’s a really beautiful, diverse crowd. Yoga really allows you to get back in touch with yourself, teaching you to turn inside, and I find it really meaningful to be able to teach people those skills.”

ROBINSon Wood

Artist and illustrator Robinson Wood designs art for some of the biggest names in the entertainment industry. Born and raised in San Jose, Wood always loved art. And while some stigmatize homeschooling, Wood credits his homeschool education with allowing him to completely focus on his adolescent interests—particularly illustration and animation. During that time, Wood submitted his stop-motion videos to local film festivals and received positive feedback—something he credits with encouraging him to fully pursue art.

After graduating from San Jose State University with a focus on entertainment art and design, Wood got his first big break out of school by working for Google. There, he worked his way up from fetching coffee to working on actual animation and design, eventually making a series of designs for Google Spotlight Stories. More recently, Wood was hired to create colorful, fantastical designs for movies such as Dreamworks Pictures’ Boss Baby. Although his art is versatile and often characterized by the criteria of commission, Wood has an airy, vibrant style that transcends the different projects. While Wood still sees himself as a novice in the industry, he hopes to eventually work his way up to the role of art director or project designer.

“When I figured out as a kid that I could make stop-motion videos with my LEGO brick collection, it really launched my interest in the animation industry. To be able to transition from childhood into adolescence and adulthood while figuring out that I can continue to engage with stories, share stories with other people, and communicate through a visual medium—that was something that really clicked for me.”

robinsonwood.net

Written by Tad Malone

cayce hill veggielution

Written by Francisco Alvarado

647 South King Road San Jose, CA 95116

Cayce Hill’s foodie passport is well traveled—as is she. From Texas to Mexico, Tokyo to New York City, and finally San Jose, Cayce’s passion for people, health, and food has been the driving force in her personal and professional life. She is now the executive director at Veggielution, a six-acre urban farm in East San Jose that strives to make organic food more accessible to the surrounding community. From her time as a hospital administrator in New York, Cayce understands that quality food completes the health equation. She uses this understanding in her role with Veggielution and seeks to achieve its mission to connect people through food and farming in order to build community. Cayce believes that the more human connections we have, the greater our physical and mental health. Veggielution should be a place for the community to gather, feel safe, and celebrate. The farm is where that passion for food, health, and people comes together for Cayce Hill.

“I love being with people. I love finding ways to connect to other people and food. And by way of food, agriculture is hands down one of the strongest connections we can have with others. Being close to the soil is a platform for conversations and relationships and connections with people that I find to be real special, real rewarding.”

veggielution.org instagram: caycehill

Omar & Veronica vero’s coffee bar

Written by David Ma

387 South First Street, Suite 126 San Jose, CA 95113

veroscoffee.com facebook: veros-coffee-bar

Coloring the arts district in which it resides with dynamic local art and quality food, the SoFA Market is a stunning example of constant change. One of the first anchor spots in the food hall is Vero’s Coffee Bar, a modest establishment where locals became accustomed to highquality espresso drinks long before coffee houses engulfed the block. Vero’s—owned by husband and wife Omar Quinonez and Veronica Salazar—was fortunate enough to establish itself in the market before any real development emerged, and its strong local following sustains the family-owned establishment’s place in the community. While most other eateries in the market are no more than three years old, Omar points out, Vero’s has been there for almost four, maintaining a quiet dignity and presence in the market’s front corner locale.

“This was like a zombie area, except not even zombies were around. The place was scary slow, but in the last 18 months many changes have happened, including a lot of competition, but we are still growing each month, little by little. You have to have an interest in where it all starts, which is why I’ve started roasting my own beans to get the right color and flavor of the coffee. I used to work running chemical reactors, but after a few years, my body was telling me it was no good, so I opened up a coffee shop in SoCal—that’s how everything began. Nowadays, we rise real early and dial in our grinders in order to pour the best shot we possibly can.”

Aaron De La Cruz in front of his mural at Eastridge Center

Aaron De La Cruz

Not long ago, artist Aaron De La Cruz was faced with an ultimatum: take on more work in the education sector to support his growing family or throw caution to the wind and fully pursue his art. Luckily—for the world’s sake—he chose the latter. Raised in Fresno, California, De La Cruz loved art from an early age before getting into graffiti at the behest of his older brother. He eventually went on to study at California College of the Arts before transitioning into an art education job in Oakland—but all the while, the philosophy and composition of graffiti stuck with him. Now De La Cruz’s intricate, maze-like, typographybased artwork is known the world over, adorning countless clothing brands like Nike and large-scale murals, such as at MACLA or his largest at the Eastridge Mall in San Jose. As his acclaim grows, De La Cruz is focusing on bringing his trademark style into physical form through sculpture. He will also be exhibiting at the upcoming POW! WOW! arts festival in San Jose.

“My work is about organization. I feel like I’m organizing all these shapes into a coherent piece or making sure it has a really nice composition. All my pieces start with the question ‘How can I create some type of visual element that still carries the same type of effort and style as a tag, one black mark on a surface, but gets to a point that it would resonate in a larger way?’ ”

aarondelacruz.com instagram: aarondelacruz

Written by tad Malone Photography by Alex Knowbody

Bill and Leila Cilker School of Art and Design West Valley College

Meet the Dean

Andrew chandler, AIA

by Kate Evans

westvalley.edu instagram: westvalleycollege

Andrew Chandler’s southern accent—minted in Savannah, Georgia, and perfected during many years teaching architecture at the University of Louisiana, Lafayette—is slow and charming as he reflects on his new position as the inaugural dean of West Valley College’s Cilker School of Art and Design. Recently plucked from his teaching role at the City College of San Francisco, Chandler describes his new administrator role as the most interesting job he’s ever had. He is relishing the challenges that come with harnessing the vision, the talent, and the ambitions of his faculty, staff, and students. When he took on the role, it was easy enough to get everyone focused on the same objective: to create the best school of art and design anywhere. Chandler hopes to achieve this by focusing on community—leveraging relationships, creating connections, and expanding worldviews. Chandler’s ultimate hope is that the school will offer a transformative education for its students and for its community. He sees himself as a connector, an enabler, and a facilitator, helping to launch the school into a new and heralded standard of greatness.

“I taught a course in Paris called The Gothic Cathedral. It was obvious that the classroom had to be Notre Dame—had to be Sainte-Chapelle. We learned about these designs by merely occupying them and forthrightly reflecting upon space, light, and structure. We absorbed their Gothic-ness as we inhabited them. In the same way, I hope to be able to stand in our communities in the South Bay— in our spaces, in our light, and in our worlds to pursue an artful awareness of our human condition—our cathedrals of thought through conversation, common study, community action, and joy.”

Written

Viviane LY

Written by Tad Malone

instagram: vivianephoto

When she is not snapping photographs of startling subjects or general downtown vibrancy, Viviane Ly can often be found careening through the streets on her unicycle. While she pursued photojournalism in high school, it wasn’t until college that she became more comfortable with the medium. She built up her skills, all the while riding her unicycle. That combination of energy and composure gives her portraits of downtown patrons a paradoxical feel of pensiveness and kineticism. To pay the bills, Ly teaches kids yoga at Downtown Yoga Shala; otherwise, you are most likely to find her riding her unicycle. Ly put out a photography zine last fall, which she showcased at the 2016 Photo Zine Show at Space B, but for now Ly is focused on building up her photographic backlog, finishing her teaching credential in special education, and remaining a fixture of the downtown scene.

“I feel like taking photos in the moment just makes them really raw and genuine, and riding my unicycle makes that process easier—I can just shoot and keep moving. And I like the composing part of photography as well, having this idea or image in my head and wanting to create that. Often I play it by ear, or rather, I play it by eye.”

Danielle Rahe Fox

Written by Tad Malone

daniellerahefox.com

Danielle Rahe Fox remembers being really young when her mother put out art supplies for her to use, but it wasn’t until more than a decade later that an art class at Cabrillo College gave her the confidence to head down art’s path. After getting a BS in studio art from Biola University and an MFA in painting from San Francisco’s Academy of Art, Fox found her way back to Santa Cruz, where she’s originally from and currently lives. Working with a combination of charcoal, tracing paper, and acrylics, Fox uses texture to make a difference in her current body of work. Like reflections on a muddy lake, her paintings, on canvas or wood panel, are marked by layers of earthy colors and glazing, abstract line work, and frenetic shaping—ideas for expressing her artistic aims that started nearly a decade ago when she was still in grad school. Fox has exhibited this body of work in galleries around California, including Coup D’etat in San Francisco and Elizabeth Gordon Gallery in Santa Barbara. Although Fox’s background has been in figurative art, for the time being she says she’ll keep exploring nature and texture in her work.

“Most of my inspiration comes from nature and architecture, especially when I’m traveling. I have a painting of a lake in New Hampshire that was inspired by the beautiful green leaves of birch trees that were filtering light, and another time it was the ocean tones near Santa Barbara. Trees, branches, shells…it all depends on the piece.”

Joey & Gwen Reyes making voices heard

Written by Daniel Codella

maclaarte.org instagram: gmrartstudio

“There’s an aspect of community building in graffiti. You’re working in groups to tell a theme that’s pertinent to an issue we’re facing now. As a curator at MACLA [Movimiento de Arte y Cultura Latino Americana], my work is always community based. My role is to leverage the resources of our organization to build on the work of artists and to amplify [those voices] to put us in a discourse or conversation with our community.” _ Joey

Graffiti is a familiar part of just about every urban landscape. It’s a controversial art form, misunderstood by many and often wrongly blamed for causing all sorts of societal ills. But in reality, graffiti serves as the mouthpiece for the community, expressing the history, the problems, and the pain felt by people who often have few other ways to make their voices heard. And with our current political climate and the division it’s caused, giving a voice to those who are often silenced is more important than ever. Husband and wife Joey and Gwen Reyes came together through a shared passion for the art form. Growing up themselves in a graffiti culture, they’ve helped shape that culture in the Bay Area for decades. And they’re using it now to help the community engage in critical dialogues about building a better future.

“Graffiti can reach a wider variety of people than the fine arts can. When you have work that is very institutionalized, the language isn’t comprehensible. Graffiti doesn’t do that. A child can see a piece and appreciate it. When youths get involved, it helps them develop an identity and a voice.” _Gwen

liz Ruiz aloha roller rink

Written by Rashi Gupta

aloharollerrink.com instagram: lizapalooza

When Liz Ruiz started her mobile business, Aloha Roller Rink, four years ago, the entire enterprise consisted of a single trailer packed with fleet skates. Since she was nine years old, Liz has dabbled in every aspect of skating and spent eight years on Silicon Valley Roller Girls’ roller derby teams. In order to give back to the roller skating community full time, Liz chose to retire from the team and for the past few summers has committed herself to hosting skating nights every weekend at Roosevelt Park. She also hosts events at local libraries and schools throughout the year. Liz hopes to occupy a more permanent and family-friendly location in the near future and connect residents through the only roller rink in San Jose.

“Back when I was a kid, the rink was the social place where everybody hung out. I mean, it was practically an underage nightclub. There were disco lights and people dancing and skating. It was my social scene until I turned sixteen and got a car, and that opened up my options more. I came back to do roller derby mostly because, at that point, I was in an office job and felt like I wasn’t being active enough. I wanted to find something I could do that would keep me active and in a team environment so I’d have accountability. I ended up finding the roller derby team and joining them, and I was back in skating again.”

APIS FLoral the flower guys

Written by Johanna Hickle

955 Lincoln Avenue San Jose, CA 95126

apisfloral.com instagram: apisfloral

Flowers are intertwined with feelings—and Jose Ibarra and Efrain Escalante of Apis Floral get that. Though they never went to school to learn the art of flower arranging, Ibarra and Escalante (who playfully call themselves “The Flower Guys”) describe a deep connection with, a deep understanding of, the natural world. The name these partners chose for their boutique— Apis, the genus of the honeybee—seems particularly fitting.

Apis specializes in natural, rustic-chic arrangements for corporate events, weddings, holiday parties, and window displays. Though Ibarra and Escalante are of Mexican heritage, they’ve been told their designs have a Parisian flourish. They go the extra mile for quality—visiting the flower market twice a week and tracking down flowers in other cities. Escalante takes on a supporting role, nurturing the moss and succulent walls and botanical designs, handling marketing, and memorializing their creations through social media. Ibarra is the lead floral designer, feeding roses, carnations, and dahlias into vases until they’ve matured into bouquets.

“It’s always an emotion that moves Jose to start working on the bridal bouquet,” says Efrain. “It’s a process. Every time he’s going to start working on bouquets, he’s thinking about the bride. How does she look? What was she wearing for our last appointment? What was her vision for the wedding? How is she going to be carrying that bouquet? It’s like art.”

Efrain Escalante | Jose Ibarra

Carolina Villafane

Carolina “Caro” Gomez Villafane moved from the peaks of Patagonia to the hills of Los Gatos as a young teen. In the period of culture shock and adjustment that followed, her brother suggested mountain biking as a way to relieve stress. He even offered her a deal: if she joined her Los Gatos High School Mountain Biking Club, he would buy her a bike. Caro began biking with the club and even had to qualify in a handful of races to earn P.E. credits at her new school. Fortunately, Caro didn’t just qualify—she won. It turned out that Caro had a natural propensity for the sport and the determined, competitive, adventurous personality to make herself a star. Caro eventually joined Argentina’s racing team and became the first South American to race at the Mountain Bike World Championships. Today, she continues to race and inspires bikers in Argentina and many young women around the world. Caro’s tenacity allows her to accomplish whatever she sets her mind to.

“I’m not sure where we go after this life. What I do know is that we only get one shot at it. When I grow old, I want to be proud of where I invested my time because that will determine whether I wasted a lifetime or I squeezed it to its very last drop. I choose to never cheat myself from greatness in anything I do: career, relationships, family, or racing my bike! Once we stop half-assing things, magic happens. That’s where true fulfillment and success come from. That’s where your contribution to the world creates significant change.”

instagram: carogomezvillafane

Written by Kate Evans Styling by Brianna Virta

Nuria Fernandez VTA

Written by Kate Evans

vta.org instagram: scvta

Nuria Fernandez, who was heavily recruited four years ago to fill the position of general manager/CEO of the Valley Transit Authority (VTA), immediately fell in love with San Jose. It’s not merely the bright blue sky, the mountains that flank the valley, and the crisp breeze. She’s in love also with the area’s pioneering spirit of creativity. If Silicon Valley is the center of innovation for the world, then Nuria wants to take full advantage. She is making it her mission to utilize her 30 years of experience to shift the VTA’s focus and bring high-level innovation into the daily lives and routines of riders. Nuria knows that she has a lot of responsibility on her shoulders in this constantly changing landscape of public transportation, but she sees it as an opportunity for service and a chance to improve the quality of people’s lives. For Nuria, it’s simple: get people to where they want to be. She just wants to do it efficiently, respectfully—maybe even with a little pizazz.

“I believe that great people are the foundation upon which we build great products and deliver great service. VTA’s five-year strategic plan provides our workforce with tools to foster their growth through creativity, collaboration, and leadership. We are our brand, and our brand is the experience users have when moving throughout Silicon Valley’s network of buses, sidewalks, trains, bike trails, highways, streets, roads, and expressways. We provide solutions that move you!”

LAUREN BAINES

Written by Francisco Alvarado

laurenbaines.com instagram: labaines

Lauren Baines is a champion of modern dance—her movements tell profound, thought-provoking stories. Lauren has been a dancer since the age of three, when preschool was just the first stage in her lifelong journey. After discovering modern dance in middle school, with its freedom from structure and its beauty of expression, she knew her future would be in the performing arts. Now, the San Jose native incorporates all those years of dance—along with lessons learned while earning three bachelor’s degrees and one master of fine arts—into her artistry. For Lauren, dance is a way to break barriers, redefine truths, explore concepts, and reanimate spaces that have lacked life and purpose for years. For her, dance is the great disruptor and the catalyst for living.

“I ask myself, if behaviors and actions and movements and routines, in a way, start to define a place, how can dance disrupt that known activation? So if you had a pop-up dance performance in this Starbucks right now, you and I are here, and people blast through, and they’re doing different movements, and they’re dancing on the tables, doing all these things that go against our norms and behavior—that’s going to activate the space differently in that moment. That lives on as well.”

Jodi & Gary Maricich Hive & Hum

Written by Haley Kim

415-B River Street Santa Cruz, CA 95060

hiveandhum.com instagram: hiveandhum

While bicycling around Portland, Oregon, Jodi and Gary Maricich had stopped for beers when they came up with the name for their future retail store: Hive & Hum. Interior designers by trade and beekeepers at home, they had been thinking about starting a business and decided a bee-centric name could help raise awareness for the tiny pollinators. The Santa Cruz lifestyle and home goods store opened up shop just over a year ago and is carefully curated by the Mariciches. At Hive & Hum, a customer can find beekeeping essentials, rare calligraphy tools, highquality faux greenery, and goods created by local and far-flung artists alike, from San Francisco–made handbags to Indian-made rugs and pillows. The store also specializes in found objects, such as a vintage copper coffee table, hand-hammered and engraved with the story of the Rubaiyat of Omar Khayyám, a Persian mathematician and astronomer. Hive & Hum also hosts workshops and discussions for its community.

For the Mariciches, the most rewarding part of running their shop is collaborating with the community and introducing customers to artists and their stories.

“We get to collaborate with talented people—artists, makers. It’s just this community that comes together and the most interesting people come out of it. Like, you would never know they were here unless they came into the shop and said, ‘Hey, this is who I am and this is what I do, and is there any way we can collaborate together?’ I love that part, it’s really good.”

Tim LIN

timlinmusic.com instagram: timlinmusic

Anyone walking down San Jose’s South First Street on a Sunday night is bound to hear the joyful reverberations of improvised music flowing out of the doors of Cafe Stritch. Every week, saxophonist and composer Tim Lin opens up the cafe’s stage for intermediate through advanced jazz musicians in the community to perform alongside their peers. Lin first approached the cafe’s artistic director, Maxwell Borkenhagen, about starting a weekly jam session with a professional house band shortly after graduating from the USC Thornton School of Music. Since then, Lin has led a house band of top-tier local musicians every Sunday night, playing Lin’s original music and jazz standards before inviting community musicians to come up and play. For Lin, the Eulipions jam session (named in honor of the virtuosic multi-instrumentalist Rahsaan Roland Kirk’s “Theme for the Eulipions”) is not only a gathering for local musicians, but also an avenue to refine his own artistic voice.

“I’m extremely grateful for the opportunity to play my original music at a place with a receptive audience every week. Writing has been a slow process for me, oftentimes frustrating, banging notes and ideas out on the piano, but when I do finish a tune, I bring it to the jam so I have a place to record it so I can listen back. It also helps that people in the audience hear what I’m working through and offer me feedback. It’s a really great feeling when someone remembers a song you’ve written.”

Written by Nick Panoutsos

Christian Borglum, Nick Puzar, Jeff Gale, Brian Winter, Andrew Yu, David Brothers Julian Velasquez, Bob Gulino, Toby Ilchmann, Kevin Imboden, Tom Fitch Emy Mendoza, Noelle Gillies, Susan Martindill

Umunhum Brewing

Written by Nathan Zanon

umunhumbrewing.com instagram: umunhumbrewing

Umunhum Brewing is San Jose’s first co-op brewery. Named after nearby Mount Umunhum, the cooperative began in 2012 when a group of beer enthusiasts pooled together money to launch their own product. They currently boast more than 500 members, each of whom is also a part-owner and has a voice in the direction of the company. The diverse governing board includes brewers, business owners, and scientists. Umunhum beers include Heisman Sii Pale Ale, IPO IPA, and Stout as a Service and are available at dozens of local bars and bottle shops— but the goal is to open a brick-and-mortar location in the near future. With a mission strongly focused on community, board member Kevin Imboden says the company takes steps to be involved in local events, supports charities and nonprofits, partners with other San Jose brewers, and works toward being as environmentally sustainable as possible.

“We want to build a strong community, both within our own organization and with other local businesses. You don’t have to know anything when you begin—as a collective, we have a lot to teach each other! We get inspired by what others are doing and use that inspiration to create new brews. Anyone out there who has ever been curious about brewing or beer in general is welcome to join. We love new ideas and have a great time together—before and after a few rounds.”

RATHBONE

Photographer: Arabela Espinoza

Stylist: Mariana Kishimoto

Hair and Makeup: Veronica Montenegro, Cassandra Valadao, and Sonia Paniagua for Limón Salon Production and Art Direction: Elle Mitchell

Model: Margarita

Wardrobe: CRIV and Scotch & Soda

Location: Battery Rathbone McIndoe

Black sheer long-sleeved top, CRIV, $50; green velvet dress, CRIV, $120; black bralette, CRIV, $50; stone necklace, CRIV, $62; teardrop earrings, CRIV, $32

White bow shirt, Scotch & Soda, $148; pink velvet pants, Scotch & Soda, $148

Black vest, Scotch & Soda, $180; metallic pleated skirt, Scotch & Soda, $125; laced suede boots, CRIV,$180

Military poetry jacket, Scotch & Soda, $495; leather sandals, CRIV, $139; triangle necklace, CRIV, $64; geometric earrings, CRIV $36

Music

Written by Caroline Beleno

As a newcomer to the local arts community, I was immediately charmed. So many colorful people, so many vivid personalities—there was ambition, talent, hope swirling in their midst. The experience was invigorating. I felt a part of something vibrant, and I wanted to show the world what I saw: a community fully invested in what it believed in.

For too long a time, I sought to understand this culture. I thought that if I could pin it down, examine it in my hand, hold it up to the light, then I could surely show it to other people and help it grow. Look! Culture is alive and thriving in San Jose. Come be a part of it! I look back at this younger, slightly more naive version of myself and realize that I was almost on to something. But as I have come to learn, you don’t create the culture—the culture creates itself. All you can do is bring people together and the rest falls into place, naturally. The increasingly diverse population of San Jose provides the perfect convergence of opportunity for creatives: the people are coming together, and the rest falls into place.

In this issue, we highlight some of the new voices emerging from this climate. Moses Kinnah is an up-and-coming photographer whose portfolio reads like a 2018 Grammy nominee prediction. Lake Stovall is an artist surfacing on our radar, with vocals bigger than his hair and the ambition to match. Chulita Vinyl Club is changing the face of DJ collectives with powerful messages of self-identification and female empowerment. These artists, and many more like them, serve as the thread from our local culture to a larger narrative. Though seen from afar as products of San Jose, the reverse is true. San Jose did not create these artists. It is they who help to create San Jose.

Lake Stovall

soundcloud.com/lakestovall instagram: lakestovall

With a presence as buoyant as his untamed hair and armed with a mile-wide smile, Lake Stovall practically floats into any room. Young, beaming, and full of ambition, Stovall is equipped with the voice to pave the way—all eyes are patiently waiting for the kid to get his due shine. The Virginia native arrived in San Jose by sheer happenstance, following a prestigious scholarship granted by the Gates Foundation to attend the Academy of Art University in San Francisco for sound design and music production. Ushered in part by keen intuition, in part by a perceptive mutual friend, Lake found his way to local notable producer Brad Lewis. Together, the two immediately started turning out music. Within the first few hours of meeting, they had already finished their first track. Just seven months later, Stovall is looking at three released singles, a new record pending release, and West Coast tour dates on the horizon.

“I definitely had to take the time to understand myself and develop as a person/artist before finally meeting the right people. Making music has allowed me to meet other amazing artists and has brought me to many different places in life. From Virginia to Sacramento and the Bay Area, every place has had its own unique impact on who I am, and I’m so glad to have landed in San Jose at this point, because it has allowed me to meet some of the most influential people in my musical and personal life. I’m excited to keep creating, and I’m excited to keep exploring music in every way possible.”

Written by Caroline Beleno Photography by Moses Kinnah

Claudia Saenz Chulita Vinyl Club

Written by Brandon Roos

chulitavinylclub.com instagram: chulitavinylclub

Twenty-nine-year-old Claudia Saenz is a South Bay transplant from Edinburg, a small town located along Texas’s Rio Grande Valley. Growing up in the hotbed for Tejano music, she witnessed some of the scene’s best groups play local parties and quinceañeras. After moving to San Antonio and then Austin, Saenz developed a love for collecting records, but often found women underappreciated or simply shut out of the music conversation. To combat that neglect, she founded Chulita Vinyl Club (CVC) in 2014. A collective that now includes seven chapters throughout Texas and California, CVC is a space for likeminded women to celebrate their identities through a shared love of collecting records. The club accepts all women of color, regardless of their experience. Above all, CVC is meant to provide a platform for chulitas to develop and share their musical story on wax—however it happens to sound.

“The bond between all the chulitas from every chapter, it’s a beautiful magic that happens where we all learn from each other. I’m still so humbled by what it has become. I think it has given them this voice— just be who you are, play what you want, look how you want to look. Our vinyl collections are very near and dear to us. Whether it’s something we grew up listening to or it’s a new release that came out last year, there’s definitely an autobiographical element to it. It’s who we are.”

Portrait of Claudia Saenz in front of Sam Rodriguez mural Here & There, on Kiem Laundromat, at Empire and 8th Streets

Moses Kinnah

by Caroline Beleno Photography by Jyhanne

moseskinnah.com instagram: moseskinnah

Although he’s never attended a day of formal photography training in his life, Moses Kinnah is the one who answers the call for shoots from contemporary recording artists such as Masego and Marc E. Bassy. It was Kinnah who sneaked his camera into a Travis Scott and Young Thug show in 2015, and it was Kinnah who received his copy of the illustrious The Hundreds 2015 Fall/Winter Magazine months later, and who opened it to find a full-page spread of his own shot taken at that very show. By leveraging just a few months of contacts in the music circuit, he joined breakthrough recording artist GoldLink on the West Coast leg of his tour. Kinnah was also featured in Tyler, The Creator’s Golf Media app, with his work represented by a photo essay. Expressively self-driven and as calculated as his shots seem to be, Kinnah has already contracted work with major companies such as Toyota, Under Armour, and Slam Online.

“When I first started getting into photography, I didn’t really know where to start off—I’d be on Google for three to four hours a day researching who I should contact. At the time, I didn’t even really have a portfolio to show, all I had was my word. This was all made through research—you had to go to Google, like page 9, where nobody else would go. [Laughs] It was a lot of getting shut down, but persevering for the craft. I told myself, ‘No excuses. Just get it done.’ Get it done and figure it out.”

Written

ALBUM PICKS

Curated

Tyler, The Creator

Flower Boy (alternatively Scum Fuck Flower Boy) (Columbia Records)

Release date: July 21, 2017

Flower Boy is the fourth album of rapper Tyler, The Creator and his first release with label Columbia Records. Although this album dropped towards the back end of July, Tyler made huge efforts to lead into its official release with singles “Who Dat Boy,” “911/ Mr. Lonely,” and “Boredom.” The album features a variety of artists such as Frank Ocean, Corinne Bailey Rae, Rex Orange County, Steve Lacy, Kali Uchis, and it’s produced mainly by Tyler.

With the first release from the album, “Who Dat Boy/911,” the audience got a preview of Tyler, The Creator’s mature experimental sound. Where “Who Dat Boy” stays true to the bold, mosh-inducing Tyler, The Creator we are all familiar with, “911/Mr. Lonely” gives us a glimpse of Tyler’s wild compositions and wide-ranging use of instruments—here, from a classic jazz band to a synthesizer. Tracks such as “Where This Flower Blooms,” “See You Again,” and “Glitter” evoke the idea that Tyler has grown as an artist through his composition and lyricism. With “Garden Shed,” he offers a thought-provoking track of somber instrumental and lyrics that invite the audience to analyze topics like sexuality and unrequited love.

Flower Boy insists that the audience pay close attention to the lyrics, the composition, and the amazing lineup of features on the project. Tyler may have not made the best impression in the beginning of his career, but Flower Boy showcases the work of a refined artistic talent.

Favorite Track: Glitter golfwang.com twitter: tylerthecreator

Written by Necole Cayanan instagram: neccayanan

Umii

This Time (Fresh Selects)

Release date: July 26, 2017

The magic that emanates from Reva Devito and B. Bravo’s debut album, This Time, layers the eardrums with an airy, dreamlike R&B that made their previous collaborations instant hits. Luckily for us listeners, their recent union supplies plenty of new songs to drift us into a place worth spending some time in.

“Dangerous” is an upbeat invitation to exciting romances that punctuates with a groove, blending perfectly with Devito’s polished harmonies. “Feelin It” plays for the sound system, utilizing the sparse rhythms and keys to accentuate the mood of the vocals and low-end notes. Incorporating Caribbean influences, “Don’t Let Up” keeps in time with tenderness, helping to close the gap between two orbiting bodies in no time. “Masquerade” moves like streetcars at night: trailing neon blurs while unfolding like a dream. “The One” calls upon the deepness that romantic love has to offer, making sure reciprocation is seen and understood between partners. With comparable nods to R&B ballads from decades past, “Not Alone” is a nostalgic murmur into the heart of loneliness, quieting the emotions that rise from separation and reminding us that we always have a place in this world with someone, even if it’s just ourselves.

Most singer-producer pairings are hit or miss, but there’s nothing lacking in Umii’s first release, just plenty of promise for the future. If you’re in the business of gifting great sounds to someone you care about, don’t look any further than Umii’s debut.

Favorite Track: Masquerade facebook.com/umiimusic

Written by Danny Le instagram: dandiggity

by Universal Grammar instagram: ungramr

Aminé

Good For You (Republic)

Release date: July 28, 2017

Twenty-three-year-old Portland-based rapper Aminé has released a none-too-shabby debut album, Good For You, a collection that seems to fit right in with summertime. With his thrice-certified platinum breakthrough single, “Caroline,” rising swiftly in the Billboard Hot 100 chart, the previously anonymous rapper has successfully transitioned from one-hit wonder to one of hip-hop’s most promising up-andcoming rappers.

Good For You is as eccentric and fun as its bright yellow cover. Throughout the album, Aminé’s disposition is on display—sunny, fun, and just here for a good time. With a list of producers that boasts, for a start, Metro Boomin, Disclosure, and Jahaan Sweet, Good For You is a soundbed that’s easily digestible both melodically and lyrically. Aminé’s quirky lyricism, while not necessarily groundbreaking, is entertaining and paints a picture.

“Wedding Crashers,” a standout track featuring Offset (of the trio Migos), is a catchy piece built on salt and pettiness for an ex-lover who’d — as the lyrics make abundantly clear — wronged him. The rap content, as with most of Aminé’s fellow 2017 XXL Freshman rappers, often identifies with the “young and reckless” lifestyle. But not always. While there are tracks like “Yellow” (which features Nelly boasting, “I wanna flex, I wanna show off / Humble when I’m blunt, but I gotta go hard”), there are also tracks such as “Turf” that explore Aminé’s growing dislike for gentrification in his homogenous hometown of Portland.

Whatever subject Aminé chooses to speak on, it’s guaranteed to be lively and vibrant. Overall, Good For You is a well-rounded debut that draws inspiration from greats like Drake, Kanye West, and Chance The Rapper. And it demonstrates a new level of complexity for this ever-evolving artist.

Favorite Tracks: Yellow, Wedding Crashers, Turf heyamine.com twitter: heyamine

Written by Maygan Abude instagram: maygantista

Vince Staples Big Fish Theory (Def Jam)

Release date: June 23, 2017

With an unfiltered voice that is as eloquent as it is witty, the outspoken Long Beach rapper Vince Staples may have (ironically enough) gotten lost in the internet sauce. For a while, his internet persona was geared towards generating content somewhere along the lines of “Vince Staples Reviews Health Snacks—and hates them all,” which seemed to take away from his actual music. His newly released sophomore album, Big Fish Theory, however, proves otherwise. With over 36 minutes of material, Vince Staples gives us Detroit techno- and houseinspired beats served over gritty bars and lyricism, a combination that pairs almost as well as smooth raclette cheese over rosemary potatoes. Though the electronic sound may offend enthusiasts of the ’90s hip-hop era, it serves to drive the album’s concept, which is to expose the “fishbowl” of the fragile rap ecosystem and the corruption of class and entitlement.

The album is a work cultivated by a host of producers, names such as Zack Sekoff, SOPHIE, Flume, Jimmy Edgar, and GTA. The sound is innovative, energetic, approachable. Tracks such as “Big Fish,” “Party People,” and “Rain Come Down” are groovy, disorienting club bangers that utilize artists like Juicy J and Ty Dolla $ign to their best abilities. Staples’ most impressive (and surprising) feature is Kendrick Lamar on the Flume- and SOPHIE-produced track “Yeah Right,” a progressive track that masters high-powered verses with strange warped metallic snares and monstrous basslines. Big Fish Theory showcases textures of musicality and collaboration that emphasize Staples’ flow, weird personality, and succinct delivery.

Favorite Tracks: Big Fish, Yeah Right, Love Can Be vincestaples.com instagram: vincestaples

Written by Maygan Abude istagram: maygantista

01

Content Calendar

Nov/Dec

#ContentPick

11

Salon at the Triton

This annual statewide 2D art competition and auction will feature more than 100 works, with the “Best of Show” winner receiving a solo exhibition next year. 11/11–2/4 Triton Museum of Art tritonmuseum.org

14

René Marie & Experiment in Truth

Vocalist René Marie borrows various elements of folk, R&B, and even classical and country to create a captivating hybrid style that explores the full human experience. 11/14 Cafe Stritch sanjosejazz.org

02

Lunchtime Lecture: El Mac

El Mac’s large-scale murals blur the lines between fine art and graffiti. He will discuss his collaborations with The Propeller Group, including his new mural in San Jose. 11/1 San Jose Museum of Art sjmusart.org

Save Ferris

Save Ferris is a ska-punk band led by the inimitable front-woman Monique Powell. After almost 15 years, the band is making a long-awaited return to the music scene. 11/2 The Ritz theritzsanjose.com

08

WEEKLY

William Finnegan

Finnegan is the winner of the Pulitzer Prize for Autobiography for Barbarian Days: A Surfing Life. He will read from his book, followed by a conversation and reception. 11/8 Cafe Stritch litart.org

Sun 10am–2pm

SoFA Brunch

Each participating eatery at this downtown San Jose food hall offers its own special brunch menu items.

SoFA Market sofamarketsj.com

Mon 7pm–9:30pm

Red Rock Open Mic Night

This open mic is a familyfriendly experience that welcomes people of all talents to share and perform their art.

Red Rock Coffee redrockcoffee.org

18 Vincent

Vincent van Gogh poured his heart out to his brother nightly in letters. Leonard Nimoy spent years researching the over 500 letters, using them as the basis for this play. 11/18 Schultz Cultural Arts Hall paloaltojcc.org 23

24

Sunrise Ceremony

Commemorate indigenous cultures and traditions at a ceremony that unites African, Native, and Mexica drums to honor the heartbeat of Mother Earth. 11/23 School of Arts & Culture @ MHP schoolofartsandculture.org

Christmas in the Park Tree Lighting

The lighting of a 60-foot tree in downtown San Jose marks the opening of Christmas in the Park for the season, which includes animated exhibits and holiday performances. 11/24 Plaza de Cesar Chavez christmasinthepark.com

Wed 7:15pm–11:45pm

Wednesday Night Hop

This swing dance party is preceded by a choice of classes, introductory to advanced. First United Methodist Church (Palo Alto) wednesdaynighthop.com

Wed 9pm

The Caravan Lounge Comedy Show

Comics from all over the Bay Area and the world perform, hosted by Mr. Walker. The Caravan Lounge caravanloungesanjose.com

Thurs 7pm–9pm

Live Lit Writers Open Mic

This casual open mic offers a home for poems and stories in all languages over pastries and beverages. Caffe Frascati facebook.com/groups/livelit

Thurs 9pm

The Changing Same

This excursion keeps time with the future of soul, R&B, and jazz with guest DJs and live performances. The Continental Bar thecontinentalbar.com

Events are subject to change and may be affected by holiday closures. Please confirm event details with the presenting organization or venue.

25 The Magique Bazaar

World-traveled celebrity Majinga the Magician and friends from the Magique Bazaar present an enchanting evening of award-winning magic. 11/25 CPAA Arts Center facebook.com/magiquebazaar

30

Big Money for Small Arts Groups

This full-day conference led by nationally renowned fundraising trainer Andy Robinson will help participants to sharpen their fundraising work. 11/30 School of Arts & Culture @ MHP svcreates.org

06

The Christmas Ballet

From classical to cool, Smuin offers an evening filled with a stunning and original array of ballet, tap, and jazz. This is an excellent “Nutcracker alternative” for the season. 12/6–12/10 Mountain View CPA smuinballet.org

06

A Christmas Carol

Following flood damage to their theater, Northside will resume operations with their 35th production of this Dickens classic, adapted for the stage by Richard Orlando 12/6–12/24 Olinder Theatre northsidetheatre.com

07

SJ International Short Film Festival

Over 150 short films will be screened at this festival. In addition to an expanded focus on animation, this year includes television and web-series pilots for the first time. 12/7–12/10 CinéArts at Santana Row sjsff.com

08 Messyah

English composer Paul Ayres has rewritten Handel’s Messiah, imagining how the melodies might sound if Handel were alive today and could set them in any musical style. 12/8–12/9 Campbell & Palo Alto Venues baychoralguild.org

09

Carols in the California

This festive holiday concert offers a traditional sing-along of favorite carols with choir and full orchestra, all in the warm glow of the beautiful California Theatre. 12/9 California Theatre symphonysiliconvalley.org

12

The Season of Hope Concert Series

This annual series presents a satisfying multicultural mix of free performances by various local arts organizations celebrating the holiday season. 12/12–12/23 Cathedral Basilica of St. Joseph stjosephcathedral.org

15

The San Jose Nutcracker

Presented with History San José, The New Ballet School tells the well-loved story of Clara and the Nutcracker, while featuring historical references to San Jose. 12/15–12/24 Hammer Theatre Center sanjosenutcracker.com

16

San Jose Craft Holiday Fair

This festive, large-scale, all-in-one holiday shopping experience will showcase the work of hundreds of craft makers, food producers, artists, designers, and small businesses. 12/16–12/17 South Hall sanjosemade.com

MONTHLY

2nd Tues 7pm

Well-RED Reading Series

Poetry Center San José hosts different featured readers each month, followed by an open reading. Works/San José pcsj.org

3rd Tues 7pm–10pm

Two-Buck Tuesday

The gallery hosts $2 art sales, along with a combination of performances, live painting, and/or art-making activities.

KALEID Gallery kaleidgallery.com

3rd Thurs 6pm–8pm

Make + Mingle

This museum happy hour comes complete with an arts and crafts chaser, perfect for creative networking. New Museum Los Gatos numulosgatos.org

1st Fri 7pm–11pm

South First Fridays

This walk highlights eclectic art exhibitions and performances at galleries, museums, and creative businesses. SoFA District southfirstfridays.com

3rd Fri 8pm

San Jose Bike Party

This themed ride is a place to make friends and have a good time. Riders without lights can get free lights installed. Announced 24 hours prior sjbikeparty.org

2nd Sat 6pm–9pm

Songwriter Saturday Showcase

Coffee is served while local songwriters perform Crema Coffee facebook.com/ songwritersaturday

For weekly Content curated events, follow us on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram. Follow us: @Contentmag #contentpick

Contributors

The production of Content Magazine would not be possible without the talented writers, editors, graphic artists, and photographers who contribute to each issue. We thank you and are proud to provide a publication to display your work. We are also thankful for the sponsors and readers who have supported this magazine through advertisements and subscriptions.

Want to be a part of the Content community?

Contact us at: Editor@content-magazine.com

DANNY THIEN LE

Danny is a writer, a poet, and a creative engager based out of San Jose. He enjoys great music, rare books, and trips over the ocean. He is currently pursuing his MLIS at SJSU.

instagram: dandiggityle

KATE EVANS

Kate is a freelance writer who specializes in exploring and capturing the Valley’s vibrant arts and culture scene. A southern transplant, she’s also always on the lookout for great BBQ.

katefitzgeraldevans.com

JOHANNA HICKLE

Johanna’s favorite art form is arranging words into well-crafted sentences. Inevitably, she became a freelance writer and editor. Also, she has invested so much time into making, drinking, and thinking about coffee that she now considers it a hobby.

twitter: johannahickle

TAD MALONE

Tad is a contributing writer for Metro Newspaper Silicon Valley and music and culture magazine Cypherleague.com. He is also the editor/publisher of the literary magazine PAPINO. In his free time he enjoys skateboarding, art, and history. He studied English literature at Santa Clara University. instagram: tee_emart

ALEX KNOWBODY

Alex is a photographer from the East Side of San Jose. He is also the owner of a content/ marketing agency based in San Jose that goes by the name “Better Than Good Enough.”

instagram: alexknowbody

DIANE SOLOMON

Diane produces and hosts a weekly public affairs program on Radio KKUP, 91.5 fm, and organizes the Silicon Valley Bikes! Festival She’s a San Josè bike partier, culture vulture and high-tech company wage slave.

instagram: postcardsfromsiliconvalley

NATHAN ZANON

Nathan works in social media, devotes much of his time to nonprofits, and is an advocate of the arts, community activism, and great movies. If possible, he will take a picture of your dog.

instagram: nathanzzzzzzz

DANIEL CODELLA

Daniel is a writer and marketer with a passion for clever content. When he's not helping people and brands share their stories, he enjoys traveling, writing music, and playing Bocce Ball.

twitter: mrcodella

california walks

Making walking a safe and accessible form of transportation for everyone at all levels of mobility

californiawalks.org/walksj social media: californiawalks

Thank You

This issue is made possible with the support of our partners—companies and organizations who share our desire to support and develop the creative community of the South Bay. We are grateful for their contribution and support and for actively taking part in the betterment of our region.

For more information on becoming a mission partner, contact kristen@content-magazine.com

Filco Events has been working on festivals, fundraisers, and events in the San Francisco Bay Area since 1988.

Each event is individually tailored to the special needs and goals of the organization. While fundraising is always a significant part of festivals, other priorities include media attention, corporate support, and volunteer building, as well as the opportunity to showcase specific programs and services to the community.

In all cases, advancing long-term goals while still raising significant revenue gives each event purpose and recognition for many years into the future.

From logistics to concessions to volunteer coordination, we can coantract key elements of large festivals, provide consultation, or actually direct the entire production.

We are also available for national and multi-city events.

filco.com

Proud Sponsor of Content Magazine Pick-Up Parties for 2017

Mach 7 Sound is a company local to the South Bay, catering professional sound reinforcement to a broad spectrum of events. Founded in San Jose as a hobby project, Mach 7 has grown to a versatile audio and lighting company with a proven track record of accommodating all their customers’ needs. With over 20 years of combined experience, Mach 7 has been supporting local music and arts in Morgan Hill, San Jose, Santa Cruz, and beyond.

Welcome to Foundry Commons. A place with a soul. That’s what you get when you move into the Foundry Commons. Part industrial. Part sophisticated. But all very real. Foundry Commons is where doers, originators, and creatives not only call home but make it as well. Unique to this community are resort-like amenities such as a Pool, Petanque Court, Bike Workshop, Dog Spa, Library Loft and a MicroGallery. Offering a variety of living options that mesh with your unique styles, Foundry Commons is where you can make a life for yourself.

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mach7sound.com contact@mach7sound.com

foundrycommons.com facebook: FoundryCommons

CREATE : CONNECT : SAN JOSE

“In creating Another World, I created just that, another world, in the form of a series of bronze sculptures that generate a series of stories. At the center is Guinea Pig Island, my favorite place. From there the installation spreads out in a playful spiral to include the Big Shoe, Three Pigs, Dwarf Zebu and the Potbellied Pig, among others.”

_ Tom Otterness

Tom Otterness

, Another World, is a public artwork at the entry plaza of Happy Hollow Park & Zoo. The artwork consists of 17 bronze sculptures, each of which reflects upon a past or present occupant of the park and zoo. www.sanjoseculture.org

WWW.COWGIRLBIKECOURIER.COM

Thursday, November 30, 2017 School of Arts & Culture at Mexican Heritage Plaza

full-day

CREATES conference on fundraising Sponsored by: Applied Materials Foundation, California Arts Council, City of San Jose, County of Santa Clara