Featured in Issue 15.1 “Discover,” San José real estate broker Andrew Espino decided to take a chance last May and opened a permanent space to uplift artists and bring the community together with the creation of 1Culture Gallery.

 

“When I opened the shop, I thought about what I wanted people to see or how they would feel,” Espino says. “When you walk in here, you can take a time out from the world and really get lost in these stories that haven’t been told, and you’ll be in a place where you can feel at home.” 

As a Chicano-owned gallery, Espino says 1Culture is rooted in originality, creativity, and unity. The gallery plans to rotate shows every six to eight weeks, curating a mixture of hand-selected artists and announcing calls for art. 1Culture’s upcoming show, Bay Area Legends, pays tribute to the Bay Area’s most talented and notorious graffiti legends on Friday and Saturday, February 3 and 4. Enjoy live paintings by artists, a DJ, artist talks, and more.

Join Cabrillo Gallery on Saturday, February 11 from 2-5pm for the opening reception of Jonathan Parker & Stephanie Robison: Dialogues. Artists Parker and Robison construct their abstract artworks from uncannily related shapes and compositional structures. While Parker arranges them on the flat plane of a canvas, Robison forms them in three-dimensional space. Learn more.

Whether you like it sweet, sour, or even twisted, Empire Seven Studios will present a group art show with a little bit of everything this coming February and March. The opening reception of SOUR & SWEET will be held on Saturday, February 11 from 6-9pm. Learn more.

Kickoff the weekend with South FIRST FRIDAYS Artwalk on Friday, February 3 in the SoFA District and celebrate another year of artistic expression with the community. Tour new galleries, museums, and independent creative businesses from 5-9pm, including new solo exhibit, MASCOT, by Navin Norling at Anno Domini. Learn more.

 

First Friday Santa Cruz is back with new exhibits and art events in Santa Cruz County this coming Friday, February 3. Check out Treehouse from 5-8pm and enjoy live music, local artisans, and resident artwork on sale. Learn more.

 

Share your creativity with others on Friday, February 10 from 6:30-8:30pm during an Open Mic + Gallery Night at WestGate Church. Enjoy live performances by spoken word artists, dancers, and musicians while supporting local vendors. Learn more.

 

After taking the time to listen to the community and conduct creative sector research, SVCREATES refreshed its program goals guided by their equity framework and the realities of Silicon Valley. SVCREATES is proud to share their 2022 Annual Report providing highlights from this incredible year. Learn more.

Celebrate Black History Month with San Jose Museum of Art and Mosaic America this Friday, February 3 from 6-9pm with performances by RIGHTSTARTER and featured musicians. RIGHTSTARTER presents a unique Black and Brown musical fusion that showcases the drum as a connective tissue between African and Pacific cultures from pre-colonization to the present. Learn more.