ArtsCulture

Ensamble Folclórico Colibrí is a Mexican folklore dance group with a mission to promote the pride of identifying as an LGBTQ+ Latinx through the art of Mexican Folklórico dance.

 

 

James Morgan, Dwayne Morgan and Walter Morgan Jr. are The Sons of the Soul Revivers, who have been singing gospel music together with family in the Bay Area since they were kids. Inspired by deep faith, their music is generated out of both devotion and celebration. They have brought their engaging performance style on tour around the country and abroad. 

A self-described "Harpist from the Hood," Destiny Muhammad is a recording and performing artist, composer and producer.

In his Palo Alto backyard, Bruce Gee has what he calls extensive "adventures" in hydroponics.

 

San Francisco photographer and author Josie Iselin helps audiences look at seaweed in a whole new light.

 

Chairperson Jeffrey Myers leads us on a walking tour through the newly formed Lakeshore LGBTQ Cultural District.

The University of California’s Lick Observatory has been a quiet leader in optical and infrared astronomical observation beginning in 1888. 

The University of California’s Lick Observatory has been a quiet leader in optical and infrared astronomical observation beginning in 1888. 

The mission of Los Altos Youth Theatre is to provide an opportunity for young artists to collaborate with professional artists in rehearsing both plays and musicals.

 

Come take a tour of San Francisco’s Chinatown with celebrity chef Martin Yan!

 

Join us for a visit to Saratoga’s Montalvo Arts Center to experience “A Path Forward: Honoring Ohlone Land & Spirit.”  This brand-new work includes both actual and virtual artwork in a cutting-edge combination of tech and culture.  Our tour guide is artist/activist Charlene Eigen-Vasquez, who is lead artist for the installation.

Special thanks to Kelly Sicat and Pallavi Nemali.

For more information visit https://montalvoarts.org/a-path-forward/

Non-traditional wool and felt sculptor Stephanie Metz fills her studio with fantastic, fun, and sometimes downright weird creations!

 

All Aboard for History! Ride the rails with us on the volunteer-run Niles Canyon Railway, which operates excursion and holiday trains from Sunol to Niles (in Fremont) in the East Bay.

Lucy Liew paints vibrant compositions of California flora and fauna because she is inspired by the beauty in nature that is often overlooked.

 

With a name that means "Tribute," Parangal Dance Company’s mission is to honor Philippine heritage by preserving and promoting ethnic attire, music, and dance through research, workshops, and performances. They serve as a bridge connecting Filipino Americans to their roots to give them a sense of pride and identity, while educating diverse communities to foster awareness and appreciation of Philippine culture.

 

For more information visit http://www.parangal.org 

 

Produced by Rick Bacigalupi

Patty Botello has been making piñatas since she was a little girl.  Though some are destined to be joyously destroyed by children at parties, much of her work is museum quality and intended for gallery exhibition.  She transforms simple household materials and recycled objects into stunning artwork that amuses and inspires. 

 

Original and reproduced historic buildings make up San Jose's History Park, revealing a fascinating glimpse of Santa Clara Valley’s past. Complete with paved streets, running trolleys, and an old-fashioned ice cream shop, this 14-acre site offers the charm and ambiance of times gone by. Nonprofit History San José offers a broad selection of programming at History Park that enriches the region’s cultural heritage. They also host a number of diverse organizations who work toward the same goal together.

 

 

 

The vision of the San Jose Museum of Quilts & Textiles is to preserve, celebrate, and promote knowledge about quilts and textiles, their creation, their beauty, and their relationship to human culture and expression.

Taiko, or Japanese drum performance, is thrilling contemporary entertainment rooted in deep cultural traditions. Founded in San Jose's Japantown in 1973, San Jose Taiko has grown to become one of the premiere taiko ensembles in the world.

Taiko, or Japanese drum performance, is thrilling contemporary entertainment rooted in deep cultural traditions.  Founded in San Jose's Japantown in 1973, San Jose Taiko has grown to become one of the premiere taiko ensembles in the world.  Artistic Director Franco Imperial describes what it is like to be a part of this unique local treasure, and reflects on its greater role increasing visibility and understanding of Asian American cultures.

 

For more information, visit: https://taiko.org/

 

Produced by Rick Bacigalupi

Raquel Henriquez is Bilingual Community Engagement intern for San Mateo County Parks.  She spends her days making sure that all in the Spanish-speaking communities of the county feel welcome—since the parks belong to them.  We follow Raquel as she plants seeds of inclusion and joy with families and especially kids.

LGBTQ Pride Season lasts from June all the way through August, according to Santa Clara County Office of LGBTQ Affairs Manager Sera Fernando.

Stepping into Alicia N. Ponzio's North Beach, San Francisco studio is a little like time traveling to a renaissance European workshop. With daylight streaming in through high windows, paintings on easels are punctuated everywhere by sculptures, both finished and in progress.

Matthaus Lam is an accomplished young artist with a playful sense of humor that pours out of his amazing sculptures. Lam's creativity sparked early–he has created works of art since he was just five years old. He specializes in animals and likes to share them with adults and kids alike. Lam told us, "I hope they learn about protecting animals and conserving wildlife." Matthaus Lam is autistic and is a participant in AbilityPath's Phil Egan Art Program.

 

For more information visit: https://abilitypath.org

 

Produced by Rick Bacigalupi

A Bay Area treasure since the Sixties, TrainTown brings the art of model railroading to a new level. Passengers on this scaled-down train take a 30-minute journey through tunnels and across bridges to visit a miniature town. All have been carefully designed to delight the senses and spark the imagination.  Engineer Bob says that a landscape architecture technique called "forced perspective" was used in construction, and he shares his deep appreciation for the craftsmanship of the precision scale modeling that has gone into building the locomotives and rolling stock. But another word for it all might be: "magic." 

 

For more information, visit: https://www.traintown.com 

 

Produced by Rick Bacigalupi

The San Francisco Chapter of the Swedish Women's Educational Association holds a festive Christmas Fair every year, this season in Palo Alto. It is the place to find all things Swedish: from crafts, to decorations, to food and music. A highpoint is the traditional Sankta Lucia procession of youth in white gowns singing seasonal Swedish songs. SWEA says it is the largest organization outside Sweden promoting Swedish language, culture and tradition.  

 

For more information:  https://swea.org 

 

Produced by Rick Bacigalupi

The Crucible in Oakland offers a shared space of creativity and art education for both professional and aspiring industrial artists. See how The Crucible's Fuego Youth Leadership Program is able to uplift young artists to inspire a creative spark in others.

Tulio Flores is a Latino artist based in San Jose. He used the time during the pandemic to focus and paint. Fores works with a wide range of mixed media and his commitment to working with a range of materials make his canvas a limitless place of imagination. He channels life lessons and daily stress into his art. His exhibit, Dualidad, will be in the SJCC Art Gallery through November 1st.

Northern California Public Media spoke with the artist about his inspirations, his Mexican heritage and influences, as well the experience of being a working artist in the Bay Area.

 

Watch the Video Profile:  https://norcalpublicmedia.org/video/art-and-culture/new-tuliosmall

 

 

 

Members of Zoloti Maky Ukrainian Dance Ensemble narrate the festivities taking place during the annual Ukrainian Independence Day picnic held in Sunnyvale.

Members of Zoloti Maky Ukrainian Dance Ensemble narrate the festivities taking place during the annual Ukrainian Independence Day picnic held in Sunnyvale, CA. For more information visit https://zolotimaky.org Special thanks to Oksana Tscherepenko and the Ukrainian American Coordinating Council, https://uaccusa.org
Video Producer: Rick Bacigalupi

As a kid, lifelong athlete Jackson Aldrich had the idea to collect, clean, and re-distribute sports equipment and clothing before it was thrown away after kids grew out of it.