A COMMUNITY-INSPIRED mural project aims to beautify and revitalize a neighborhood in East San Jose.
Artists gathered for the East Side Stories mural painting festival Saturday, complete with a DJ and lowrider cars around Tropicana Liquors on Story Road. Muralists created images of the Virgin Mary, lowriders and Mesoamerican symbols on the liquor store’s exterior walls. They also transformed the exteriors of Car & Truck Auto Clinic, East Hills Veterinary Clinic and Wash America on Story Road and S&S Market on Capitol Expressway. The festival, curated by 1Culture art gallery owner Andrew Espino, celebrated the heritage and traditions of immigrant cultures in the area.
After getting permission from Tropicana Liquors owner Gursharan Singh to paint his walls, Espino talked to other nearby struggling businesses who agreed to support the mural project by donating wall space.
“It went from an idea of being one property with five murals to over two dozen murals with five different locations,” Espino told San José Spotlight. “We could really beautify something. This is a working-class neighborhood and we’re changing their thought process and sparking imagination.”
Espino wants residents to feel empowered and see themselves reflected in the artwork. He brought Bay Area artists together for the festival, including many from East San Jose. He said the name East Side Stories was selected to pay homage to an album cover by East Side hip hop artist Richard Hoffman.
Curated by 1Culture art gallery owner Andrew Espino, East Side Stories celebrates the rich spirit, heritage and traditions of immigrant cultures. (Lorraine Gabbert/San José Spotlight)
Graffiti artist King157, who grew up in East San Jose, took part in the festival. He said he wants to inspire youth.
“I was one of them little kids looking at murals and thinking, ‘One day I would like to paint something,’” he told San José Spotlight. “It’s a full circle moment for me to help create that … from a young kid’s perspective dreaming about art, to one day becoming a full-time artist.”
In addition to instilling community pride and revitalizing the area, the artwork is an attempt to attract shoppers. Foot traffic has declined 30% to 40% at local small businesses following a January immigration raid by U.S. Immigrations and Customs Enforcement (ICE) at Target on Story Road, District 5 Councilmember Peter Ortiz said.
ICE actions have stoked fear in the community and led to students not attending class and some undocumented residents choosing to self-deport.
“Our small businesses right now on the East Side are hurting because of the immigration enforcement,” Ortiz told San José Spotlight. “A lot of immigrant families, they’re not coming out of their homes. People unfortunately don’t feel safe. But this area belongs to our community, especially our immigrant families, and they should come out and celebrate our heritage.”
Left: San Jose artist DAWLL creates murals and art with characters inspired by femininity and local culture. Right: Vogue, an artist who cruised along Story Road on weekends as a youth, created an image of a 1959 Impala. He wants to show youth they can use spray paint to create murals. (Lorraine Gabbert/San José Spotlight)
Ortiz’s office is investing $10,000 to $15,000 toward the community mural at Tropicana Liquors, reflecting the vision of residents on Kollmar Drive, which will be completed in February. Ortiz said he also secured a grant of $100,000 from the city budget to invest in additional murals and cultural markers in District 5.
Ortiz said while other parts of San Jose have seen big investments in arts and cultural spaces, East San Jose has had to fight harder to get the attention it deserves.
“This festival brought together wonderful artists to turn a massive wall into a vibrant tapestry of our community … reflecting, our roots, our hustle and our dreams for a brighter future,” he said. “This is our story and we’re painting it bold.”
Contact Lorraine Gabbert at lorrainegabbertsjspotlight@gmail.com.