San Jose Public Art Program is unveiling their temporary art project, called Who's on First, What's on Second, along the light rails on South First & Second streets this month. Projects will rollout over the next year and vary in duration from a few weeks to two months.

The $300,000 budget will go towards 8 projects by artists: JD Beltran, Jon Brumit, Hector Dio Mendoza, Chris Eckert, Bill Fontana, Jordan Geiger, Helena Keefe, and the team of Chip Lord and Bruce Tomb. (Press release here.)

Chris Eckert, (Phantom Galleries 2004) was one of the few resident SJ artists invited to submit a proposal and was awarded the grant to actualize his idea, Light Haiku.

from Chris: Light Haiku is an exciting new public art project developed for downtown San Jose by visual artist Chris Eckert and recording artist/poet pc muñoz. One of eight public art projects selected by the San Jose Office of Cultural Affairs for their new temporary art program Who’s on 1st/What’s on 2nd, Light Haiku enables compelling artistic expression through cutting-edge technology.

The project merges haiku, an ancient form of Japanese poetry, with sophisticated engineering and contemporary content. Eckert’s Light Cannon, a unique computer controlled spotlight designed and built specifically for Light Haiku, will “write” original poetry on an enormous 650 square foot luminescent screen in downtown San Jose nightly between 6:30 p.m. and 2:30 a.m.

The installation, located between first and second streets south of San Fernando Street, will run from December 1, 2007 through January 31, 2008. Featured poetry, anchored by muñoz who has contributed over two hundred haiku specifically for this installation, will include solicited submissions from guest poets around the world as well as local gradeschool children.

On November 17th, 2007 from 7-10 p.m., a one-night advance preview party for Light Haiku will be hosted by the San Jose Institute of Contemporary Art. Eckert’s light cannon will be temporarily installed and used to write haiku on a scaled down screen. muñoz will be performing live poetry readings in time with the light cannon while being improvisationaly accompanied by avant-garde cello legend Joan Jeanrenaud (longtime Kronos Quartet member) and hip-hop/funk drummer Kevin Carnes (known for his work with Broun Fellinis, George Clinton, and others). For more information or photographs, visit LIghtHaiku.com Congratulations Chris!!

from Miss Charlotte: I will be participating in a Holiday Boutique/ breast cancer benefit this Friday night;!

Many of my wearable sculptures will be on display, along with plenty of smaller items, all for sale; handmade purses, lunchboxes, tin clutches, ceramic works, tooth-fairy pillows, bookmarks, etc.etc.........Please consider attending, the Breast Cancer cause is worthy AND you'll be supporting your local artists if you decide to make a purchase!!!!

November 9th, 7-10pm
Commuknity
1345 The Alameda
San Jose, Ca 95126
408-293-9333
Admission - $35.00

I look forward to seeing you there. Feel free to spread the word and invite your friends!!! Cheers then.....until Friday.

Bye for now, miss charlotte kruk n' kempken

Unique situation. secure Japantown location, approx 650 sqft, freshly painted white walls, track lighting, small balcony. located within a studio/gallery complex. Very clean. Sorry, no live-in possibilities. Price negotiable.
For further information please call ken 408 288-9305 or email him at ken@artobjectgallery.com

Andy Gouveia, Pellet, Maryellen Mahar and Paul J. Gonzalez came out over the course of two weekends to paint murals on a construction wall in front of a vacant building as part of the Phantom Galleries program at 50 North First Street, downtown San Jose. (more photos here.)

They look amazing and really brighten up that stretch of pedestrian experience between Santa Clara St. and St. James Park. Stop by if you get a chance!

Christine Benjamin won 1st place for her painting "Another Day In The Big City" (pictured above) in the "Heart of Chaos: Uproar" group show at South First Billiards. People came and voted for their favorites at the reception on Friday, Nov. 2, 2007 which included more than 50 artists. The show will be up until Nov. 22nd.

South First Billiards
420 South 1st Street, Downtown San Jose

Christine will also have work in a large holiday group show called "Tiny" at Studio Gallery SF from Nov. 7th thru Dec. 23rd, with a reception on Nov. 10th from 4-8pm.

Studio Gallery
1718A Polk Street
San Francisco, CA 94109

Current Kaleid artist Nadia Vinogradova and Phantom Galleries artist Terenia Offenbacker will have a duel exhibit at Books, Inc in Mountain View entitled "Portraits." The exhibit runs from Thurs., Nov 8th thru the 30th.

Books, Inc
301 Castro Street
Mountain View, CA

Arts Council Silicon Valley annually awards Artist Fellowships to provide monetary support designed to encourage the continuing development of Santa Clara County’s finest creative artists who are seriously committed to their art form and who have a demonstrated history of professional activity in the region. Artist Fellowships recognize professional working artists and enable them to continue to pursue their creative work.

This grant program defines “working artists” as adults who have received training in an artistic discipline or tradition, spend at least ten hours a week on their artwork, self-define as professional artists, and derive income from work in which they use their expert artistic practices and skills.

Fellowships of up to $4,000 each are awarded annually in six artistic categories. No specific project needs to be carried out with the funds awarded. In 2007/08, Artist Fellowships will be awarded in the following categories:

* Visual Arts /2-dimensional: painting, drawing, mural
* Visual Arts /3-dimensional: textile, installation
* Literary Arts: memoir & novel
* Performing Arts /Music: composition
* Performing Arts /Dance: dance performance
* Performing Arts /Theatre: theatre performance

Free informational workshops

Tuesday, November 13, 2007 6:15pm
San Jose Institute for Contemporary Art
560 South First Street, San Jose

Wednesday, November 14, 2007 4:00pm
Arts Council Silicon Valley - Suite 200 Conference Rm 1
4 North Second Street, San Jose

For more detailed info, click here. Deadline is January 11, 2008.

BackWater Arts Studios and Gallery invites you to their inaugural exhibition and open house. BWA is a new arts organization attempting to bring community action and involvement to the San Jose art scene.

There will be 10 artists with open studios, a gallery full of art, live music by Cole Higgins, and great community.

BWA Studio Residents: Kenny Brown, Julie Cardenas, Sara Cole, Jason King, Colin King-Bailey, Mike Nicholls, Michael Oechsli, Sharona Oshana, Lillia Panighetti and Ann Sherman.

Featuring Local Artists: Sidnea Damico, Julie Jacobsen, Shelby Smith and Jeanne Vadeboncoeur

BackWater Arts Gallery
281 Quinn Ave, San Jose, CA 95112 (look for the beautiful Victorian house)
Exhibit & open house: Saturday, December 1, 6:00-10:00pm

i-5 Gallery (Los Angeles) would like to invite you to participate in our 2008 Juried Show and Contest.

Open to all artists: local, national, international, includes all media, including film and video and will be juried by Mat Gleason, founder Coagula Art Journal in 1992 and is currently the Director of Exhibitions at Gallery C in Hermosa Beach, California.

Accepted artworks will be exhibited at i-5 Gallery in mid-January, 2008 and considered for the Grand Prize (one artist will be awarded a Solo Exhibition in June, 2008.)

The above paintings will be shown at the Florence Biennale.

San Jose artist Mary Medrano was stunned when she got the invitation to one of the world’s most exclusive international art exhibitions, the Florence Biennale.

Only artists selected by an elite jury of some of the world’s top art authorities will be showing their work at this biennial event in Florence, Italy December 1-9, 2007. “I got a letter in the mail with the invitation,” said Medrano. “My first thought was to wonder who was writing me from Italy, and then when I read the invitation, I just couldn’t believe it.” She doesn’t know who submitted her name. Apparently, the judges looked at her paintings posted on her website (www.marymedranogallery.com) and were impressed.

The three paintings she is showing at the Florence Biennale are particularly compelling. “Circle of Life” was painted after her mother’s death and honors the passage of her mother’s spirit, as well as her warm and gentle nature. “Content” shows two elderly friends, with the color and treatment providing a haunting reminder of the brevity of life. “Pearl Necklace” is a defiant and mysterious young woman who faces the viewer boldly with her orange dress and flaming hair.

The Florence Biennale is the largest exhibition of contemporary art in the world. Known officially as the “Biennale Internazionale dell’Arte Contemporanea,” the exhibition is expected to attract 40,000 viewers to the historical Fortezza da Basso. This is one of Florence’s most significant monuments and includes buildings that date back to the 16th century and Medici era.

Congratulations Mary!

Please note VENUE CHANGE: The Dec. 3rd workshop will be held in the Council Chambers at City Hall at 200 E. Santa Clara Street in San Jose.

New Grant Opportunity for California Artists (all art forms)

In June of 2007, the Center for Cultural Innovation announced the "Investing in Artists" grants program for individual artists throughout California. This program is designed to enhance the working lives and creative environment for California artists by funding tools and market strategies that will allow them to create their best work more consistently, and distribute that work more broadly to new audiences.

To support those aims, "Investing in Artists" provides grants in two categories: 1) Artistic Equipment & Tools; and 2) Presenting & Marketing Work.

Guidelines and Application Forms for Round 2 will be available online at www.cciarts.org/funding starting November 16, 2007 and will be due January 11, 2008.

Current KALEID artist Christine Benjamin is a feature story in the Willow Glen Resident newspaper this week. You can find it on pg. 26 if you pick one up, or you can read it here.