A new project is adding a bit of color to what was once a drab, vacant building in the heart of Downtown San Jose. Erin Salazar, founding founding executive director of Exhibition District, and her organization have worked with the city and downtown association to transform a former retail store into a creative community center […]
Article · June 14, 2017 by Vignesh Ramachandran
Photo by Travis Wise on flickr. There is less than one week left to submit applications for the current round of the Knight Cities Challenge. The challenge closes for applications at noon ET on Nov. 3. These proposed projects must take place in one or more of the 26 Knight communities and be focused on […]
Article · October 28, 2016 by Vignesh Ramachandran
Photos courtesy of California Walks. Areas of San Jose are a lot more walkable than the average resident may think – and a statewide advocacy group is helping increase awareness about it. California Walks, which advocates for pedestrian safety and walkable communities throughout the state, is working on “Walk San Jose,” an initiative to identify […]
Article · July 21, 2016 by Vignesh Ramachandran
Photo by Michael Bolden on Flickr. A collection of small $1,000 ideas can go a long way toward improving community in San Jose, California. At least that’s the motivation behind the Awesome Foundation’s San Jose chapter, which launched in June 2015 thanks to Knight support and plans to mark the occasion with an anniversary party […]
Article · July 13, 2016 by Vignesh Ramachandran
Above: “How to Ace Your Job Interview” workshop at San Jose Library. Photo via San Jose Library on Flickr. A new initiative seeks to bring some of the most interesting things happening in Silicon Valley into one of the most public spaces in our communities: the public library. The goal is to bring the ideas […]
Article · July 5, 2016 by Vignesh Ramachandran
All photos are courtesy of Garden to Table. Zach Lewis manages a Northern California farm that produces many different vegetables – kale to spring onions – but it’s in a location where planes fly close overhead and Silicon Valley traffic whizzes by. Lewis is executive director of Garden to Table, a San Jose-based organization that […]
Article · May 11, 2016 by Vignesh Ramachandran
Photo and videos by San Jose Taiko. San Jose’s highly acclaimed Japanese-American drumming group is trying something new: free experimental performances in urban spaces around the city. With $20,000 in support from Knight Foundation, San Jose Taiko has embarked on these small experiments that tap into Greater San Jose by using “space as inspiration” for […]
Article · April 4, 2016 by Vignesh Ramachandran
Above: “Vrindavan,” photo courtesy Naatak. America’s largest Indian theater company – Naatak – took on a culturally sensitive issue in a recent production: widowhood in India. Naatak, a Bay Area-based theater company formed in 1995, presented its 50th play last September – “Vrindavan,” a modern play about 12 widows living in the Indian town of Vrindavan. Thousands […]
Article · March 29, 2016 by Vignesh Ramachandran
Above: Two Artsopolis grantee organizations (San Jose Taiko and Abhinaya Dance Company of San Jose) in a collaborative performance. Photos courtesy of Artsopolis. A Knight Foundation-supported technology platform is arming arts service organizations around the country with tools to publicize areas of the arts that aren’t always noticed by the public or covered by the media. Originally developed almost 15 years ago, Silicon Valley Creates’ Artsopolis platform provides a digital hub to promote events and activities in […]
Article · February 15, 2016 by Vignesh Ramachandran
Photos are courtesy Kartma Street Cafe. For the last month, people walking near Market and Santa Clara streets in downtown San Jose have been doing a double take at an outdoor street cafe. It’s not just the coffee; it’s the sandwich board that advertises, “The street cafe that’s ending homelessness.” Those words are true to their […]
Article · January 4, 2016 by Vignesh Ramachandran
Bilingual “Dichos” books paid for by a Somos Mayfair microgrant provide students with suggested activities. Photo courtesy Somos Mayfair. A nonprofit in San Jose is handing out grants to local residents for projects that benefit the city’s Mayfair neighborhood. The program is modeled after awards made by the Awesome Foundation, which has chapters across the […]
Article · December 21, 2015 by Vignesh Ramachandran