Content Magazine

#71- Rebecca Herman & Mark Shoffner

Rebecca Herman and Mark Shoffner have been artistic collaborators since 1999, creating sculptures and installations incorporating textiles, wood, bamboo, paper, and reclaimed materials. Their recent work draws on art and architecture from different cultures to create new interaction sites and refuge in contemporary society, and can be seen at the San Jose Museum of Quilts and Textiles as part of the Artists in Residence program until the end of the year.

We spoke with them about their artistic voice and some of their recent projects, including hats and masks made of fabrics dyed to reflect the Air Quality Index, and creating covers for a collection of political books found in Rebecca's grandfather's library using a process called ice dyeing.

 groupc.org

@artgroupc

This episode's music is "408" by Jack Pavlina. Read more about Jack in Issue 14.1 Winter 2022 — release date: Dec. 9, 2021: https://bit.ly/Discover141

Follow Jack at @jackpavlinamusic (https://instagram.com/jackpavlinamusic)

Spotify: https://bit.ly/jackpavlina

#70 - Brandon Roos - Arts Journalist, DJ, and Content Magazine Contributing Writer

Brandon has been a contributing writer for Content Magazine since our second year of publishing in 2013.

In addition to Content, Brandon has written for Metro Silicon Valley and San José Jazz.

In our conversation, we talk about his love of words and music and how they have come together in his career, as well as his approach to writing and his journey as a local writer.

"I'll still do this thing where I get a legal pad and start writing the story off the top of my head, and if I don't know the quote, I put some brackets there. I realized that often, inspiration comes naturally in the process. You're able to kind of craft this thing by just trusting your intuition and catching those finer points. I don't have to reinvent the wheel every time. I can trust my instincts and believe that I know a thing or two about a narrative." - Brandon Roos

Follow Brandon at:

IG: @brandiathan and brandonroos.contently.com

Hear Brandon DJing at Camino Brewing First Sundays with @firstearmusic!

This episode's music is "408" by Jack Pavlina. Read more about Jack in Issue 14.1 Winter 2022 — release date: Dec. 9, 2021: https://bit.ly/Discover141

Follow Jack at @jackpavlinamusic

Spotify: https://bit.ly/jackpavlina

#69 - Conrad Egyir Conrad is a Ghanaian artist based in Detroit, working in figurative narratives of the African Diaspora. His work blends religious and West African folk iconography within domestic scenes, portraying  a deep understanding of the history of portraiture. He utilizes shaped canvases and relief elements to reference stamps and postcards as metaphors for migration; journals, books, binder tabs, and chapters as metaphors for time and the archiving of ideas. In our conversation, Conrad discusses his process, the inspiration to this current series as well as his guiding life philosophy. His exhibition will be on view in the ICA San Jose’s Main Gallery in conjunction with Conrad Egyir: A Chapter of Love, a Facade Project at the ICA San José through February 20, 2022. Conrad Egyir: A Chapter of Love and Conrad Egyir: Chapters of Light are generously supported by program partner Facebook Open Arts, The Andy Warhol Foundation for the Visual Arts, Pamela and David Hornik, Tad Freese and Brook Hartzell, and Applied Materials. Follow Conrad at @conrad_egyir and conradegyir.com On view at Institute of Contemporary Art San Jose (https://www.icasanjose.org) This episode's music is "408" by Jack Pavlina. read more about Jack in issue 14.1 Winter 2022, released Date Dec. 9, 2021 Follow Jack at @jackpavlinamusic Spotify: https://bit.ly/jackpavlina

Danny Thien Le, known by many in downtown San José as "Dandiggity," has been a key figure in the local art and cultural scene where he is known for his poetry, event planning, arts and music advocacy, and fashion entrepreneurship. He has collaborated with Universal Grammar, Cukui Clothing, The APIA Spoken Word & Poetry Summit, and POW! WOW! San José, and most recently has taken on a librarian position with the City of Santa Clara. 

Join our conversation with Danny on the Content Podcast to hear about his journey from a late-night club-goer to a San José State University graduate with a Master of Library and Information Science degree. 

Read more about Danny from our 2012 article in issue 4.3, "Branding" https://www.content-magazine.com/articles/4-3-danny-le/

Follow Danny at @dandiggity https://www.instagram.com/dandiggity/

This episode's music is "408" by Jack Pavlina. read more about Jack in issue 14.1 Winter 2022, released Date Dec. 9, 2021

Follow Jack at @jackpavlinamusic

Spotify: https://bit.ly/jackpavlina

My-Linh Le now describes herself as a Multidisciplinary Storyteller as she has moved from being an environmental lawyer to freestyle dancer, choreographer, and director of a forthcoming film, Mudwater. The film is an adaptation of the turf dance project she started and developed known as Mud Water Theatre.

In our conversation, we discuss how My-Linh's artist's expression and leanings have moved her through several phases in her life. From secretly learning how to "pop" and joining San Jose-based world-renown dance crew Playboyz, Inc (Est. 1981) to directing. And, still, My-Linh's own story is being written has she finds herself writing, with the theme of "myth" shaping her storytelling, which she does not limit to mere words.

My-Linh will be performing with Playboyz, Inc. Oct 2, 2021, at the Mosaic Festival "A Space for Belonging" at the School of Arts and Culture (https://www.content-magazine.com/events/moscaic-fest-21/)

Follow My-Linh at:

mylinhie (https://www.instagram.com/mylinhie/)

mudwaterproject (https://www.instagram.com/mudwaterproject/)

playboyzinc (https://www.instagram.com/playboyzinc/)

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This episode's music in "Tang" by Chris Emond. Follow Chris on Spotify, http://bit.ly/ChrisEmond Featured in issue 13.2 "Sight and Sound" 2021

#66 - Scott Fulton - Special Project Manager San Jose Jazz

Scott Fulton began with San Jose Jazz 2013 to oversee the Summer Fest performing artists' transpiration, getting them pick-up from the airport, taking them to hotels, and getting to their performances. Since then, his role has expanded to include helping write grants, managing the high school all-star big band and the U-19 combo, and organizing the summer camp.

Scott played a primary role in the development of the Boom Box, the mobile box truck stage. He has recently led the project to transfer a section of the 310 South First office space (home to SVCreates/Content Magazine and San Jose Jazz) into a performance lounge called the "Break Room."

In our conversation, we talk about Scott's influences as a musician and some plans for the "Break Room," which will be open during Summer Fest 2021.

To find out more about San Jose Jazz, Summer fest 2021, and other program, visit sanjosejazz.org (https://sanjosejazz.org)

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#65 - SoFA Pocket Park - Veggielution

The San Jose Downtown Association approached Veggielution to be a part of a temporary (approx. 3yr+) revitalization project at an underutilized parking lot in the SoFA District (South First Area). With funding from the Knight Foundation, Google, Urban Community, and with the property owner's support, the space has been transformed during COVID-19 #SIP into a dog park managed by the Downtown Association and an urban demonstration garden that will be operated by Veggielution. The Veggielution section of the park will provide a space for a farm stand and mobile food vending hub.

To find out more about Veggielution programs, to donate, and to volunteer, visit: veggielution.org (https://veggielution.org/)

IG: veggielution (https://www.instagram.com/veggielution/)

Other Content articles on Veggielution:

Veggielution's origin story from one of our Beta Issues 3.3 "Harvest"  in 2009. (https://issuu.com/content-magazine/docs/harvest/32)

Interview with Executive Director, Cayce Hill - Issue 9.5 "Profiles," 2017 (https://issuu.com/content-magazine/docs/profiles_95_digital/s/12741347)

Yazmin Hernandez Carbajal - "De la Granja a la Cocina" - Issue 11.5 "Dine," 2019 (https://issuu.com/content-magazine/docs/dine_11.5_fulldigital/s/12741297)

#64- Connie Martinez - CEO SVCreates on "The Business of Arts and Culture"

In May, SVCREATES unveiled new local research on the arts sector in our region in The Business of Arts and Culture. The report hopes to help all of us understand who we are as a cultural sector and what we bring to this special community. And shed light on the particular challenges we face, how we are confronting them and, most importantly, your essential role in sustaining the business of the arts. 

Join our conversation with SVCREATES CEO Connie Martinez on the Content Podcast as we discuss The Business of Arts and Culture. Listen in and read more on our website.

Read the full report of "The Business of Arts and Culture" SVCreates.org (https://www.svcreates.org/2021/06/23/the-business-of-arts-and-culture/)

Follow @SVCreates (https://instagram.com/svcreates)

Jeffrey Lo is a Filipino-American playwright and director based in the Bay Area. He is a recipient of the Leigh Weimers Emerging Artist Award, Theatre Bay Area Director's TITAN Award, and was named Emerging Artist Laureate by Arts Council Silicon Valley (Now SVCREATES). He is currently the Director of Community Partnerships and Casting Director for TheatreWorks Silicon Valley.

Follow Jeffrey and his work at jeffreywritesplay.com (http://www.jeffreywritesaplay.com)

IG: theycallmejlo (https://instagram.com/theycallmejlo)

theatreworks.org (https://theatreworks.org/)

IG: theatreworkssv (https://www.instagram.com/TheatreWorksSV/)

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This episode's music in "Tang" by Chris Emond. Follow Chris on Spotify, http://bit.ly/ChrisEmond Featured in issue 13.2 "Sight and Sound" 2021

Toni Vanwinkle is the Senior Director of Digital Workplace Technology and Services, focused on keeping Adobe's diverse and global workforce innovative, collaborative, and productive everywhere.

She is a seasoned digital transformation leader with extensive strategy development, program execution, and organizational change management experience. With over 22k employees in 37 countries, Toni has already been working with remote teams for Adobe before the WFH requirements began with COVID-19. She was honored by The Digital Workplace Group as "2019 Digital Workplace Leader of the Year," recognizing the impact of her inspirational and innovative leadership leading Adobe's Digital Workplace Experience organization focused on keeping Adobe employees collaborative and productive from anywhere.

In addition to her functional role, Toni always makes time for mentoring and community service. She founded Adobe's Black Employee Network and serves as the Site Council Leader at Adobe's Headquarters in San Jose. In her Site Leader role, she is an employee ambassador leading a Site Council whose mission is to amplify Adobe's culture and connect employees to the communities they live and work.

In our conversation, we discuss her role at Adobe in the Digital Workplace arena and her experiences as a woman and person of color in tech.

Follow Toni on her Linkedin at https://www.linkedin.com/in/toni-vanwinkle-530ba7/

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This episode's music in "Tang" by Chris Emond. Follow Chris on Spotify, http://bit.ly/ChrisEmond Featured in issue 13.2 "Sight and Sound" 2021