Content Magazine

Francisco Graciano Montalvo Art Center - “A Path Forward: Honoring Ohlone Land & Spirit”

This feature is also available on Spotify, Apple Podcast, and YouTube.Francisco Graciano has been creating art in San José for as long as he can remember. His multi-disciplinary practices include sculpture, painting, music, and tattoos. In May 2024, Francisco was commissioned by Montalvo Arts Center to design and fabricate a ten-foot-tall hummingbird as part of their 2024 Marcus Exhibition.

The exhibition, “A Path Forward: Honoring Ohlone Land & Spirit,” is a collaborative project led by our lead artist, Charlene Eigen-Vasquez, in partnership with the Confederation of Ohlone People and Santa Clara County Parks, dedicated to acknowledging and celebrating Ohlone Territories.

Join Graciano and Montalvo Arts Center on Friday, July 19, 6–10 pm for their  2024 Marcus Festival, which celebrates the opening of their new outdoor art exhibition, Future Dreaming…A Path Forward.

RSVP Here.

Follow Francisco Graciano and Montalvo Arts Center at @francisco.graciano @pacofrancisco_tattoos and @montalvoarts

Tiye Garrett founded Kuumba LLC in 2022, emphasizing West African Dance and rhythms, community, and providing spaces for creativity to thrive. ‘Kuumba’ means creativity in the African Language of Swahili and is the sixth principle of the annual celebration of Kwanzaa. That sixth principle guides followers ‘to always do as much as we can, in the way we can, to leave our community more beautiful than when we inherited it.’ That meaning exemplifies Kuumba’s purpose in promoting self-care, fitness, educational growth, and overall wellness through body movement.

Join Kuumba at Creekside Socials on Friday, July 12, 6-7 pm for an educational West African dance session with live drumming. This welcoming space nurtures connection and belonging, fostering community health. Dance with them and celebrate diversity as they embark on a fun, educational fitness journey.

Learn More. Follow Kuumba and Creekside Socials at @__kuumba and @creeksidesocials

Episode #118 Kimberly Snyder, Executive Director of New Museum Los Gatos

Kimberly Snyder began her journey at NUMU as a curatorial intern in 2014. She has held various positions before, most recently becoming the executive director.

As executive director, Snyder aims to bolster NUMU’s community presence and elevate its Bay Area profile through strategic programming. She envisions the museum as an interactive hub that continues to engage with Los Gatos’s history. She hopes to enhance existing programs, such as establishing a council of teachers and producing an ArtNow retrospective exhibition celebrating the program’s impact on students.

In our conversation, we discuss Snyder’s journey to becoming NUMU’s executive director, her experience as a mother, her hobbies, which include cooking and bringing folks together, and the words she tries to live by: “It’s not about waiting for the storm to pass; it’s about learning to dance in the rain.”

Join New Museum Los Gatos for its upcoming “Boundaries: the 4th Annual Experimental Exhibition,” produced in partnership with genARTS Silicon Valley and opening on July 19.

Follow NUMU @newmuseumlosgatos and learn more about their partnership with @genartssv

Seeing through Stone" is the latest exhibition at The San José Museum of Art, curated by Lauren Schell Dickens in collaboration with The Institute of the Arts and Sciences at the University of California, Santa Cruz, and Santa Cruz Barrios Unidos. This powerful showcase is part of the Visualizing Abolition series, which challenges perceptions of incarceration through art. Featuring works by 80 artists, it confronts the prison-industrial complex and imagines a future beyond bars.

In this conversation, we discuss Lauren’s Journey to becoming a curator, the transformative potential of art in fostering collective imagination and social change, the importance of artists in challenging normative representations of prisons, and specific installations that guests should look out for.

Join The San José Museum of Art for live performances on June 21, part of Make Music Day celebrations. The performances will activate the artworks from their current exhibition with music by acclaimed composers.

Follow The San José Museum of Art @sanjosemuseumofart on Instagram and visit their website at sjmusart.org

Episode #116 Flammy Marciano – Hip Hop Artist, Rapper, & Streamer.

Born in Lexington, Kentucky, and raised in San Jose, California, internet sensation DaQuane Fox, better known as Flammy Marciano, tends to be ahead of the curve when it comes to gaming, streaming, and even music. He began his music career in the late 2000s under the name Young Marvel before releasing viral songs such as ‘Jerry Rice’ and ‘Mood Right Now’ in the early 2010s under his current moniker, Flammy Marciano. Along with blending humor into his raps, Marciano has pioneered gaming and streaming into his musical career, building a large fanbase on platforms like Twitch and YouTube. 

Marciano credits his love for music to his late uncle, Sultan Banks, widely known as Traxamillion. This love for music and relationship with his uncle led to Marciano’s passion for entertainment outlets that resemble television and cinema. Marciano gets deep when discussing how fatherhood has molded his life and impacted his career. Despite gaining recognition in a modern world that rewards being ahead of trends, Marciano never strays from his affinity for television shows of the 1970s and anime of the 1990s. His current success as a public figure has made his potential to become an internationally recognized influencer a real possibility.

In addition to being a father, rapper, and streamer, Marciano founded his record label, 88 Entertainment, and continues to release music that displays his evolution in sound. His upcoming project, currently referred to as ‘Yourself’ (final title pending), will be released in late Spring 2024. However, Marciano has released several exclusive early-cut tracks on Patreon before the final release.

In this conversation, we discuss Flammy Marciano’s journey as a rapper, streamer, and father, the inspiration behind his work, and the evolution of his career.

You can find Flammy Marciano on all major music streaming platforms, Twitch and YouTube @flamgawdfaming, and Instagram @flammymarciano.

Host Troy Ewers is a journalist and personality from Southside San Jose, CA, with a background in music, film, and sports. Hey aims to highlight art and culture through music, fashion, film, and sports. Check out Troy Ewers on the Content Magazine Podcast, Instagram @trizzyebaby, and YouTube @topkatfilms.

Since its founding in 2018, Chopsticks Alley Art has been a platform that elevates the perspectives and cultures of Southeast Asian Americans through a blend of cultural events, traditional art forms education, and carefully curated gallery exhibitions. The programming at Chopsticks Alley Art has provided a voice for young artists and empowered them to create positive changes within their communities.
Trami Nguyen Cron, author and visionary behind Chopsticks Alley Art, has a personal connection to the organization’s mission. Growing up amidst a tapestry of diverse world cultures, she experienced the struggles of Vietnamese immigrants fleeing post-war Vietnam. Her journey as a Vietnamese American, chronicled in her work, is a testament to her commitment to empowering her community and reclaiming their narrative.

Trami’s inspiring story has been featured in episode #31 of the Content Magazine Podcast and Issue 12.2, “Sight & Sound.”
Join Chopsticks Alley Art this summer for Artist Phuc Van Dang’s residency on view through August 11, their youth summer arts camp through July 26, and their Second Wednesday CreativiTEA Monthly Open Mic.
Mark your calendars for Thursday, June 13, when Creekside Socials and Chopsticks Alley will collaborate. Stay Tuned.

Bree Karpavage and Ann Hazels are breathing new life into the Santa Cruz art scene. 

First Friday Santa Cruz is celebrating its 20th anniversary in 2024. As part of the celebration, First Friday Santa Cruz and Radius Gallery, also celebrating their 10th anniversary this year, have teamed up to host an exhibition entitled “Changing Spaces,” opening on the First Friday in June.

“Changing Spaces” features the work of 39 artists and is an homage to this monthly event that presents both emerging and established artists showing in small businesses, galleries, and art spaces across the county.

In this conversation, Ann and Bree discuss the business of art, their own art practices, advice for emerging artists, and what they hope audiences take away from their work.

 @firstfridaysantacruz

@tanneryartscenter

Zoë Latzer is the Curator and Director of Public Programs at the Institute of Contemporary Art San José (ICA San José).

Latzer’s approach to curation focuses on world-building through the installation of immersive exhibitions that provide audiences with sensory experiences. Through her work, Latzer hopes to create a platform for artists whose artwork addresses underrepresented narratives through lived experiences and personal histories.

In this conversation, we discuss Latzer’s love for nature, her favorite artworks, the science of sad songs, and her current exhibition at ICA San José, a collaboration with Montalvo Arts Center.

Check out “P L A C E: Reckonings by Asian American Artist,” from March 23 through August 11, featuring eleven California-based Asian American artists and two artist collectives at the ICA San José in downtown San José.

Follow ICA at icasanjose

and Zoë at zoelatzer

Featured: Issue 16.3, “Perform,” Shraddha Karalkar, @shraddha.kar

Shraddha Karalkar is one of three graduating West Valley College Cilker School of Art & Design students featured in issue 16.3, “Perform.”Join us on May 17 at The Cilker School of Art & Design 2024 Grad EXPO and celebrate the release of Content Magazine Issue 16.3 alongside the West Valley College STEAMD Fest.

Shraddha was drawn toward the thoughtful design of creative spaces after noticing how design elements could impact the moods and actions of others. Her interior design courses fueled her passion and led her to become a LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) Green Associate.

Save the Date: https://bit.ly/pup163perform

Content Pick-Up Party, 16.3, 6:30p - 9:30p, Friday, May 17

West Valley College and The Cilker School of Art & Design 

14000 Fruitvale Ave, Saratoga, CA 95070

Order Here: https://bit.ly/perform163

THANK YOU, Partners

West Valley College and The Cilker School of Art & Design 

Filco Events 

Issue 16.3 Featuring:

Creative Studio - The Coterie Den - Lucas Millan, Isandro Biaco, Danny Cardona, Wyatt Perkins, Angel Cabebe, and Bryan Reed | Professional Arts Supporter - Pamela Hornik | Professor of Interior Design - Diane Hurd | West Valley College Student Profiles - Joel Hangai - Joshua Cruz - Shraddha Karalkar | Visual Artist - RC | Visual Artist - Xiaoze Xie | Music Venue - SJZ Break Room, Scott Fulton | Actor/Educator - Aldo Billingslea | Youth Poet and Activist - Thy Hope Luong | Theatre Company - Palo Alto Players, Elizabeth Santana | Performing Artist - Carolina Pérez | Community Space - Red Rock Coffee Open Mic Night, Ashley Markowicz & Henri Boulanger

Published by SVCreates

Photo and video by Daniel Garcia

Featured Artist: Taryn Curiel

Born in Mexico City and currently based in Silicon Valley, Taryn Curiel’s passion for art has been with her since early childhood and has culminated in a body of work filled with sensation and enigmatic energy. 

Techniques involving texture, lines, and a muted color palette help her in her signature use of the figure with abstract elements. Her medium is watercolor, but in her own way. With continued experimentation, she is always learning and exploring but remains true to her overall mission: to intrigue the viewer. Learn more about Silicon Valley Open Studios.

Silicon Valley Open Studios 2024 takes place the first three weekends of May and showcases the studios of over 200 Silicon Valley Artists. Weekend three, May 18-19, will be hosted in the South Bay.

Thirty-three artists at The Alameda Artworks in San José, including abstract watercolor painter Taryn Curiel, will open their studios to guests on May 18 and 19.

Follow Taryn at:

@taryncuriel

taryncuriel.com