Join us for the FIRST FRIDAYS Art Walk and the final STREET MRKT indie urban art faire of the year!
Bring friends and family for a unique night out in downtown. Stroll through all the exhibits hosted by downtown’s best galleries, and then enjoy STREET MRKT as it transforms S. 1st St. into an open air gallery full of incredible hyper-local artists & performers. Let’s come together to ensure that the arts, creativity and community thrive!
Admission is free (spend it with the Artists!) and family friendly.
SoFA District
ANNO DOMINI // the second coming of Art & Design – 366 S. First St. map
Opening reception in galleryTWO:
Rider of Reverie
Susiyo (Indonesia) solo exhibition
In these new works, familiar everyday objects are inhabited with personality and energetic spirit. The real and the surreal move along a Möbius strip, with no distinction of where one begins and the other ends. Susiyo’s vivid imagination is brought to life through his highly skilled technical ability, utilizing composition and color to pull us into his sur/real worlds. Each painting offers a glimpse into a larger narrative, inviting us as viewers to imagine both the moments that came before and those still to come with unlimited possibilities. Ultimately, Susiyo reminds us that these imagined realms are not separate from our own and can help us expand how we see and shape our own world.
Susiyo was born on February 12, 1993, in Semarang Regency, Indonesia. Susiyo’s artistic journey began with his early experiences in the animation industry, where he was involved in the production process of 2D animated films. This experience opened his eyes to the world of visual arts and became a gateway to further exploring his creative potential.
Not stopping there, he continued his education at the Indonesian Institute of the Arts Yogyakarta, majoring in Fine Arts with a focus on Visual Communication Design. His university years became a crucial period in shaping his artistic identity. He not only learned artistic techniques formally but also broadened his horizons by actively participating in various art communities.
His involvement in these communities provided Susiyo with opportunities to exchange ideas and hone his creativity, which eventually led him to the art exhibition stage. His participation in numerous group exhibitions marked a significant starting point in his professional journey as an artist, introducing his works to a wider audience and solidifying his presence in the art world.
Rider of Reverie at Anno Domini is Susiyo’s debut solo exhibition.
On view in galleryONE:
A love letter to all the cars that could have hit me, but didn’t.
Kazland (UK) solo exhibition
A brand new collection of works that I began making during my recovery after being hit by a car last year. The accident itself wasn’t too bad but while I was healing it gave me the chance to work (very carefully) on lots of smaller pieces from my home, everything became more careful, and more meticulous. Using pencils and pastels more than paint became very important while I couldn’t move so much. Since then I’ve kept with the same way of working in a more considered fashion, and stepping back from what I’m doing to feel out the next moves.
The collection focuses on the relationship between mortality and magic – and how we shouldn’t try to control the world around us.
“Waiting for the swamp to float back to earth – feeding on whatever lands first.
a cabin built from the leftovers, the collection above the fire is nearly complete.
Decorated with only the rarest flowers and jewels from the riverbed we wait our turn.
Through the gate – choose your own adventure – third times a charm.
Burnt into the stone, I can see what you were trying to do.
She’s made of shadows – you’ll never catch her – go live in the tree (starve on acorns)
Trapped in the barn we made from spent matches. The door doesn’t open – It doesn’t have to.”
About the Artist:
Kazland, born Callum J. Buckland, 1990, is a self taught, mixed media artist living and working in the south of England. A process based artist, rarely working with a plan, he starts each piece letting the work guide itself until an idea starts to form, and then pursuing it to the end (or a better idea takes over).
He is known for his distinctive mixed-media works that blend abstraction, symbolism and narrative. Kazland’s draws his influences from folk art, outsider art and surrealism. His art is characterised by unconventional shadows, shifting perspectives and bold colour contrasts. He lets each new piece evolve organically, with colours and forms transferring between canvases, reflecting a dynamic exploration of visual language.
KALEID Gallery – 320 S. First St. map
Artist’s Recepton:
Very Machine
Uriel Kaminitz solo exhibition
The forces of corporate domination seep into every crevice and airway. Everyone everywhere is a brand because everyone everywhere can be seen all the time. Where can humanity go from here? The machine is taking over, but is the machine an outside force or a reflection?
Uriel (b. 2002) is a young artist who has been living in the Bay Area since 2010. In his work, Uriel explores the ideas of humanity in isolation, the metaphysical locations the mind transports its subjects to, and the effects of corporate monarchy on nature—all wrapped in a blanket of absurdity. In painting, he aims to represent his subjects in a musical rhythm through use of composition and vibrant color. His biggest artistic inspirations are Jimi Hendrix, Miles Davis, and Hunter S. Thompson.
MACLA Movimiento de Arte y Cultura Latino Americana – 510 S. First St. map
Tríptico del Valle (Triptych of the Valley) an interactive installation by TATANE
Tríptico del Valle is a three-day interactive experience by San José-based Argentinian visual artist TATANE. The event invites the public to create a unique digital archive to explore how physical and digital technologies mediate our reality and determine hegemonic representations. What happens in those in-between spaces—between what we think, what we do, and what digital algorithms record and predict?
There Are New Suns
There Are New Suns is an interactive exhibition exploring cultural resilience and gentrification at the intersection of art and technology.
Cecelia Perez uses current technology such as animation, augmented reality, and projection mapping. Referencing one of the first forms of animation, the phenakistiscope, Claudia Blanco creates a series of wall sculptures, and Samantha Saldana’s quilted cyanotypes combine craft and technology.
Teen Tech Center Youth Exhibition: Street View
Join us for the opening of our Teen Tech Center Youth exhibition, featuring photos depicting San José’s urban life. Photos were taken during our street photography workshop where youth got to explore downtown and capture the city’s everyday beauty with artist Jai Tanju.
Phantom Galleries at The Pierce – 2 Pierce Ave. map
Visual Umami Savory Landscape Photography
Jerry Berkstresser Solo Exhibition
Six different feasts for the eyes to savor, each featuring a nearly six-foot wide panorama for the main course and side dishes of standard sized photographs to complete the menu. Color, black and white, and infrared photographs are on display, each with a unique interpretation of the subject.
Artist will be in attendance 5pm–9pm during First Fridays ArtWalk September 5th.
About the Artist:
Jerry Berkstresser is a contemporary San Jose-based photographer with a life-long passion for photography. He is best known for his creative use of infrared photography that renders water as black, vegetation incandescent white, skies inky black with brilliant white clouds. His panoramas are far wider than standard and capture the viewers attention from afar, inviting a closer examination to reveal the intricate details.
Phantom Galleries “Romance” Mural – Post St. btwn S. 1st St. & Lightston Alley
Romance mural by Danny Feliz Hanson.
Danny Feliz Hanson’s vision for the block long “Romance” mural was to create a meaningful public artwork that expresses love, resilience, and community in San Jose’s LGBTQ+ district, known as the Qmunity District. The mural draws inspiration from Hanson’s experience as a queer artist of color, as well as her connection to nature, cultural heritage, and underrepresented identities. Hanson’s artistic practice is known for bold color and intricate patterns, weaving influences from Aztec art, Mexican folk traditions, and her own explorations of meditative zentangle designs.
Through the city block long “Romance” mural, Hanson aimed to invite viewers to reflect on connection, identity, and the celebratory beauty of diversity. The piece uses vivid, Fauvist-inspired palettes and symbolic imagery to uplift queer and marginalized communities, emphasizing the transformative power of art for communal spaces and identity.
Curated and facilitated by Phantom Galleries.
Supporting artists: Steven Reece & Quynh Vy,
Sponsored by the San Jose Downtown Association.
Phantom Galleries “Urban Abstractions” Mural Project – San Carlos btwn S. Market & S. 2nd St.
Urban Abstractions
featuring artists: Apexer, Emoventur, Force129, Joey Reyes, Gwen Marcado-Reyes, Poesia and NoA–
Seven amazing artists have been painting “Urban Abstractions” murals on the sidewalk planters at the south gateway to SoFA District. These works are a signal to the passersby that we are an arts and culture district with galleries, music venues, residents and businesses that foster creativity and care about inspiring community well being. Stop by and check out this great project by Phantom Galleries in partnership with San Jose Downtown Association.
San Jose Institute of Contemporary Art– 560 S. First St. map
Data Trust by Stephanie Dinkins
Stephanie Dinkins questions the current paradigms of AI development and forges paths toward more equitable and inclusive technological futures. Data Trust fuses artificial intelligence, DNA, and social practice to pursue a simple goal: to honor and preserve multigenerational stories in ways that are poetic, enduring, and technologically bold. Immersive projections, animated by real-time generative AI processing of collected oral histories, create a living narrative spanning around the walls of the gallery. Data Trust envisions a future where narratives are preserved in groves of trees and microbial ecosystems that serve as permanent sites of memory, integrating ancestral knowledge into the land itself.
Special programming: Artists’ Mixer, 5-8 PM; Free and open to all; Naomie Kremer will be speaking about her exhibition at the ICA, After Effect, during the mixer.
San Jose Jazz – 310 South First St. map
SJZ Break Room Jazz Jam & Michael Webster Quartet
Drop in anytime between 4:30 and 7pm to hear some great jazz. After a tight set by the audition-based high school honors combo the SJZ U19s, saxophonist Michael Webster brings his local crew to showcase covers and originals. Then grab your instrument and join in the fun.
San Jose Museum of Quilts & Textiles – 520 South First St. map
Quilt National ’25 Award Winning Quilts from Around the Nation
The San Jose Museum of Quilts & Textiles is exhibiting QUILT NATIONAL ’25, the Dairy Barn Arts Center’s biennial exhibition of award winning quilts. Quilt National was created to showcase the transformation taking place in quilt making. From the beginning, the goal has been to expand the definition of quilting and celebrate it as an art form.
While many works in Quilt National retain traditional techniques like piecing and patching, they also push boundaries with new materials and technologies. These contemporary quilts are not only technically impressive–they are emotionally powerful, giving artists a way to make personal, expressive statements.
Exhibition will feature selections from Quilt National, a juried biennial exhibition of contemporary quilt art, first held in 1979. The primary exhibition is held at the Dairy Barn Art Center in Athens, Ohio, in odd-numbered years. The full exhibition includes between 80-90 quilts. Quilt National is both the largest and one of the most prestigious shows of its kind.
Diversity in Basketry
The Bay Area Basket Makers Guild highlights a range of both traditional and contemporary basket-making techniques and materials. Members utilize natural fibers and reeds, along with synthetic materials such as rope and wire, employing methods like coiling and knotting. Contemporary baskets often emphasize conveying emotions and ideas over functionality, resembling sculptures instead. The exhibition “Diversity in Basketry” celebrates this vibrant art form.
Symphony San José at California Theater – 345 S. First St. map
Masquerade Open Rehearsal with Symphony San Jose
Featuring: Conductor Nathan Aspinall, Pianist John Nakamatsu, and Symphony San Jose
Join Symphony San Jose for the open rehearsal of its season opener Masquerade. An open rehearsal is a working rehearsal. Please take a seat and discover the magic of the Symphony.
Historic District
Chopsticks Alley Gallery – 38 S. 2nd St. map
Heart’s Delight: San Jose Stories
Heart’s Delight celebrates the heritage, community, and connections shaping San José through three creative projects.
Together, these projects invite us to continue building a San José that reflects and honors cultural stories, nurtures community, and embraces the connection between us all.
Collective Journeys: Cynthia Cao (lead Artist & Instructor), Hana Lock, An Luong, Leonila Mims, Crystal Nguyen, and MinhQuang Nguyen
San José Marquee: Finalists: Tachiya Bryant, Cynthia Cao, Hana Lock, Patron Paule, Elba Raquel. Honorable Mentions: Hadi Aghaee, Robin Lasser, and Eileen Wong Cevera
Spirit of San José: Anh Le, Annie Tran, Barbara Wang Tolentio, Brandon Cisnuos, Bryant Ramos, Evenlyn Eanuel, Gordon Schneiderman, Hoang Duong, Jake Yan, Karen Hennessy, Kim Nguyen, Megyn Yan, Natalie Smith, Peter Meylink, Peter Nguyen, Saron Tekeste, Thu Truong, Tuoi Truong, Zulma, Zapata, and Joy Chavarro
Artist’s Introduction at 7pm
Works/San Jose – 38 S. 2nd St. map
Climate Interrelations Imaginative
An exhibition of data-based artworks of speculative to lived experiences exploring human relations to the climate crisis and its effects. The artists aim to further understanding of the changing landscapes we inhabit, depend on, and affect with our choices.
Participating artists:
Josie Lepe, independent photo-journalist
kaory santillan bueno, indigenous (wixarika and na’ayari) scholar and transdisciplinary artist
Sarah Loyola, San Jose based mixed-media artist
Linda Gass, Bay Area artist and environmental activist
Valentino Loyola, interdisciplinary artist (guest curator)
Martha Gardens District
Art Ark Gallery – 1035 S. Sixth St. map
In Search of Our Mothers Garden by Hargun Mahal Mann
This body of work reflects stories of movement, memory, and maternal lineage — a journey rooted in personal experience, this intimate body of work explores complexities of womanhood and sisterhood, through the lens of migration and belonging. These works unravel what it means to grow into a body shaped by multiple cultures, to find kinship in shared narratives, and to build emotional homes through connection.
FUSE presents at the Citadel Art Gallery- 199 Martha St. map
Fuse Presents: Triển Lãm Hội Hoa Group Exhibition
Marking 50 years of Vietnamese Diaspora
Participating Artists: Đào Hải Triều, Đặng Ngọc Sinh, Đoàn Viêt Nga, Nguyễn Vinh, Lê Thị Quế Hương, Trần Nhơn, Lâm Quang Kim Phượng, Trần Cẩm Tâm, Mạc Chánh Hòa, Trần Thị Hạnh Thục, Minh Hà, Trương Thị Thịnh, Nguyên Khai, Trịnh Nghiệp Henry, Nguyễn Văn Bảy, Trương Sand Ouater, Nguyễn Trí Minh Quang, Vy Trần, Nguyên Minh Hiếu, Võ Ngọc Sương, Võ Thị Thu Sương
MACHU PICCHU Gallery of the Americas, Est. 1974 – 199 Martha St. map
Amazonian Rainforest Arpillera
Three-dimensional cloth appliques by Peruvian textile artisans
Women of Perú living in the shanty neighborhoods of Lima create handmade “arpilleras”. The “arpilleras” are colorful, three-dimensional, cloth pictures or appliques often reminiscent of their former village life in the Andes.
These same appliques provide social commentary, story telling or scenes of planting/harvesting. The Andes Mountains are are known to produce numerous different varieties of potatoes. Other foods include tomatoes, carrots, strawberries and surrounded by llamas.
Unfortunately, the apilleras are slowly disappearing as a folk art. This and others were made with scenes of the rainforest. The testimony and message is to preserve the Amazon region of South America. Often considered the lungs of our sole planet earth.
Final STREET MRKT indie urban art faire of the season!
It’s your last chance of the year to come out for an amazing evening with incredible indie artists showcasing and selling their work at STREET MRKT. Artists are the heart and soul of our city and it’s always fun and inspiring to meet them in person, chat about their work, in many cases- watch them create live on-site. We appreciate your dedication to ensure imagination and artistry thrives by supporting our hyper-local creative economy!
Join us on First Friday October 3rd from5pm–10pm
Out on S. 1st St. in SoFA District downtown San Jose.
Free admission (spend it with the Artists!), and all ages welcome.
Featured Artists:
Animate One /Isaac Bassard
The Belly Dance Guild (performance)
Black Lantern Tattoo & Art Collective
The Blunt Letters
Bretix
Bungalow Glow Candle Co.
Brian Corbin
Crossroads Trading Co.
Current Tattooing
Joesph Demaree
Mario Dimas
Mahsa Emoventur
Paco Exel
Force129
Betsy Fessler
Floating House Tattoo
Fuse Presents
Leysar Garcia
Katie Green
Ground Up Multicast
Jared Guchuico
Hand in Hand Henna
Danny Feliz Hanson
Higher Fire Clayspace
Maureen Holcomb
Inside Out Clothing
Jodi 408
Leysar Garcia
Joe Mandrick
More Más Maram
Roger O.
Palace of Fine Arts (performance)
Betty Proper
Purl Bailey (Marilyn Roaf)
Francisco Ramirez
Steven Reece
Jacob Sandoval
Anya Satysheva
South Bay Ceramics
Stardrop Facepaints
Talk of the Town Urban Arts (performance)
S 1st St and San Salvador
Ground Up Multicast
STREET MRKT Beer Garden Stage
DJs Chryptic, Jswizza, Lycan Catt and Moray Rivers
Delicious food provided by:
Cali Cool Hawaiian Shaved Ice
Daily Grind Burger
Los Tres Hermanos Mexican Grill
Me Oi Food Truck
Roadhouse 48
Supported in part by a Cultural Affairs grant from the City of San Jose. Additional support provided by Dahl’s Equipment,
FIRST FRIDAYS ArtWalk SJ is produced by CURATUS in partnership with the participating galleries, museums and independent creative businesses.
Join us on Facebook ArtWalkSJ
South FIRST FRIDAYS
366 S 1st Street
San Jose, CA 95113
408-271-5155
info@southfirstfridays.com