Come celebrate the indie creative spirit at the FIRST FRIDAYS ArtWalk and SubZERO Festival on June 6th and Saturday June 7th.
This highly anticipated event invites everyone to experience a dynamic celebration of art, music, and culture, transforming SoFA District into an outdoor urban gallery with independent artists, poets, performers and musicians. Galleries and museums will also be open late and free entry. The June ArtWalk brings together a diverse array of exhibitions, performances, and interactive experiences that reflect the resilient underground roots of local and regional talent, offering a new and curious perspective to the amazing artists and creatives that reside here.
The First Fridays ArtWalk & SubZERO Festival is the perfect opportunity to share a unique San Jose with family and friends while supporting the very creatives that help make it a city we love to live in.
FIRST FRIDAYS ArtWalk: June 6th 5–11pm.
SubZERO Subculture • Art • Music • Festival: First Friday June 6th 5pm–11pm and Saturday June 7th 2pm–8pm
Admission is Free with RSVP: https://tinyurl.com/SubZERO-RSVP
SoFA District
ANNO DOMINI // the second coming of Art & Design – 366 S. First St. map
The Hunters and The Dreamers
Zero Cents solo exhibition
For hundreds of thousands of years, Homo sapiens have carried forward echoes of our vanished relatives-Neanderthals, Denisovans, and others-whose traces linger in our DNA and our stories. This exhibition is a meditation on those echoes and what it means to be human. Across millennia, our ancestors expressed themselves through rituals, art, and myth, leaving behind stories that repeat across cultures and generations: tales of survival, transformation, love, and loss.
Through these paintings, I reach for that ancient current-the pulse of storytelling that predates language, drifting between past and present, capturing moments of chase, embrace, sorrow, and hope. Boats float in the void, figures cross thresholds, and every journey is both a departure and a return, a melancholic dance through time that reflects who we’ve been, who we are, and who we might become. It’s about confronting what haunts us—not to destroy it, but to understand it. To tame it. To let it teach us something real. We are built from many pulses, stitched together by memory, rhythm, and myth.
Some of us walk in the light. Some live in the shadows. Often, we do both.
And that’s okay.
This is humanity.
KALEID Gallery – 320 S. First St. map
Artist’s recepton:
The Phenomenological Renaissance
Jonathan Perea solo exhibition
There’s an ongoing awakening in the collective. A phenomenological Renaissance that is happening around the world. We are becoming the creators of this orchestra, that binds every note to its proper key, to open itself to its fullest potential where every mold of the old patterns are broken, not forgotten or despised, but integrated. For Flexibility is wisdom, and Observation in its purest form, becomes fundamental substrate to explain our emotional and logical reality.
Projections are statements about ourselves, for our thought is cosmically binding, with both the physical, and nonphysical in this realm.
Analytical/Mystical idealism is a logical empirical tool to understand reality. Where science and spirituality begin to align, orient, and position itself as both are needed to understand one another. The knowledge of the feminine and masculine as one, the logical and intuitive as whole. Yet this involves trust and deep authenticity, to listen, not to prove or disprove, but in full surrender…to listen without judgement.
This is the Ontology and philosophy of the mind. The next step is letting go of judgement at least 3 minutes to 30 minutes in a place where we are comfortable and safe , and our only confidant is our breath. There’s inhalation and exhalation…deep…long…and willing to face darkness, for without it we won’t have light.
The phenomenological renaissance is the collective awakening…deep integration…individuation…platonist allegory of the cave perception…nervous system regulation…somatic practices….pranayama breathing…plant medicine…meditation… and yes prayers. Through all these modalities you can choose the hero’s path, that accepting ourselves, within each of us, the darkness of untapped potential being transformed into the light of our awakening. Aho!
MACLA Movimiento de Arte y Cultura Latino Americana – 510 S. First St. map
El Arbolito byJet Martínez
MACLA is showcasing the work of influential Bay Area artist Jet Martínez, known for creating vibrant works of art that engage the traditions of Mexican folk art with contemporary aesthetics.
El Arbolito presents new work and takes inspiration from Jet’s native culture’s rich traditions, mixing ornate patterns and abstract forms to examine the passage of time.
Opening reception during First Fridays ArtWalk SJ in downtown San Jose, June 6.
FREE performance at our Castellano Playhouse:
Come to MACLA for an evening of music and spoken word featuring some of our favorite artists:
Joseph Rios, former Fresno Poet Laureate and author of Shadowboxing
Cristal González Ávila, a powerful performer and playwright whose work centers mujeres, memory, and movement.
DJ Sizzle, aka La Sizzla, will be on the decks bringing the vibes—expect everything from perreo classics to queer dancefloor bangers. We’ll also have space for first-time performers and folks who want to get on the mic. Sign-ups will be open at the door, so if you’ve been wanting to share your work, this is your chance. This is a space to celebrate our stories, dance a little, and build community. Join us for Perreo y Poesía, hosted by Yosimar Reyes, June 6 at MACLA’s Castellano Playhouse.
Phantom Galleries at The Pierce – 2 Pierce Ave. map
Breathe Easy Mario Dimas solo exhibition
“Breathe Easy” is about my creative connection with nature and plants. A series of works inspired by my time spent around plants, gardening, and hiking in nature. Plants are essential in our everyday lives, and we are very much dependent on them, from the air we breathe to the food and medicine they provide. We have them everywhere—in our homes, businesses, and hospitals—bringing us positive energy with their presence. They possess healing properties and create a stimulating visual effect in our surroundings.
In “Breathe Easy,” my pieces are abundantly green with welcoming vibes; the use of dark backgrounds conveys my mood and emotion during the painting process, further bringing my subjects forward with vibrant light. In this exhibition, I invite the viewer to explore their own imagination and visualize the air and auras emanating from plants.
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
Esteban Raheem Abdul Raheem Samayoa: Blood Be Water
In his first solo institutional exhibition, Blood Be Water, Esteban Raheem Abdul Raheem Samayoa presents an immersive installation featuring new airbrushed paintings, oil pastels, and ceramics. Drawing from muralism, street art, and Latin American folk traditions, Samayoa constructs a visually striking, deeply personal exploration of heritage, identity, and transformation..
San Jose Jazz – 310 South First St. map
SJZ Break Room @ First Fridays ArtWalk SJ
Join us for a showcase of youth talent at the SJZ Break Room, in collaboration with South FIRST FRIDAYS!
Our usual program includes performances from our SJZ U19s, Michael Webster Quartet, and an all-ages jazz jam!
Symphony San José at California Theater – 345 S. First St. map
Open rehearsal of our last concert of the season.
Grab your passport and join us for our season’s grand finale in Spain. Rodrigo’s Concierto de Aranjuez, by far his best-known work, cemented his reputation as one of Spain’s most significant composers.
We’ll also view the Iberian Peninsula through the lens of two visiting composers, Ravel (France) and Rimsky-Korsakov (Russian), and hear how each portrayed Spanish music through their distinct writing styles.
Historic District
Chopsticks Alley Gallery – 38 S. 2nd St. map
Opening of Chopsticks Alley Art’s Flow in Secret Garden art exhibition on June 6, 2025
Step into an oasis where wisteria cascades and lotus flowers bloom. Voonbin Leow works with batik, a traditional Indonesian art form that uses hand-dyeing techniques to create dreamlike tapestries with flowing colors and organic patterns. Yachen Xie creates wearable art that flows with effortless movement, turning fabric into a living expression of nature. Let the colors around you stir memories, inspire reflection, and bring a sense of serenity.
Hammer2 Gallery – 101 Paseo de San Antonio map
Perspectives
Featuring: Carlo Ricafort, Tovah Cheng, Dani Torvik, Peter Moen, Josie Lepe, Ian Fabre
The Hammer2 Gallery features a rotating display of artwork by San José State University alumni. The current exhibition brings together the work of five alumni artists: Carlo Ricafort, Dani Torvik, Peter Moen, Josie Lepe, Tovah Cheng, and Ian Fabre. These artists explore work in a variety of media, including watercolor, oil paint and mixed media, and diverse subject matter, including personal identities, cultural symbols, family history and abstract forms.
Works/San Jose – 38 S. 2nd St. map
Re-deconstruction: Jan Rindfleisch and the Building Together collaboration
The work of Jan Rindfleisch with: Kathy Aoki, Thai Bui, Natalya Burd, Terry Acebo Davis, Robin Lasser, Therese May, Tony May, Elise Ordorica, Carlos Pérez, Karen Tseng, Nanette Wylde.
This exhibition is a celebration of the life of Jan Rindfleisch, an organizer, artist, and documenter of visual arts and organizations in our community. In 2023 Jan asked several local artists to reimagine and remake groundbreaking artworks of hers from the late 1970s on. Jan called the experiment “Building Together.” This exhibition presents the results of these unique collaborations along with several original works of the artist. Knowing she was in the late stages of cancer throughout this project, Jan passed away in March of 2025. The exhibition is on view through June 28, and a gathering to celebrate Jan’s life will be held at the close of the exhibit. The book Building Together will also be available at the exhibition.
Martha Gardens District
Art Ark Gallery – 1035 S. Sixth St. map
Sacred Symbols
Simon Lanzoni solo exhibition
Language coalesces and encodes human experience: it is the very means through which we engage, feel, and express perceived realities. Alphabets— language transmogrified into sets of sacred, yet distinct visual symbols— form the keys to the dissemination of knowledge, ideas, and narratives. Written text captures otherwise fleeting experiences of oral traditions to make them permanent. Similar to the act of writing, in artistic practice, resin applied to textile, an inherently pliable medium that can suspend, flow, and billow, translates shape-shifting moments and affixes them into states of permanence. Sacred Symbols takes inspiration from alphabetic letterforms, stretching them into the third dimension as a play on perspectival compositions that parallels the experience of shaping language.
SubZERO 2025
Subculture • Art • Music • Festival
Focused on emerging and present subcultures thriving in our region, SubZERO is a DIY, artistically bent, hi/lo-techno mashup where street meets geek.
Join us on First Friday June 6th 5pm–10pm & Saturday June 7th 2pm–8pm
Out on S. 1st St. in SoFA District downtown San Jose.
Free admission with RSVP via Eventbrite: https://tinyurl.com/SubZERO-RSVP
All Hail the Progenitors of Culture!
ARITSTS 2025:
Animate One /Isaac Bassard
BAGI /Bay Area Glass Institute
The Blunt Letters
Julianne Bonnet
Becky Arrguiano
Breanna Contreras
Bungalow Glow Candle Co.
CADRE SJSU
Column Synth hosted by Peter Nyboer
Content Magazine
Bryan Corbin
Crossroads Trading Co.
Current Tattooing
Jennifer DeChenne
Joesph Demaree
Mario Dimas
DJs Notorious PIG, Jswizza, & Dougie
Lorenz Dumuk
Eleventh Dimension Tattoo
Mahsa Emoventur
Eraeon Designs
Faded Visualz
Bernadette Fahmy
Betsy Fessler
Flora Art Studio
Force129
Fuse Presents
Game Development Club at SJSU
Jared Gochuico
Go Go Skateboarding hosted by Teen Tech Center at MACLA
Heiko Greb
Katie Green
Hand in Hand Henna
Higher Fire Clayspace
Maureen Holcomb
“Hop 32” by Cole Pergerson & James Morgan
Hull House Market
ICA San Jose
Inside Out Clothing
Zak Jahn
Jodi 408
Leysar Garcia
Mighty Mike
Machu Picchu Gallery of the Americas
MACLA
MAGWest
Rayos Magos
Joe Mandrick
Yasushi Matsui
Mikey’s Used Car & Circus
More Más Maram
James Morgan
Mountain Medusa Designs
Poetry Center San Jose
Purl Bailey Crafts
Roger O.
Leah Ragavon
Francisco Ramirez
Steven nizzotes Rubalcaba
Jacob Sandoval
Anya Satysheva
“The Seeds Of Harmony Hourly Ritual” by Containher Erthangel & The Yay Area Love Cats
South Bay Sonic Circuits.hosted by Steve Cooley
Space Palette by Tim Thompson
Stardrop Facepaints
Sundry 3D Treasures
Talk of the Town
UpSwell SJ Showcase hosted by Kyle Clifton Patrick
Heylu Wheat
SubZERO LIVE MUSIC MAIN STAGE:
• Friday, June 6th
with DJ Big Lee throughout the night
5:30pm In the Ponds
6:45pm Agnesss Twin
8:00pm Vague Lanes
9:15pm Tess and the Details
• Saturday, June 7th
with DJ Big Lee throughout the day
3:15pm Go Gravity
4:15pm Tell Me Tell Me
5:30pm Strange Cities
6:45pm Dear Banshee
MAGWest GAMER MUSIC STAGE:
• Friday, June 6th
6:30pm Carlos/bayLiGHTS
7:30pm Bi Score
8:30pm Dubldragon
9:30pm Ultra Combo
• Saturday, June 7th
3:00pm SundaY
4:00pm Bayokyo
5:00pm Love Talkin’ Sound
6:00pm Ryan McGaughey + Friends
SOUTH BAY SONIC CIRCUITS STAGE:
hosted by Steve Cooley
• Saturday, June 7th
2:00pm AstroN8te
2:25pm Joerg Ferber
2:50pm Bob Amstadt
3:15pm David Leikam
3:40pm R Duck
4:20pm Digital Larry
4:45pm Syd and I
5:10pm Quantum Synths
5:35pm Dream Static
6:15pm REALWARE
6:40pm Rudo Rudeboi
7:00pm Haptic Synapses
BEER GARDEN Stage
• Friday, June 6t
with great music from 5-11 pm
featuring deejays Dougie, Jswizza & Notorious P.I.G.
BEER GARDEN Stage
• Saturday, June 7th
with great music 2:00-8:00pm
featuring “UpSwell SJ Showcase” curated by UpSwell Studios Opens in a new window
Tomodachi Crew
F.T.B.
Shine Light
Granny Nix
Spivrobeatniky
80-HD
Lysn
Infinite Kamikaze
Mr. Christian
Sinister Moments
Letters from Clementine
Dox Black & The Aquanauts
Young Hof
BEER GARDEN sponsored by local & regional breweries
Located at Parque De Los Pobladores (South First St. and William Street)
On tap... 21st Amendment, Clandestine, Fox Tale Fermentation, Golden State Cider, and Elysian Brewing
SubZERO Festival is produced by CURATUS , in collaboration with South FIRST FRIDAYS ArtWalk SJ, and powered by local artists, musicians and indie-creatives.
Contact: info@subzerofestival.com
Supported in part by a Cultural Affairs grant from the City of San Jose. Additional support provided by Dahl’s Equipment, San Jose Downtown Assn., & PARKSJ.
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