San Jose, California

Arts and architecture

San Jose's downtown architecture is noted more for its limited height than for any particular buildings. Because the downtown area is in the flight path to nearby Mineta International Airport, there is a permanent height limit for all buildings.

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Municipal building projects have experimented more with architectural styles than have most private enterprises. The Children's Discovery Museum, Tech Museum of Innovation, and the San Jose Repertory Theater building have experimented with bold colors and unusual exteriors. The new City Hall, designed by Richard Meier & Partners opened in 2005 and is a notable addition to the growing collection of municipal building projects.

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Public art is an evolving attraction in the city. The City was one of the first to adopt a public art ordinance at 2% of capital improvement building project budgets, and the results of this commitment are beginning to have an impact on the visual landscape of the City. There is a considerable amount throughout the downtown area, and a growing collection in the City's neighborhood newer civic locations including libraries, parks, and fire stations. Of particular note, the Mineta Airport expansion will incorporate a program of Art & Technology into its development.

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Within the early efforts at public art, there are notable controversies. Two examples, include the statue of Quetzalcoatl (the plumed serpent) in downtown which was controversial in its planning because some religious groups felt that it was pagan, and controversial in its implementation because many felt that the final statue by Robert Graham did not closely resemble a winged serpent, and was more noted for its expense than its aesthetics. http://www.morrill.org/books/quetzalcoatl.shtml And the statue of Thomas Fallon, met strong resistance from those who felt that these people were largely responsible for the decimation of early native populations.

Related Topics:
Quetzalcoatl - Robert Graham - Thomas Fallon

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In 2001, the city sponsored SharkByte, an exhibit of decorated sharks, based on the mascot of the hockey team, the San Jose Sharks, and modeled after Chicago's display of decorated cows http://www.chicagotraveler.com/cows_on_parade.htm. Large models of sharks were decorated in a variety of clever, colorful, or creative ways by local artists and were then displayed for months at dozens of locations around the city. Many displays were removed early because of vandalism. After the exhibition, the sharks were auctioned off and the proceeds donated to charity. The sharks can still be found in their new owners' homes and businesses.

Related Topics:
Shark - Chicago

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The city is home to many performance arts, including Opera San Jose, Symphony Silicon Valley, Ballet San Jose Silicon Valley, the San Jose Repertory Theatre, and American Musical Theatre of San Jose. In addition, the annual Cinequest Film Festival in downtown has grown to over 60,000 attendees per year, becoming an important festival for independent films.

Related Topics:
Opera San Jose - Ballet San Jose Silicon Valley - San Jose Repertory Theatre - Cinequest Film Festival - Festival - Independent film

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The HP Pavilion is one of the most active venues for events in the world. According to Billboard Magazine and Pollstar, the arena sold the most tickets to non-sporting events of any venue in the United States, and third in the world after the Manchester Evening News Arena in Manchester, England, and the Bell Centre in Montreal, Quebec, Canada, for the period from January 1 – September 30, 2004. http://www.siliconvalley.com/mld/mercurynews/news/columnists/leigh_weimers/10045287.htm?template=contentModules/printstory.jsp Including sporting events, the HP Pavilion averages 184 events a year, or roughly one event for every two days, which is significantly higher than the average for NHL arenas. http://www.sjredevelopment.org/101204/5-1DowntownTheaterUpdate.pdf (caution, PDF)

Related Topics:
HP Pavilion - Billboard Magazine - Manchester Evening News Arena - Manchester - England - Bell Centre - Montreal, Quebec - Canada - January 1 - September 30 - 2004 - PDF

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