Over the last month, hundreds of San Joseans have visited the much-talked-aboutEast Side Dreams exhibit at the Martin Luther King Jr. Library, which highlights some of the neglected history of East San Jose — including lowrider culture, and other stories of community activism + leadership. 💪
If you haven’t caught this powerful exhibit yet — never fear. It’ll be freely accessible on the second and fifth floors of the MLK Library until Sat., Sept. 24 — no library card needed. For the auditory learners out there — a community member + activist panel will take place on Sat., Aug. 13, and a scholarly panel will follow on Sat., Sept. 3. 💬
To help guide your next visit to East Side Dreams, we’re highlighting the significance of this historic exhibit + what this means to locals.
Librarians Kathryn Blackmer Reyes, Estella Inda, and Shane Curtain. | Photo by SJtoday staff
📦 An “iceberg” of history
The genesis story of the East Side Dreams exhibit has become almost as well-known as the exhibit itself.
In 2018, library clerk Estella Inda put together a lowrider exhibit + received a guest question about Lowrider Magazine. To her surprise, she realized there were no copies of the magazine at the library, despite the fact that it was co-founded by San Josean Sonny Madrid. From one question came many more.
“It’s like an iceberg, right?” said California Room librarian Shane Curtain. “The amount of history that was under there versus what’s known on top — and particularly the details.”
The exhibit spans East San Jose history from the 1950s to the present. | Video by SJtoday staff
At the time, the history Estella and her colleagues were attempting to reconstruct was broadly known by East Side locals, but not necessarily recorded or accessible to the broader public.
“We’ve always known about Ernestina, we’ve always known about Sophia, we’ve always known about the GI Forum — but it’s always been getting the materials.” Kathryn Blackmer Reyes, AAACNA Studies Center Director, added. “And I think Estella was at the right time at the right place.”
Because of Estella’s connections within East San Jose, she was able to build bridges with community members who entrusted the library with countless boxes of materials for the exhibit.
San Jose Dodgeball | Wed., Aug. 3 | 6:30 p.m. | Arena Green East, 340 W. St. John St. | Free | Whether you’re a newbie or a pro, all are welcome to play at this weekly meetup.
Downtown San Jose Farmers Market | Wed., Aug. 3 | 3-7 p.m. | 350 S. First St. | Free entry | Shop seasonal produce + local crafts — free parking available. 🥬
Bring Your Own Vinyl | Wed., July 13 | 6-9 p.m. | S27 Alehouse & Brewery, 461 Perrymont Ave. | Free | Let’s get spinning. 🎶
Thursday
Tony Baker | Thurs., Aug. 4-Sat., Aug. 6 | Times vary | San Jose Improv, 62 S. Second St. | $25+ | Kick back with this comedian from NBC’s “Last Comic Standing” + Comedy Central’s “Comics Unleashed.”
Fun Home | Thurs., July 14-Sun., Aug. 21 | Times vary | City Lights Theatre, 529 S. Second St. | $23+ | Explore the complexities of childhood in this Pulitzer-finalist musical. 🎭
Friday
Outside Lands | Fri., Aug. 5-Sun., Aug. 7 | 11 a.m.-10 p.m. | Golden Gate Park, San Francisco | Prepare for a party at this annual festival with performances by Green Day, Post Malone, Illenium, and many more of the biggest names of music. 🎤
First Friday: Evergreen Opening Celebration | Fri., Aug. 5 | 6-9 p.m. | San Jose Museum of Art, 110 S. Market St. | Free | Celebrate the opening of the first permanent gallery devoted to favorite exhibits from the museum’s past. 🖼️
First Friday Tea | Fri., Aug. 5 | 2-3 p.m. | Santa Teresa Branch Library, 290 International Cir. | Free | Join us for tea + a biscuit in this English-style service. 🫖
Saturday
Battle of the Bay Party Bus 2022 | Sat., Aug. 6 | 12-9 p.m. | Jack’s, 167 E. Taylor St. | $125+ | Baseball fans are invited to a road trip to Oakland Coliseum to watch the Giants face the A’s while enjoying BBQ, music, and games. ⚾
Open Studios | Sat., Aug. 6-Sun., Aug. 7 | 1-5 p.m. | Citadel Art Studios, 199 Martha St. | Free admission | Browse artists’ studios, view works-in-progress, and purchase some art of your own. 🖌️
We have amonthly guide filled with events + activities you can plan for in advance. Click the button below to bookmark ideas for upcoming date nights, family outings, and time with friends.
The County of Santa Clara Vector Control District will be spraying insecticide in the 95054, 94089, and 95002 ZIP codes on Thurs., Aug. 4around 10 p.m. — due to the recent discovery of mosquitoes carrying the West Nile virus. The treatment should last about a couple hours. 🦟
Former top editor at the Mercury News, Jerry Ceppos, died last week at the age of 75. Jerry led the paper in the 1990s, when it began to distinguish itself as the newspaper of Silicon Valley — and even won two Pulitzer Prizes during his time. 🕊️ (The Washington Post)
Concert
Backstreet’s back, alright — the Backstreet Boyswill perform at the Shoreline Amphitheatre in Mountain View this Sun., Aug. 7, as part of their DNA World Tour. The tour was previously cut short due to the pandemic, but the group will return to Northern California for three shows between Aug. 6-9. Tickets are still available. 🎶 (The Mercury News)
Announced
Empire Seven Studioswill celebrate its grand opening alongside State of Grace’s 20th anniversary on Fri., Sept. 9. Though the studio closed in 2017, it will re-open at its original location on Seventh St. + Empire St. There will be a lineup of more than 30 artists at the celebration — more details to follow. 🎉
San Jose Wallswill host “JTOWN ARTWALK” on Sat., Sept. 10-Sun., Sept. 11 from 12-5 p.m. The walk will take you from Exhibit Jtown through Japantown, and feature more than 20 vendors — details to follow. 🖌️
Outdoors
Tomorrow, the National Park Service will offer free admission to all California National Parks in celebration of the two-year anniversary of signing the Great American Outdoors Act.Here’s your excuse to Hit the Road and head to the nearest park, Pinnacles National Park. 🥾
Sports
Sign your child up for the SJ Earthquakes “Quakes Legends Clinic” on Tues., Aug. 30 with Tommy Thompson — the Quakes’ first-ever homegrown signing in 2014. Kids ages 5-13 can participate, and there is a $195 fee to join. Learn more at the Quakes’ website. ⚽
Art
Need Friday plans? Art Walk SJ and Sub Zero Festival will host their First Friday street market from 5-10 p.m., which will include free museum admission, vendors, and a DJ. There will also be a beer garden featuring Camino Brewing Co. + Fox Tale Fermentation Project — learn more on South First Friday’s website. 🎨
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Due to a technical error, we missed one special entry to our Mural Bingo Challenge… Shoutout to reader Kathy H. (and family) for submitting their blackout bingo card. 👏
Bingo, five ways. Impressive. | Photos by Kathy H.
This submission spotlights so many amazing murals around town, and it’s so wonderfully organized. Kathy shared with us that the family took a bike ride around Downtown to seek murals, and discovered new things they hadn’t seen before, despite living in North SJ since 1998.
We’re glad that our challenge led to new discoveries, and we’re looking forward to hosting more soon. Stay tuned. 👀
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Editor’s pick: Growing up in San Jose, a lot of my friends, we didn’t have a lot of pride in San Jose. It was only once I left and came back that I really got to appreciate this amazing city and its people, especially after learning more about East San Jose’s deep history.
I was so honored to share today’s story with you + hope you’ll visit the East Side Dreams exhibit for yourself.
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