Podcast Content Magazine

Episode #100 Andrew Espino, Owner of 1Culture Art Gallery @1culture_ Growing up in Eastside San José, Andrew Espino loved both Hip-Hop and oldies, graffiti and lowrider culture, and football. He carried all of these inspirations through college as a St. Mary’s football linebacker and into his post-college career in real estate. Andrew frequented ar…

At SubZero Festival 2023, Content had the opportunity to spotlight the festival through the artists in attendance. Porky, @_p.locz_ is a musician and miniaturist who creates dioramas of iconic San Jose locations to draw viewers' sense of familiarity, nostalgia, and hometown pride. Inspired by car shows, Porky continues pushing his craft by making e…

Episode #99 - Athenna Crosby, TV Host/Journalist, Actress, and Model Athenna Crosby devotes her time to inspiring young women and positively impacting the world through modeling, acting, and entertainment journalism. Her San Jose roots keep her grounded in her mission. She recalls, “[San Jose] is just a bunch of hard-working people who go to their …

Episode #98 Rhonda Holberton @rhondaholberton - Interdisciplinary artist and Professor of Digital Media @cadre_sjsu @SJSU Oakland-based artist and SJSU digital media professor Rhonda Holberton grew up in the Dulles Corridor, referred to as “The Silicon Valley of The East.” Holberton saw technology’s impact on society at an early age. She recalls, “…

Featured: Issue 10.4, Kung Fu Vampire, @kungfuvampire Kung Fu Vampire is a genre-bending rapper and performer born and raised in San Jose, California. He has spent the last 20 years curating a sound and image that has gained international interest among fandoms, including horror and hip-hop. His interests in Gothic style, music, and rap converged a…

We are looking back at the annual SubZERO Festival that takes place on the first Friday and Saturday of June. South First Friday Art Walk SJ organizes SubZERO Festival. This year Content had the opportunity to spotlight this festival through the artists in attendance.Augie WK is a 3rd generation Mexican-American painter and muralist. His work draws…

Featured: Issue 15.3, Leslie Lewis Sigler, @leslielewissigler_artistLeslie Lewis Sigler sees old things not as useless, but as beautiful and rich, with a deep history. She hopes her art inspires viewers to think differently about the things they already have.Leslie’s portraits of silver antique tableware are informed by the silver’s function, form,…

Featured: Issue 15.3, Onna Keller, @onna.keller Onna Keller moved to California from Thailand after finishing her PhD in demography from Chulalongkorn University. In fall of 2020, she enrolled in landscape architecture courses at West Valley College. Onna has taken classes in other fields also and continues to do so, since she believes that inspiri…

Featured: Issue 15.3, Iris Zimmerman, @zimmersnapsIris Zimmerman has always been drawn to the creative and is a returning student working on her psychology and studio arts degree. She hopes to pair her portraits with her psychology background to teach people how vital it is to love themselves and how challenging it can be. Join us May 19th, at West…

Featured: Issue 15.3, Rubén Darío Villa / Mr. Fúchila, @mr.fuchila Artist Rubén Darío Villa can see his hometown of Gilroy clear as day. Through his art, he speaks of his culture, his home, and the history he lives with. His art tells the story of growing up in the Bay Area as a first-generation Chicano. Fúchila, slang for “smelly” in Spanish, take…

Featured: Issue 15.3, Nyr Acuavera -Fashion Design Nyr Acuavera, born on April 17, 2002, is a Filipino fashion student at West Valley College. Immigrating to the United States at a young age, Acuavera experienced social isolation from his peers as a result of his personal identity. To flee from the troubles of reality, he turned to escapism in the …

Featured: Issue 15.3, Dan Fenstermacher, @danfenstermacherEvery year, @SVCREATES recognizes the region’s finest early-career artists through the Content Emerging Artist Award. These artists are committed to developing their art forms and enriching the greater Santa Clara County region with exhibitions, performances, presentations, and service.Featu…

Featured: Issue 15.3, Davied Morales, @activepoet Every year, @SVCREATES recognizes the region’s finest early-career artists through the Content Emerging Artist Award. These artists are committed to developing their art forms and enriching the greater Santa Clara County region with exhibitions, performances, presentations, and service. Featured in …

Featured: Issue 15.3, Keana Aguila Labra @keanalabra Every year, @SVCREATES recognizes the region’s finest early-career artists through the Content Emerging Artist Award. These artists are committed to developing their art forms and enriching the greater Santa Clara County region with exhibitions, performances, presentations, and service. Featured …

#96 - Jonathan Gomez, Cofounder of Asiel Design and the Midtown Immersive Night Parties Owners of Asiel Design, Jonathan Gomez and Linnae Asiel, have gone through many iterative seasons over the past two decades. Founded in 2003 as a floral design business, the company developed to include event design with intricately themed experiences. Their rec…

Daniel Garcia is the founder, Cultivator, and creative visionary behind Content Magazine, a photographer, and San Jose Native, who has an upcoming photo exhibition at Art Ark Gallery, opening on May 5th, 2023. This exhibition will be his first solo show and display a body of work documenting 30+ years of photography. Garcia’s interest in photograph…

Alyssarhaye Graciano is a San Jose Native, practicing fiber artist, and current visual arts curator at MACLA/Movimiento de Arte y Cultura Latino Americana. Having learned to crochet and knit in her teens, Graciano founded BlackSheepMade with plans to fund a college internship abroad by selling beanies, scarves, and woven garments. She later moved t…

# 93- Bree Karpavage - Collage Artist and Director of Santa Cruz First Fridays, and Downtown Santa Cruz Makers Market Born and raised in an island community off the coast of Maryland, Bree Karpavage sought to experience the world outside her small town. Taking a break from college, she took to the road crafting jewelry, starting a family, and ultim…

Video - Bree Karpavage - Intro Video Listen to full interview on the Content Podcast on our website. Or, follow us on Spotify --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/content-magazine/support

Haley Cardamon first connected with the South Bay art scene in her teens when her family moved to Cannery Park in San José Japantown. Local purveyors such as Shorty Fatz Bicycles and Breezy Excursion exposed Haley to the vein of creativity that runs through San José. While taking courses at De Anza College, she found ways to combine class assignmen…

Ann Ostermann, Open Studios & Events Director Ann manages the complex production of our annual Open Studios Art Tour with a joyful attitude. She is the liaison for several hundred Open Studios artists, event sponsors, and volunteers. A third-generation Californian who has lived in Santa Cruz since 1981, Ann has a degree in History from UCLA. Ann wo…

Episode #90 David Valdespino, Jr. - Content Production Manager We are excited to introduce Content's new Production Manager, David Valdespino Jr. A Singer-Songwriter, vinyl Dj, and bicycle enthusiast, David brings his passion for community and a degree in English education to Content's mission of connecting the South Bay through the art of storytel…

Featured: Issue 15.1 Andrew Espino, the founder of 1Culture, has a story to tell–just not his story. @shop1culture “When I opened the shop, I thought about what I wanted people to see or how they would feel—and with everything going on in the world, I really wanted people to feel present. When you walk in here, you can take a time out from the worl…

Eva Rorandelli is a fashion designer and founder of Evaro Italia, following in the footsteps of her father Massimo and his father before him, who began manufacturing leather goods in Florence in 1943. Eva grew up helping her father in his stores in the historic San Lorenzo shopping district in Florence, surrounded by Renaissance art and architectur…

Priya Das, Co-founder & Chief Programming Officer of Mosaic America Priya is the creator of Mosaic's inspired framework for social cohesion using the Arts and drives the creative vision, programming strategy, artist relations, and community outreach. In this episode, Priya discusses how being an art critic and columnist, her history classical India…

Featured: Brandon Luu @bluubasaur in upcoming Issue 14.4 “Profiles” Order issue and attend Pick-Up Party Sept 1st as NUMU Gallery https://bit.ly/144fall22 Born and raised in San Jose, Brandon is quickly becoming the voice of our future. By day he teaches middle school, and in his spare time he serves on the board of directors for Poetry Center San …

#87 - Angela Ostermeier - VP of Development, Cinequest Angela joined the Cinequest team as the Events & Development Manager in 2018 and has expanded her role and responsibilities to VP of Development. Angela works closely with sponsors, venue locations, and VIPs to ensure that Cinequest events such as Maverick Meet-Ups, Nightly VIP Soirees, and Ope…

Featured: “Manik” - Nicholaus James Dalton @manikdub "I also love seeing one color after the next pop, contrast, and move against the others. It never gets old. I try not to think about it too much. Just do.” _Nicholaus James “Manik” Dalton Dalton’s artistic philosophy blends cultures of sight, sound, and spirituality. In his most recent work, he a…

James G. Leventhal is an enthusiastic art leader and visionary who has worked at top museums throughout the Bay Area and the United States. Now, as of January 2022, he is back in San Jose as the executive director of the Institute of Contemporary Art San José (ICA). In this episode, James shares about major figures who shaped his path into this wor…

Featured: Dana Harris Seeger @danaharrisseeger in upcoming Issue 14.4 “Profiles” Order issue and attend Pick-Up Party Sept 1st at NUMU Gallery (Link in Profile) https://bit.ly/144fall22 “Community drives me. Connecting with other artists helps the public see what impact artists have on local and global communities.” An artistic all-star, Dana Harri…

Tony Gapastione is a pastor turned filmmaker, actor, director, producer, screenwriter, podcaster, and CEO of BraveMaker. In this episode, Tony shares how he went from creating in the shadows of his spiritual work as a pastor to the empowering realization that the performing arts can be a spiritual experience itself. Now from the hub of his organiza…

Ruben Escalante suffered a heart attack as a freshman in high school. But this is only surprising until Ruben reveals the trauma they endured as a child: the father who went out at least once a week and came home drunk, angry, and violent; the early death of the grandfather who was the only one that could subdue his dad's temper; the constant and v…

Kenneth Tan moved back to his home in San Jose from Los Angeles to help care for his grandmother, Crescenciana Tan ("lola" in Tagalog), in 2014. They began painting as an activity to do together. Lola would paint what she felt with watercolor, and then Kenneth would add drawings with markers based on her stories and memories - this led to a series …

Stacey is an attorney and program manager by trade and an art lover and community builder by heart. Stacey focuses on strategic partnership development and social impact for San Jose Walls. Born and raised in San Jose, she is passionate about creating a legacy of impactful public art in her hometown. In our conversation, we learn how she became a p…

Featured Issue 14.3: Don Budd - Tone Freq Recording Studios - tonefreqmastering.com Ask around the local music scene for a reliable recording studio, and certain names will start to repeat. One is Tone Freq Recording Studios, where hundreds of bands have gone to record their albums with craft and care. Behind that reputation is Don Budd, an audio e…

Everyone that visits an art exhibit at the San Jose Museum of Art @sanjosemuseumofart sees it from a certain perspective. You arrive through the front doors, enter the gallery space, and experience the exhibition as it’s meant to be. But for those who operate behind the scenes like Richard Karson, watching it all come together is the best part. “Th…

Cilker Art & Design Interior Design Student: Sienna Hopper @only_irose Digital Media/Animation Sienna is a queer artist who found graphic design during a time in her life when she felt isolated from the world. Having dealt with social anxiety for a large portion of her upbringing, Sienna had trouble fully communicating her thoughts and feelings. Sh…

British artist and photographer Marcus Lyon has been in the South Bay with his team, Camila Pastorelli, and Joe Briggs-Price, working on the next edition of A Human Atlas. Previous projects include Somos Brasil (2016), WE: deutschland (2018), and i.Detroit (2020), with this next version, titled De.Coded (launching 2023). This version will explore 1…

Interior Design: Orit Avinoon-Metz A graduating interior design student from West Valley College, Orit Avinoon-Metz brings her native Israeli roots to her California-inspired designs. She finds inspiration in her memories of her homeland, whether of the unique spring wildflowers or the color schemes that combine the Mediterranean Sea with a desert …

Featured in issue 14.3 Cilker School of Art and Design Student @wvccilkersoad Artist: Sarah Kissinger @sadnspicy_ Sarah has always been interested in creating pieces using solid colors and strong shapes to create images with a clear focus. She loves jumping between different media and inspirations to create pieces that are thought provoking and enj…

Featured: 2022 Content Emerging Artist – Kiana Honarmand @kianahonarmand (https://instagram.com/kianahonarmand) Kiana Honarmand is the last of three 2022 Content Emerging Artists, receiving $5,000 to continue the development of her art form in addition to being recognized for her unique artistic vibrancy. Originally from Iran, Honarmand moved to th…

Featured in issue 14.3 - Kate Kanemura @k.squared_art - Animation/Illustration Kate has always loved creating art, using whatever materials she could get her hands on. She enjoys planning different creative concepts and talking with her friends about her creative ideas. Kate has used numerous artistic mediums, from traditional graphite pencil and c…

Featured in issue 13.4 "Profiles" (See more video on the Contentmag Vimeo page) Low Conspiracy Car Club @lowconspiracycc East San Jose was arguably the hub of the lowrider golden age during the late ’70s and through the ’80s, despite its LA roots—a period Abel refers to as the “King and Story Days.” Cruising acted as a night club on wheels, as much…

Chelsea Stewart is one of three recipients of the Content Emerging artist Award for 2022. “I want to make something that reflects my own personal experience, using these elements to say more about my life. I wasn’t sure how to express it because the topic of mental health is so delicate, similar to papermaking materials. But when the delicate fiber…

Jezrael Gandara’s work straddles the line between documentary and art, encouraging his subjects to communicate their feelings. “There are parts of San Jose that remind me of El Paso, and it makes it feel like home. I hope my work can make an impact within the community by helping share its stories.” trnscnd.org Instagram: jezgand Written by Alyssar…

#80 Scott Knies - CEO San Jose Downtown Association Scott has been at the helm of the San Jose Downtown Association since 1988 and has been the foundation's only executive director. Starting as founder and owner of the Fencing Center in 1981, Scott's career changed as he and other business owners looked to represent the needs of downtown businesses…

Bassist and composer Nick Panoutsos' (who was a Content intern before he went off to NYC in 2016) released his first solo album Monos. The Greek word for "alone" (μόνος), the album is a meditation on the isolation of 2020's pandemic lockdown. The album reflects on Nick's Greek heritage and fond memories of growing up in San Jose, CA, and the nearby…

Mattie Scariot became Director of PJIFF in 2018 and grew the festival to an 8-day regional festival including Morgan Hill, San Martin, Gilroy, Hollister, and San Juan Bautista. In our conversation, Mattie explains her vision for the festival, focusing on diverse, inclusive, and women empowering films and seven educational programs. We talk about he…

#77 - Amanda Rawson- Project Manager and Researcher Director for Art Builds Community Amanda Rawson has participated in the cultural art sector for more than eight years. Previously, Amanda worked as the Major Gifts Officer for the San Jose Museum of Art and the Donor and External Relations Manager at the San Jose Museum of Quilts & Textiles. Rawso…

A mixed-media artist and arts educator Corinne Okada Takara was also one of the artists selected for the City of San Jose's the first Creative License Ambassador in the program in 2019. Corinne composes technology-integrated projects and crafts sculptural work out of elegant yet mundane materials, like silk, food wrappers, newspapers, and plastic p…