I recently had the opportunity to think about what community spirit means to me. I’ve submitted this new painting pictured above to the City of San José’s Office of Cultural Affairs’ Public Art Program as an example of community spirit and resilience. This was in answer to a call for art for permanent display in the interior of the new facility in which the City’s Office of Emergency Management and the Fire Department Training Center will be co-located. This is a submission only, notices for acceptance won’t go out until some time in December.

The call asked for artworks whose “themes may include but are not limited to emergency response management; how San José and the community embodies resiliency and community spirit, in general as well as during and after emergencies; impact of emergency situations on the individual, community, society; meanings of community during an emergency; preparation, response, and recovery from natural and man-made disasters and emergencies; adaptability to emergencies; innovation in avoiding emergencies; the emergence of heroes and leaders from police, fire, and community members; and, the resilience of community spirit.”

While I have zero experience with emergency response management, I thought I could do something under the general community spirit category. The example that immediately came to mind was my wonderful experience working with the Erikson Neighborhood Association in San José to create a mural in Leif Erikson Park. The neighborhood’s commitment and enthusiasm about improving their park inspired me to come up with a painting in celebration of their efforts.

I took quite a bit of creative license in my painting in order to create a composition that works visually, but I think it stays true to the feel of the park and the people who love that park. Fittingly, I named it “A Park and Its People”.

I won’t know if my painting was accepted until some time in December. Whether it’s accepted or not, I loved working on this painting and reminiscing about the time I spent in that park talking to the regular visitors. Hopefully, it will inspire someone to put some love into their own neighborhood park.

I’ll have it on display in my art studio on Saturday, December 9, 2023 11am-5pm for the Handmade for the Holidays holiday art show and sale at Visual Philosophy Studios, 1065 The Alameda, San Jose, CA. It can also be seen by appointment, give me a text, email or phone call to set something up (my contact page).