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I am sharing this public art piece that unfortunately was not given a title by the Artist. The artist who created this beautiful image goes by the name Apexer. This painting resonates with me because it provides so much color and high energy by first glance. I was attracted to it because I feel the colors paired with what I refer to as sharp pedals, which to me makes this art complex adding wonder and I like anything that makes my mind curious and wanting more. The emotions propelled in me where excitement, thrill, inspiration and courage. Due to how unique the shapes and figures are, the amount of space the artist decided to use he had no fear to express himself. What I like is the sharp pedals. When I was in high school I used to scribble flower pedals similar to the artist drawings shown here on everything I could write on. So I guess you can say it was a feeling of nostalgia and familiarity that I could relate to. I dislike the foundation of the piece. The squares below the pedals they remind me of open and closed books so it's hard for me to find the correlation between the different drawings. But besides that it is Beautiful and an inspirational piece of art.

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This public artwork is located on the campus of Stanford University. It's titled "Oy/Yo" and created by artist, Deborah Kass 2019 . It's displayed outside the Anderson Collection.  The first time I saw it, it made me smile.  I love the bold and bright yellow color, the shape and the large size of this sculpture.  It's human scale.  The word "Yo" can be read from one side and "Oy" can be read from the other side. It's irreverent and humorous. I like how this artwork engages the public, that people take selfies in front of it and pose beside it. Some people frame their faces inside the O. From the Cantor website I found the following description, "OY/YO explores the combination of imagery and language: “oy,” as in “oy vey,” is a Yiddish term of fatigue, resignation or woe; “yo,” is a greeting associated with African American slang. In addition, “yo” in Spanish means “I.” Each usage has been co-opted in popular culture. “The fact that this particular work resonates so beautifully in so many languages to so many communities is why I wanted to make it monumental,” Kass told the New York Times.

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Willow Glen Elementary Tile Wall by WGE students of 2013

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The artwork I chose is located in San Jose inside Willow Glen Elementary school. The tiled artwork is displayed inside the campus on the side of the building by the courtyard where you can see it near the entrance side of Lincoln Ave.

In 2013, WGE decided they wanted to do an artwork to display for the celebration of the school turning 150 years old. This an amazing display of artwork by every students expressing themselves. I felt so honored and blessed that my son was going to be a part of this history that would be displayed for everyone to see for a very long time.

My heart was filled with so much happiness and joy to see everyone's artwork. This would bring everyone together as a school and a community.

I love everything about the tile artwork created by the students of WGE . I felt everyone had the opportunity to express themselves and they were able to draw whatever they wanted. My son wanted his tile to be very simple, something that was going to represent our family name, so he decided to write his last name on the tile with the years he would be attending from 2010-2015.

Every time we visit WGE we always visit the tile workout because it reminds us that we are of the community that celebrated a historic event.

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The mural I chose is located on the corner of north bound Monterey Road and Stauffer Road painted on the side of a building. I have tried looking up the Artist, but at this time it is unknown. A couple years ago I was going through a rough time in my life, and I happened to see this mural while I was driving. It caught my attention, so I decided to take a picture of it. I have kept this picture ever since to remind me of my struggles and how it helped me. The words and the images inspired me, telling me that everything I was going through will be okay, and it seemed as if I needed to see that to help me get on track. I felt a sense of relief and somehow knew that everything was going to be okay as long as I had my family to help me rise above it all. I like the two women’s hands reaching for each other. The fiery colors in the background were very warm and soothing, adding the waters made it seem calming. The background reminded me of a trip I had taken to Mexico of a lake with the sky on fire and remembered when I was in a more tranquil place in my life. To me the portrait displays someone reaching out for help and having someone there to lend you a hand in your time of need, and that together you can rise. Who would have thought that a simple mural painted on a busy street would inspire hope?

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It is my first semester being on campus taking course at SJCC. I was walking wondering through campus and found this magnificent Sculpture art installation by the B Building. I looked around tried to find a description or something in the building even online. Unfortunately I couldn't find who the artist was. On the side of this piece, are engraved; an Eye, A Hand, and a Heart. As soon as I saw it it intrigued me. I was expecting it to have a carved human on all four sides, but i was wrong. I felt inspired like this installation was hinting to reach for the sky, extent my limits. Reaching high goals but not only using my body but also my senses like the eye. Working with my hands, getting hands on experience on whatever it is my goals are. But also putting passion forward and letting it help during difficult times that may help me heal or reflect. This piece to me is a representation of a student, and people all over. We are more than just a human body walking on this earth. We have goals, aspirations, and beautiful things we are passionate about. And we should express our truth! I have to say I do not have anything to dislike about it. My one question would be is this a permanent art piece? How long do we think it will last made out of the material it was carved into. It almost reminds me of Environmental Art installations Ive come across before. Using nature, maybe the wood of a tree to carve, or inspire, or tell a story of this artist pieces.

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The artwork that I decided to share and visit was the mural on the Mexican Heritage Plaza. This piece of art is called The Corazón y Espíritu de Mayfair and this was painted by Precita Eyes Muralist. Everytime I pass by the Mexican Heritage Plaza, this mural always catches my eye. It is truly beautiful and has a lot of meaning behind it. This artwork to me means representation of our community. This mural was made as a tribute for those who are chicanos and Mexican. Although I am Hondureña and not Mexican, this artwork shows a lot of what I was grown up with. A majority of the people I grew up around with are either Mexican or chicanos.  In this artwork I was attracted to the middle part of the mural, which is a tree and at the bottom has hands and is holding what seems to be fruits. The emotions that are seen in this art work would be happiness. I feel happy that I could connect and even relate to some parts that are shown in the mural. I like that this mural shows representation of our street vendors/ paleteros and the fields in the middle. I also like that there is an infinity sign flowing right in the middle and the small details in the infinity sign. This mural reminded me of my childhood. I grew up listening to Los Tigres del Norte, which is shown in the mural. It reminded me of those times I would go running after the paleteros to get the spongebob ice cream.

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This is a wonderful piece located outside a supermarket in the town that I live in. I would see this piece every time I went to the market with my grandpa and it always caught my attention because for the longest time I could not understand why the apple had the American flag painted on it until one day I finally understood the meaning of this painting. It represented the American dream. In the Painting the man is a field worker who is reaching for the apple with the American flag painted on it as it represents the American dream . This painting makes me feel so sad but also hopeful at the same time . I don't like how the man is created to look so burnt out but sadly that's the way it is for most of these workers as they do not rest until they can create a better life for them and their families here in the United States. This piece is a wonderful representation and reminder to all of us that their are hard working immigrants out there who work twice as hard as us just to have the bare minimum in life that we take for granted.

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A few years back I met the love of my life and to get away from the hustle of urban California we decided to move out by Lake Berryessa. There is a small town named Winters near there on the opposite side from Napa. On the rear side of the town's old library is a mosaic that tells it's story. I love history which is why I am sharing this with you and seeing the growth of all areas, big and/or small.
This piece starts off by showing when the Monticello dam, with the famous "Glory hole" spill way, was completed in 1957. The town is also known for their almond farming and vineyards. This piece shows the immigrant farmers with their families under those tress. Captured as if it were an old still photograph.
Since I am not sure if you can zoom in on the remaining pieces and only one picture is being added so I'll fill you all in with the remaining story.
A piece of history rarely told is the Interment Camps the Japanese were assigned to after 1942 during WWII. The mosaic identifies that Winters was assigned by the government to be such a place.
Next the piece illustrates in 1950 the town had trains pass through to packing stations for the agriculture it's local farmers grew which I am sure helped the town's economy greatly.
The town has one newspaper named the Winter's Express. The art shows the history of all the incumbent editor names along side what appears to be a printing press and type writer to capture the many years of it's existence.
There is a sign in the painting that shows the agriculture changed from Pecans and peaches to almonds and walnuts in the 1970's.
Lastly a group of protestors are pictured. I am not sure what that represents. Maybe it is for today???
To me this is a time capsule. This piece brings me many mixed emotions. It shows what great accomplishments man can complete and what great failures in history have taken place. Although we cannot change history, we can surely learn from it. I love it's attention to detail with the tiles. I think it is amazing that one can create such a huge meaningful piece like a puzzle but on such a large scale. It makes me think how much time and effort goes into the planning of something of this scope. I hope you all enjoy the time and energy this must have taken, along with selflessness, this small town put into capturing their history as I have.

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 Above is a picture of an art-work in Hart Dog's Park which is located at 194 W Santa Clara St. SJ, CA 95113. 

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Above is a picture of an art-work in Hart Dog's Park which is located at 194 W Santa Clara St. SJ, CA 95113. If you are a dog person, and it is lovely to have your pet outside while you enjoy the decoration around the park. In addition, this picture gave me joyful and relaxation while looking at the girl who lay on her dog with a strong bond. From her position, I can feel the comfort, her slight smile, with the dog is looking at her that is more connected, in my opinion.
Art is what reminds me of any object, emotion, image, sound, taste without the true image of it, art helps me link the outside world with my inner. For example, I will mostly be attracted by abstract arts more than other paintings because it’s can be any image, object which are combined in one abstract painting. Since the details that link each image together make it so invisible and it fascinated me only looking at it, I sometimes linked that image with many memories that I had in the past. In addition, poetry is the most direct way to push reader emotions such as William Shakespeare - the most talented liberator, dramatist of UK back in the Elizabethan era; also, I remember that I studied his works in Vietnam and in my English class which make me feel that his spirit and emotions are still alive along with human history.

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"Life In Willow Glen" by Lila Gemellos in 2016, located at 1133 Lincoln Ave

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This mural in downtown Willow Glen to me shows a culture, community and history that has come together and has appreciated all the aspects of it. What attracted me to this particular artwork was all the colors that were involved and all the parts from willow glen's history. This mural brought out my happy emotions, from me  being in willow glen all my life I like how it bring all the parts of willow glen together. I really just love how colorful it is and how all the colors combine to create such a beautiful piece of art. This artwork just reminded me of my childhood because it shows all of willow glen culture that I experienced as a kid and still now to this day. This artwork was created by Lila Gemellos in 2016 which she named "Life in Willow Glen", she is a local artist who created this mural by taking some of willow glens "rich heritage and vibrant present culture", Lila Gemellos wrote in her blog.

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I looked everywhere in my photos to find a picture of this sculpture but I could not find one so I found this picture on google images, but I have visited this place multiple times. This sculpture is located near the docks on pier 39 in San Francisco. This sculpture was created by Patrick Dintino and was named "Open Heart". The story behind the name is his mother was saved by an open heart surgery. What this artwork means to me is no matter how dark the world may seem there is always love. What brought my attention to this artwork is the placement of the sculpture. The sculpture was placed on the docks where a lot of people go to, to see the bay. This sculpture brought a smile to my face and made me think of the good things in life. What I don't like about the artwork is that so many people take pictures of the sculpture not knowing the true meaning behind it and take it for granted. The sculpture reminded me of how beautiful the city really is.

Dintino, Patrick. “Open Heart.” Open Heart Sculpture, 1 Jan. 2014, https://www.pier39.com/merchant/open-heart/. Accessed 11 Feb. 2022. [

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This artwork means freedom to me. But that is not what it means. According to waymarking.com the mural of the hands of "54 Silicon Valley resident representing a cross-section that are waving hello or goodbye to passenger". The artist who created this is named Christian Moeller. What attracted to me was that the artwork is showed on the side of the parking lot building. The emotions this image brought to me was a little confusion just because I didn't know the meaning behind it. To be specific the thing that has caught my eye and I may be wrong, I have seen it rolled up. maybe it gets cleaned. I don't think there's anything to dislike about this image. This image is one of a kind here in San Jose. If I were to see this artwork anywhere else, I would say it's similar to the artwork at the San Jose airport.
Locatio:Califonia, Untied States

Date posted:09/14/2010
published by outspoke on Hands - San Jose, CA - Murals on Waymarking.com

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This is called "Steps to Wisdom" in SF that celebrates the diverse and often unsung, Portola Neighborhood, the project/art made by Philip Hua. IT is a mutli-colored tiled gradient that transitions to charcoal gray steps at the bottom to golden yellow steps in the middle and then fully mirrored on top. Every steps has a words of wisdom that inspires people or have people reflect on themselves, like on their day-to-day lives. I love going to places that has a story to feed my head and make me reflect and appreciate life with its ups and downs. It reminded me of my hardships that every downs you hit in life there will always be a light at the end. Life isn't always gonna be hard, or I should say maybe we take it differently but along the way you realize and learn a lot from it.

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Untitled by Vincent Catindig, Ginger Lo, Galen Westerfield, Ethan Vu

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This piece is one that's been at my old middle school since I was a child and its presence now hits me with a terrifying amount of nostalgia every time I see it. When I was still a student here, I distinctly remember picking out certain details about this painting to talk about with my friends at lunch, which led to fond memories of laughing at the grimace on the skeleton's face or debating over how such a beautiful galaxy was made. Something about the fact that there were other people who were once my age that left a mark on this school is one that I often contemplated a lot as I was growing up, especially since the idea of even growing up and having a past and future that people can see was completely foreign to me. At the time, this painting was the primary source of entertainment I had during lunch if conversation with my friends ran dry, but now, it shocks me to look back and realize that there are still traces of people who I have never met that still became a part of my life. Even now, the fact there are imperfections in the anatomy of the skeleton's ribs and arms or clashing red and blue shading between the solar system and Albert Einstein's head remind me of how these artists were also once kids who now have their own lives, which is something that I truly enjoy now. I'm sure this painting wasn't completely ideal for these artists though, with the solid yellow ground and half-finished tree hanging in the corner all being marks of a rushed art project that some stressed students wanted to finish in time. In the end though, there's a lot of memories between when I was younger and my reflections now that come together with this painting for me and that is the reason why I treasure it so dearly.

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I decided to use this artwork of a blue butterfly because butterflies are one of my only favorite insects. I think that butterflies are really beautiful since they come in all sorts of shapes, sizes, and bright colors. just like us humans and yet both are  still beautiful. as you can see there’s small orange ones surrounding the blue one!

there’s nothing i dislike about the artwork besides the fact that it says east ridge, kinda ruins it but i took this picture there so yeah..

The artwork itself doesn’t remind me of anything but I guess the butterflies remind me of the ones I hung up in my room for my niece, so I just have memories of when she was with me and would confuse them for flowers. I think that might be another reason as to why i might like butterflies, because they remind me of my little niece!

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So I actually wasnt able to get the name of the Artwork or the Artist who drew it because I forgot to take a picture of the description but Ill try my best to explain. So what the artwork means to me is really strange because I dont know what it means theres so many shapes and colors all with no rhyme or rhythm that I honestly think this painting is a representation of what life is. So vibrant with color yet with such darkness and with shapes merging together going no where represents what we currently do which is going nowhere because we are humans and nothing we do is programmed we just go with the flow of life. What attracted me to the artwork was that I actually saw it sitting by itslef and decided to go check it out. I felt very in awe when i watched it but what I didnt like was how dark it was I just not into the darkness that surrounds the painting. Im sad to say that no I wasnt reminded of anything.

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“Another World (Happy Hollow Park and Zoo)*” by Tom Otterness (2010)

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“Another World (Happy Hollow Park and Zoo)*” by Tom Otterness (2010)

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“Another World (Happy Hollow Park and Zoo)*” by Tom Otterness (2010). This public art served as an important part of my childhood and to be respectful to other creatures on planet earth. As a young kid what attracted me to this public art was the cute designs of the animals and how it almost shows a fairytale where everyone lives happily; however, now as an adult I see that the real reason what attracted me to this public art is how mankind fits into the animal kingdom. I felt it brought happiness to me as a symbol of unity and friendship, but sadness as the progress of it was slow. I liked how it used simple but impactful motifs and themes. It reminded me of a younger version of me exploring this zoo and how perhaps the main goal of the zoo is for everyone to extend a hand to the animals living there to better connect and understand them as a part of our home.

https://www.sanjoseca.gov/Home/Components/FacilityDirectory/FacilityDirectory/2491/1396

Otterness, T. (n.d.). City of San Jose. Public Art Collection | City of San Jose. Retrieved February 13, 2022, from https://www.sanjoseca.gov/Home/Components/FacilityDirectory/FacilityDirectory/2491/1396

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Tittle: Floating Tears.  Artist: Valerie Khau

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To me this painting means hope and love. What attracted me to the painting were the colors used by the artist and the tears, to me this painting wraps up masculinity and femininity in one concept, I can feel how frágil can a man be no matter how masculine he looks like. I googled the artist looking for a better photo of the artwork and found out through https://sjdowntown.com/doors that “she created the piece to discuss toxic masculinity and how it’s ok for men to cry”.  I might have a different perspective from the one that the artist have which I think is more about how society teach us that men are  supposed to be the strong ones  and crying is symbol of weakness. Therefore I strongly believe that a man who is not afraid to show his emotions and to let you see him cry is much more masculine and stronger than those that see crying as a weakness. Also I can connect my emotions from past experiences with the painting. When you’re going through a really rough time and you feel there’s no way you’re gonna make it and everything is gone, you feel hopeless and seems like life is slipping out of your hands but just right in the last minute life decides to give you a second chance and cure your pain with love, bringing hope to your life.
Finally, I like the colors chosen and his expression  that is what makes me connect with the artist’s message. This reminds me to never lose hope.

Tittle: Floating Tears
Artist: Valerie Khau
Location: 150 S. First Street ( between San Fernando & Paseo de San Antonio)

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This artwork is located in a place called Santana Row in San Jose, CA. Its a little difficult to find at first. I remeber when I first tried to find it, back in middle school because it was a very popular picture spot. I wasn't able to find it because I thought it was out in the open, however it is down an individual street. When I first saw it I thought it was pretty. I loved all the colors and how the metal pieces were different colors sizes and placed differently. I think that since this is such a hard wall to find it makes it better and more meaninful when you look at it. It's more joyus to find and take pictures with because of how it is out of the way of traffic and on its own street. I feel like this wall can also represent people and how behind everything we are all beautiful. I feel like it could also mean that although we may believe we are stuck theres always a way out, we just have to pay attention. That could be a stretch, but I think the metal bars stacked on top of the colorful wall shows some restriction.

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“Sonic Runway”. By lead artist Rob Jensen, co-lead Warren Trezevant, and design by Stockhausen. 

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Sonic Runway is an installation art formed by LED lined arches. It is located in front of San Jose City Hall, 200 East Santa Clara Street. At night, the installation will light up and plays upbeat music and you can feel the light is grooving with the music. To me, it is a fun and lively installation artwork that light up the night of downtown San Jose. Sonic Runway attracts everyone who passes by due to its upbeat music and colorful lights, and it makes you happy just by walking through it. I really like how the music and the lights collaborates. Also, the location is wonderful; by install it in front of the San Jose City Hall, it lift up the mood of San Jose downtown. The artwork reminds me clubs, which makes sense because it was first displayed at Burning Man festival.

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"Rrrun" by Marta Thoma, a car-upon-legs sculpture located in Jerry Bowden Park (Alma St. & Oregon Expwy.) 

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This Statue here is something that caught my eye along the road , while doing deliveries. I feel this statue means to keep "Rrrun" ing ,after your dreams . As the car is shifted toward the sky and the legs seem to be paused in a motion going forward. What attracted me to the Statue is the Car and Human Significant form. The emotions I felt were surprise- of the size of the legs compared to the portion of the car as well as the belly attached to the bottom of the car. An Aspect of the Sculpture that I loved was the Modernism and Fantasy indulged into one sculpture is definitely amazing and resembles much of our world today as we are always in our cars (for me at least) running errands, commuting, and family road trips. An Aspect that I disliked is that it did not contain color,, and I do nit seem to get as to why the artist would create a piece such as this , but is very interesting to say the most. Unfortunately, the Sculpture did not remind me of anything, but i very much look forward to looking about my neighborhood to find more interesting Works of Art.

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Works cited: Do.Ngoc. Collection from the Gelatin jelly cake creation show. July 5th, 2019. Tran Phuong Nga’s collection.

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The Gelatin Jelly Cake creation artwork by Tran Phuong Nga in Vietnam.

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The Gelatin Jelly Cake creation artwork by Tran Phuong Nga in Vietnam.

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I often went to the public square in Ho Chi Minh city where the foods art show held and performed by many artists. They created artwork about food. The one I love most was made by an artist named Tran Phuong Nga who made the gelatin colorful jelly cake from herbal ingredients using the handy tools, flower mold for flower or any shape, and the decoration tools such as leaves shape cutting tools, injection vibes to create different characteristics at the different corners inside the cake. This artwork is meaningful and wonderful as it is not easy to do and it encourages the creation and patience of us, especially the kids. These artworks help kids to brainstorm when working on the masterpieces in the realistic 3D world. The point attracted me most must be the special techniques the artist Tran Phuong Nga used. After seeing the finished cakes, her skillful hands from choosing the ingredients, the colors to the step of combining the different colors and making into the exact color she wants, I totally admire her talent that I thought I must take a class soon. I love making foods, cake, but the busy life in America makes me unable to enjoy the artwork that I may have ability to do too. I am much appreciated of the time and the creation that the artists designed, created every dish recipe for us to imitate. Works cited: Do.Ngoc. Collection from the Gelatin jelly cake creation show. July 5th, 2019. Tran Phuong Nga’s collection.

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Tran Phuong Nga's Gelatin Fish Cake collection.JPG

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Tran Phuong Nga's Geleatin landcape cake collection.JPG

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Tran Phuong Nga's Gelatin Flower cake Collection.JPG

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Works cited: Do.Ngoc. Collection from the Gelatin jelly cake creation show. July 5th, 2019. Tran Phuong Nga’s collection.

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Gelatin Jelly Artwork by artist Tran Phuong Nga in Vietnam

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Gelatin Jelly Artwork by artist Tran Phuong Nga in Vietnam

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I often went to the public square in Ho Chi Minh city where the foods art show held and performed by many artists. They created artwork about food. The one I love most was made by an artist named Tran Phuong Nga who made the gelatin colorful jelly cake from herbal ingredients using the handy tools, flower mold for flower or any shape, and the decoration tools such as leaves shape cutting tools, injection vibes to create different characteristics at the different corners inside the cake. This artwork is meaningful and wonderful as it is not easy to do and it encourages the creation and patience of us, especially the kids. These artworks help kids to brainstorm when working on the masterpieces in the realistic 3D world. The point attracted me most must be the special techniques the artist Tran Phuong Nga used. After seeing the finished cakes, her skillful hands from choosing the ingredients, the colors to the step of combining the different colors and making into the exact color she wants, I totally admire her talent that I thought I must take a class soon. I love making foods, cake, but the busy life in America makes me unable to enjoy the artwork that I may have ability to do too. I am much appreciated of the time and the creation that the artists designed, created every dish recipe for us to imitate. Works cited: Do.Ngoc. Collection from the Gelatin jelly cake creation show. July 5th, 2019. Tran Phuong Nga’s collection.

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Tran Phuong Nga's Gelatin Fish Cake collection.JPG

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Tran Phuong Nga's Geleatin landcape cake collection.JPG

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Tittle: Discoveries, Artist: Larry Kirkland.

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The artwork represents a lost time, a glimpse of a moment of the past that is long gone. What attracted me to the art piece is that it seems to be something out of Greek mythology. It invokes curiosity in me, and it allows me to wander into the past and gives me a yearning to seek further knowledge about such a past. It also brings out nostalgia from me, bringing me to a time when my older brother and I would obsess over Greek mythology stories, how we would spend hours inquiring as much information as we could about each god/goddess and their respective tale. I like how unbothered and run-down it looks. As if archeologists found it from a lost city and decided to bring it back into the modern-day. The smoothness of the marbles and shades white and beige bounces off the greens from the plants and blues from the sky. I like how it looks to have been there for centuries and will continue to be untouched for generations to continue to see. A part of history preserved. The artwork reminds me of the Roman sculptors that are kept in museums. Similar to the statue Venus de Milo or the statue of David. A beautiful art piece, open to represent knowledge and nostalgia, and so much more.

Title: Discoveries
Artist: Larry Kirkland
Location: 2635 Aborn Rd, San Jose, Ca 95121
Categories: Public Art

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Picture from : “City of San Jose.” Public Art Collection | City of San Jose, https://www.sanjoseca.gov/Home/Components/FacilityDirectory/FacilityDirectory/2535/1396?npage=2.

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To me, this artwork represents water under a bridge, since it is under a “bridge.” One thing that attracted me to this artwork was the lights. I think it is so simple yet it eye-catching. Going under this at night seems so magical and fun.This brings out good vibes and makes people happy just by seeing this at night. It can change a regular night into a peaceful, fun night just because of the vibes it gives.One thing I dislike about this artwork is that it stands out more at night time. In the day time you can really only see the circle paintings.This artwork reminded me of the sea in a way. The way the circles light up blue reminds me of bubbles. I believe this is a water inspired artwork.

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The Palace of Fine Arts is located in San Francisco, CA. The artist is  Bernard Maybeck

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This artwork means so much to me because I shared so many memories here with my girlfriend and my family. I just find it so interesting on how there are also sculptures on certain corners of the palace of fine arts. What attracted me to the artwork is the lights because my first time visiting the Palace of Fine Arts I came in the night. At night the lights are so beautiful and it just pops out and looks good. The type of emotions the Palace of Fine arts brought out of me is happiness and amazement. What I like about the artwork is the history behind it and the architecture. I also Like the meaning behind the Palace Of Fine Arts, it really is so beautiful. I don’t really have anything that I dislike about it. The artwork reminded me of old times and of a coliseum type of building.

https://www.nps.gov/places/000/palace-of-fine-arts.htm

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What attracted me to this piece of artwork is simply because I've passed by it so many times since it's near where my mom works and near where we live. I personally like abstract work like this because it seems very bold, but simple at the same time. On that note, whenever I look at work like this I always try to connect it to how life is. When I look at this I think of all the shapes and lines crossing each other and metaphorically think of how many paths and obstacles there are in life, but also feel that the bold red color of the sculpture is what makes it a whole and meaningful, just like life. I guess the title of the sculpture "Breakthrough" fits very well with how I feel when I see this piece of work. This sculpture is located at 2800 De La Cruz Blvd. in Santa Clara, CA. More specifically, it is located in the outside entrance of a few business buildings. These buildings were more simplistic so this piece of art definitely add character to the area, but still gives off a simple energy. I like the color of choice especially because that's what I feel brings it's boldness. This honestly reminds me of a playground, as the shapes cross each other. I can actually picture myself sliding down the curved parallel bars that slope down, like a slide at the park. Makes me feel very nostalgic when I think of it that way.

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Back in 2020 I seen this artwork on Melrose Avenue when I needed it the most. I liked the font of the letters and how the white is the paper being typed on by the typewriter. The simplicity of it is what drew my attention. At first it brought tears to my eyes, but then I felt a sense of peace after reading it over plenty of times. It reminded me of the battle I was at with my mind. I have always been so hard on myself because everyone expected so much from me at a young age. It was as if I wasn’t allowed to live my life or make mistakes in fear of disappointing the people around me. I grew up in a generation that constantly compares themselves to others especially on social media. So I felt as if my best wasn’t really my best because there were others doing better. We see what other people our age have and start to think what we have isn’t enough. We see where other people our age are at and start to think we’re behind. All of this would hit at night when I was alone in my own room. I have to remind myself that I’m only human. Trust that you’re where you’re supposed to be when you’re supposed to be there.

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Hi all! This is the “Butterfly house” in Pacific Grove! This is couples personal home but is open of course for the public viewing! The story behind this house to me is beautiful! Sonja and J moved into this home in the late 70s, it was run down and needed repairing which they then started in the mid 80s. Unfortunately then in the early 90s Sonja then started to loose her eyesight, one day her husband J had cut out a wood butterfly and painted it these bold and vibrant colors for her, and she was able to fully see all the coloring and details since they were so bold. After that he then made it his mission to design and decorate their house in the way he did. Every butterfly is done with bold, vibrant and beautiful colors!

This artwork just truly shows how much live some of us have to give and how far we would go for the ones we would love, I just find it so sweet!

Mostly what attracted me to this art work, was of course everything about it honestly! It’s so beautiful and colorful, and I absolutely love the maximalism in it!

To me the emotions are love and happiness! It’s very creative!

I do like everything about it, I don’t think there is one specific detail that I personally could say I don’t like. I do know that some people would possibly be overwhelmed by everything though, there is a lot of details and things going on with it!

This artwork just reminds me of my childhood where everything was so bright, bold and carefree!

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I have two local public artworks I want to talk about, one of which I know the painter. However, I decided to share with you the one that is  not found online at all.

I attended De Anza College in 2003, I saw the artwork hanging on the wall in the hallway of the cafeteria, on the way to the bathroom. I was attracted by this huge piece of artwork. When I took a closer look, I saw the painting

was made from many pieces of ceramic bas relief. I had ceramics classes before, so I know it is not easy to make a large piece artwork like this. At the time, I only admired the grand size and difficulty of the artwork. I didn’t like the color, and I wished it was more colorful. The artwork also gave me a feeling of stress, tension, and a sense of surreality.

I spent one month in Spain in 2004. During my stay, I visited many art museums. Museo Reina Sofía in Madrid was one of them, and guess what: one of the most famous paintings by Picasso, Guernica is shown in Reina Sofia.

I can not express how surprised I was when I saw Guernica. Little did I know, I have seen this famous painting in California before I came all the way to Madrid. I did some research on the painting  and realized why I felt stress and tension when I saw the

painting. I am not sure if this ceramic bas relief is still hanging at De Anza College, but through this experience I felt more connected with Guernica. It also remind me my time in Spain.

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The artwork that I decided to choose was this mural on the side of the Marshalls store near my house. Unfortunately, there was no name for this piece but the picture was signed by someone named camer1st. This painting is in the shopping center off of Cottle road, so I pass it every day. To me, when I look at it, it catches my eye by how vibrant the choices of colors were. They way the artist used a darker red as a shadow made the picture really stand out. I also love the way how the artist made the bird look really peaceful as butterflies surround it. As I said, this mural makes me feel at peace but also makes me feel protected as if the bird is almost watching over people that are walking by. My favorite part about this painting is how realistic the bird looks. Every little detail adds a greater significance to the painting to make the bird look like it’s alive. I don’t know what the exact kind of bird this is but I feel that I’ve seen one before in a movie that I’ve watched, which reminded me of that. I hope you all enjoy this mural as much as I do.

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This is the Olympic Black Power Stature located at San Jose State. This statue was created by a Portuguese artist named Rigo.

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This artwork symbolizes standing up for all the injustices that people of color have faced in this country. John Carlos and Tommie Smith both Olympic athletes used their social standing to show people what they are willing to sacrifice to make humanity more equal.

I was attracted to this artwork because I easily relate to it. Growing up as an African American kid, sometimes you just wonder if you’re in the right place since you look so different than everyone else. As a kid, I went to a school with a very low minority population so I didn’t have any friends that kind of looked like me.

It brought back some nostalgia from the summer of 2020 when the BLM movement was going strong. I thought about how everyone was participating and it didn't matter what skin color people were or where they came from everybody came together and united for a shared belief.

I liked that they left the second-place pedestal open for tourists to stand and take pictures and admire as if they were standing with them.

It reminded me that people can stand up for what they believe in even if it costs them so much. Both John Carlos and Tommie Smith were suspended from the Olympic team and received plenty of death threats. Tommie Smith also lost his gold medal for his protest.

https://www.atlasobscura.com/places/olympic-black-power-statue

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This work of art is done by Eones, JBF. There’s no title to the art work other than the name for itself. That’s how these graffiti artist work. This art work means a lot to me. I grew up doing graffiti street art for about 8 years now so to see other artist doing the same thing to stand out in society takes a lot of commitment and risk. I appreciate and give props to these artist who risk it all for nothing but a recognition and no money. It’s all for the art and the passion they have towards the art. This is how this art work attracted me. Seeing how it was placed and well thought out before the actual art work was started shows the creativity in the artist mindset. I got very anxious thinking about how the artist did this work. First of all it’s on a business roof, which obviously is not legal so it took a lot to plan out the shot. What I like about the artists work was how well thought out it was planned. The placement of the art work shows the eye the artist has. The art work reminds me of how I use to be growing up Sol g similar art work. Makes me want to inspire others to continue doing what you love!

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This awesome block mural is located in downtown San Jose, on first street across from California theater. A local nonprofit organization had one hundred different artist create their own 3x3 square. This was a great opportunity for each artist as they got paid and get tons of exposure to everyday passerby’s! Whenever I am down town I always seem to pass by and each time it catches my eye ! Each time I notice someone else’s art work because their is so many to look at sometimes I bypass some ): but that’s what is amazing about it ! I find something else I love about each time I view it! It makes me feel good to see the variety of art in one mural. It reminds me of a stickers almost like I can peal one off and stick it into some surface.

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This mural was painted on the side of my old local laundry mat in Japantown by Sam Rodriguez. Fun fact this was put up in partnership with Empire Seven Studios to help beautify the neighborhood and increase foot traffic in local mom and pop shops. I attended the grand opening and heard a little about the history. Earlier Sam had painted a mural on 7th and Empire where Empire Seven Studios once was located. It was demolished and sold to be made into, yup you guessed it, condos. This was a way to keep the art and representation of the people.

This is still one of my favorite pieces in San Jose and I miss walking my pups passed this. I was so happy when I seen them sketching it out and have some black and whites of them painting it. Unfortunately I didn't capture the full mural but on each side it had roses, origami cranes, pan dulce, the bumper of an Impala, the face of a beautiful African America girl, and a serape which is a Mexican Blanket. It is located on the corner of 8th and Empire in San Jose. I feel this mural captures they diversity of San Jose and is a hidden gem.

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Guadalupe River Trail

Designed by Freyja Bardell and Brian Howe of Greenmeme

During my search for a piece of public art, this one caught my eye with just a glimpse. I am an animal lover which is what brought me attention to it. Since my childhood, I’ve always loved Ice Age.  When I saw this it immediately reminded me of Peaches and Manny. This artwork was attractive to me because one i found it I looked up why this was made. I learned that it was made because a man named Roger Castillo whom was simply walking discovered the bone of an elephant. These findings lead to this artwork and the name it was given.  Another thing that attracted me to this artwork was how realistic it looks. It looks as if it’s a real thing, that is until you get closer. Lupe brought joy to me, because when I saw her all i could  think about was how proud she’d make her ancestors if they here or understood. What I like most about the sculpture is it’s made of galvanized steel, bringing the realistic look. The steel is bent piece by piece to fit into the support structure which was then galvanized.  This artwork reminded me of a recent trip to Oregon. I was able to visit the Portland Zoo. At this zoo there were many different animals, one being elephants. Although Lupe isn’t a elephant she defiantly reminded me of one. I had never seen an elephant, in my life that I could remember. I remember it was close to closing and I was tired but I didn’t give up because I was determined to see one before I left. We eventually walked all the way around finding the elephants last, where security approached to remind us that the zoo was closing in less than 5 minutes.

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The art I chose is this statue of a tree with children playing on it. It is located on top of a roundabout on my street and I have always driven past it without really paying much attention until now. After searching for it online I found a post about it in my cities newspaper back in 2010 that the statue had been made from a company called All Classics that is located in Delaware. To me the art means that this is an area that children often play, and considering it is on a roundabout perhaps it could be a reminder to slow down. I was attracted to this statue because I have seen it for many years and this assignment made me curious about its background. As for emotions that it brought out I would have to go with happy. I dont really see how this could send any other type of message for emotion. I like how it is made to show kids up in a tree because that is what I also used to do when I was young. As for disliking a part I would have to say how the branches all stop at a short distance. It makes it appear like whoever made it just gave up there.

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I tried my best to find the name of this mural, but to no avail, I believe the reason is that this mural is new, but this mural artwork was made by Sam Rodriguez. Sam Rodriguez is a Bay Area illustrator. This artwork shows the beauty in Mexican Culture and it's prosperity. The range of color and how authentic the faces can be recognizable and familiar throughout this neighborhood of San Jose and Silicon Valley drew me in. It brings me joy to see faces that I would see every day and a sense of relief to see flowers and stars on their faces. This showed me that although there may be bad times in our life, there is always something beautiful that comes later when you push through.
There wasn't anything that I didn't like about this beautiful artwork. I wish there is more of these artworks around San Jose. Yes, the artwork reminds me of my grandmother, my little cousin, and my older sister, which I found really cool to see.

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The artist Lila Gemellos titled her piece "life in willow glen." The artists bring this painting to life by illustrating common activities accessible in Willow Glen. Flowers, gift shops, parks, railroads, beaches, and so forth are just a few examples. The piece's vibrant color drew me in to take a closer look. With the strong lines and photos inside the painting, you can really tell the effort that went into this painting. This painting makes me feel happy since it is so bold and colorful. It also features old buildings that have stood here for years, displaying all of the memories that have been made here. I would not really change anything, except maybe the colors being blended better for a nice fading effect. So because the artwork is based on Willow Glen, it reminded me that the artist did an excellent job of highlighting the significance of the location. Source- https://d3n8a8pro7vhmx.cloudfront.net/wgna/pages/152/attachments/original/1478899827/Gemellos.Life_in_willow_glen_2.Nov.2016.pdf?1478899827

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I decided to share this photo I took at a Folsom,Ca panaderia called Brissa & Co. Unfortunately I didn't ask them who actually painted the mural on the wall. This art work means to me is that it reminds me of my culture. This art work attracts me because of all the colors that were used and that it matches the products that they sell. This artwork reminded me of the mexican bingo called loteria. I took this photo in march of 2021 when I went to go visit my aunt and cousins in Sacramento and I told them I wanted to go this place because I saw it on tiktok and it looked really cool and the food looked good too. Once we entered the store we were shocked because we thought it was just a panaderia but it turns out to be a restaurant also. We went for breakfast and the food was really good. Before we left we also decided to get pan, tres leches and flan. And if anyone ever visits this place I recommend the tres leches because it  is a must try. Also in the restaurant they had big pan that is a oven.

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The Miracle of The Quails by Jaccopo Bassano, 1554 displayed in The Getty Museum in Los Angeles. 

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This artwork to me portrays the social hierarchy in the mid-1500s. This piece shows a lot of emotions as you can see. You can see the empty space that represents a barrier separating the lower class and the higher class. This painting attracted me because although you cannot really see the emotions on their faces, you can still sense it through their postures. The higher class sort of looks down to the lower class while they struggle to look back up to the higher class, wanting to be acknowledged. One thing I did not like about the painting is the frame of the painting. The painting reminds me of the the present society that we live in where there is a lot of gentrification. The people looking down showing ignorance while the people looking up yearning for help.

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Redwood Wild Cat from Steffen Thomas a German self-thought artist. This Sculpture was created to commemorate a recently dead Sequoia's tree.

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What this artwork meant to me was a cat sculpture, that's it, it's just symbolizing a cat in Los Gatos. At least that's what it meant to me at first. What attracted me to this artwork is that I always walk past it when I'm on my way to work but never stopped by to examine it. I even thought the status was made out of copper then realized it was made out of the stump. It made me think more about how I took the time to look at the statue and examine it on my break. I mainly felt mind blown that it wasn't made of copper. What I liked about the sculpture was how it was made out of the trunk of a tree, It's very creative to be able to sculpt something but out of a material you worried about cutting off too much of. What I didn't like about the art would be the coat they used to make the wood look polished, it makes sense to preserve it but it's also doesn't look as good as the pic of the carving when it was freshly carved. What this artwork reminded me of was going to this one pizzeria in the mountains where they have this carving of a Native American, it just brought back a couple of good memories of hanging out with my cousins there.

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This is a the Dallas Eye Ball located 1601 Main, Dallas, TX 75201. Picture by me.

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1. What does the art work means to you? This piece is so huge and is not a sight for sore eyes, rather more a must see. I was astonished to see something so big as a outside artwork installation right in the middle of a huge city. I am not from Dallas but when I visited there for my birthday my host said there was something I must see but would not tell me any other details. I was so intrigued and when I saw it I knew why he kept it such a big secret. It made seeing it so much more special.

2. What attracted you to the artwork? I was instantly attracted to this artwork right when I saw it. I like metal music and human anatomy so seeing a huge eye ball sitting in the middle of a city is definitely the type of art work I am into. I like how huge it is. I also like how you can see some blood vessels are painted on it and I like the setting it is in.

3. What kind of emotions did it bring about? This art work made me feel amazed at how large it was. I felt so small and like I was being watched or like someone is always watching you. I never had a piece of art work make me feel that way.

4. What do you like or dislike about the artwork? Be specific. I did not like that I was not able to go right up to it and touch it. I guess you will get in big trouble if you even walk on the grass of it now. It has a big fence right in front of it and tall hedges all around it. I feel like that might be to keep homeless people out of that area but it gives the piece a pretentious vibe about it.

5. Did the artwork remind you of anything? This artwork reminds me of M.C. Escher in a different way. I don't really know why or how to explain it but it looks like something he would do.

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I am sharing with you a public art piece by an artist who goes by the name Apexer unfortunately he did not give this particular piece a title. This painting resonates with me in so many ways, what specifically drew me to it was the amount of space the artist decided to utilize. In my opinion it means he was courageous and confident in what he was creating. I was attracted to all the colors and the complexity of it. The colors signify such high vibrations and inspiration I adore that. The emotions I experienced when I first seen this art piece was so much excitement, enthusiasm, and the desire to create. What I like about his work are the sharp two toned pedals. When I was in High school I used to doodle these similar pedals on any paper I could get my hands on. This piece of art provides such familiarity and a feeling of nostalgia. What I dislike is the foundation, the squares below the sharp pedals. It reminds me of open and closed books which I find it difficult to place together the correlation between the different shapes used. But those odd shapes also provides me with wonder of what it means. Besides that I find it to be a beautiful piece of work.

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This inspirational Sculpture. Art installation on SJCC campus is located by the rear end of the B Building. I’ve only been on campus once before the start of the semester. I took myself on a tour and saw this sculpture. Unfortunately, I was unable to locate a name of the art installation nor find the artist who created it. Immediately I saw the body of a human reaching their arms high into the sky. I walked around it to see if it was a carving of the human on all 4 sides. Though, equally on two sides were also, engraved: an eye, a hand, and a heart. I believe the human is a representation of the physical self and how we exist for a purpose, reaching and trying to surpass our own limitations. The eye, hands, and heart symbolizing visual interpretation, physical transformation, and passion through how we choice to live. Whether it be a student achieving their future careers. An artist learning about all aspect of art (culture, methods, materials) or a businessman starting off at an entry level aiming to be a CEO one day. It inspires me to push myself and align my passions with my aspirations and never give up on my future. Almost reminds me of a quote by Arthur Schopenhauer, “Every man takes the limits of his own field of vision for the limits of the world.” by not limiting myself of what I have experienced, being open minded I am won't hinder my ability to accomplish great things.

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This mural caught my eye as I was on vacation in Boise this past weekend. It is titled "Mirrors" by an artist initialed JH. This piece of art stood out to me because of the power in the words, along with the unique portrait beside the poem. I think it brought up many emotions, but the biggest one I felt while reading it, it addresses letting the world see the true you, instead of constantly doubting oneself. This sat with me and I think would also to a lot of other people, which is why it is so powerful. I really love this piece of art and the wisdom it holds. Sometimes, for the better of oneself, we must go to extremes and take a hold of our life, spirit, and mind. It takes people a long time to let go of self-judgement, although sometimes we never fully can overcome it. I think seeing more raw pieces of art like this when I was younger, it could have helped me through some tough times.

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This artwork is located at 194 W Santa Clara ST . SJ , Ca 95113. What this artwork means to me is a representation of San Jose culture. Tagging is something that is huge in San Jose restaurants and places of Business have tags that have relations to gangs or no meaning at all. This represents San Jose because it shows a part of culture that is seen as ghetto and turns it into something beautiful. Each piece of picture was done with care and creativity that also goes with the theme that tagging despite who it is takes some form of skill and creativity to paint something. I found this piece of art behind a dog park in where i took another picture and when I investigated it it was something beautiful and choose to rather talk about this topic. I like that the artwork Is very colorful and full of life. I didn't like that it was kept a secret like if it wasn’t meant to be seen. I also don't like how I cant tell who the credit is supposed to go. The emotions that it brought from me where awe and a very impressed feeling of wow a hidden gem. This artwork reminded me of other murals in downtown the ones that are full of live but thats about it.

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This public piece of art is by an artist named Desa unfortunately she didn't give it a name at the time. what drew me to the art was that I got to see this piece of art be created in front of me. The way Desa put all her effort into this painting like if she was dancing in a way but also showing off her creativity of herself in that painting. To me, this art piece means the way Desa sees herself as a beautiful, calming, relaxed, all-seeing person. The emotions that brought out to me while looking at this art piece were more of a calming sensation as well as something that made me happy and excited. What I liked about the art piece is that when you look at it you can see the artist in the art as a beautiful person who is outgoing because of the hair with blue waves symbolizing the ocean. The way she put four eyes is in saying she is a person who pays attention to details. The thing that reminded me of this painting was that of a goddess as goddesses are viewed to have four eyes at times.

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located in San Jose on South First Street 

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The 100 Block Mural Project is San Jose on South First Street and is a mural on a wall painted by 100 artist. MY father works in a restaurant across the street from this mural so it was one I saw frequently. Out of the 100 blocks the one that caught my attention the most was the seat one and although it is simple and doesn't use many colors I thought the idea of it was brilliant and fun.