Issue 3.2 HEAT by Content Magazine

CONTENT

Issue 3.2 Heat

Whatâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Inside San Jose Life & Style July/August 2011

Featuring: Dishcrawl, San Pedro Square Market, Higher Fire 1

Make Noise Noise Root Studio www.noiseroot.com 2

Kyle Pellet 12 PORTRAIT

Sally Ashton 48 WRITINGS

SETH GODIN PORTRAIT

223

DESIGN 8 Summer Space

WRITINGS 48 Sally Ahston

PROFILE 12 Kyle Pellet 16 Tracy: Dishcrawl 18 Jessica Johnson 22 Seth Godin

FASHION 48 Tanja Lippert

FEATURE 30 San Pedro Square 34 High Fire 40 Fire Museum

CONTENT

Issue 3.2 â&#x20AC;&#x153;HEAT â&#x20AC;&#x153; July/August 2011

The Makers: Daniel Garcia Cultivator Sarah Garcia Marketeer Sarah Hale Sustainer Stacy Ernst Shaper/Blogger Sobrina Tung Style Editor Mary Matlack Contributing Writer Steveyann Jensen Contributing Writer Aleksandra Bulatskaya Contributing Writer Kevin Kempis Designer

To participate in Content Magazine: editor@content-magazine.com

IN THIS ISSUE

Seth Godin / Kyle Pellet / Sally Ashton

Illustration by Local Designer, Angelina Haole of San Francisco Shirt Company

DESIGN

SUMMER SPACE By Steveyann Jensen Photography by Daniel Garcia

Summer is upon us, and what better way to enjoy the sunshine and warmth than to relax with a good book in the comfort of your own backyard. What’s that you say? Your outdoor space is not the backyard paradise you have always dreamed of? Well, with a little guidance and creativity it can be transformed into that cool summer space that even your neighbors will envy. Whether you have a small deck or a large yard, turning your outdoor space into a functional retreat instantly adds square footage to your living space and provides a fun, unique setting to relax and entertain guests. Here’s how to get started:

Think of how you would like your outdoor room to function. Do you envision a quiet retreat, a fun place for family barbecues, or a swanky space to host summer cocktail parties?

Take into account the amount of space you actually have to work with. Are your ideas realistic given your space constraints? Don’t get discouraged! Even if you only have a tiny balcony to work with, there is still so much you can do to make it a usable space that you’ll love.

Once you’ve determined the function of your outdoor room, you can use it as a jumping off point to help establish the style and mood. Start imagining yourself doing the activities that you’ve envisioned for your space. How does the space feel? Is it tranquil and Zen-like? Then maybe your space will be minimalistic, with clean lines and modern accessories. Do you want to be transported to Tuscany? Then think rustic wood and terracotta pots filled with lavender. If you’re having a hard time brainstorming, think of a favorite hotel, park, garden or other outdoor space. Use that as your inspiration and build on it.

Other things to take into consideration when setting the mood: Lighting: Lighting has a huge impact on the ambiance of a space. Depending on the style and intensity of the lighting you choose, you can create a space that feels romantic and intimate, or bright and active. For example, if you are going for a soft, whimsical, garden party feel, consider using garden lanterns to light the pathways and hang string lights from the trees. Color: Don’t underestimate the impact of color on your space. Just because it is an outdoor room, doesn’t mean that you can’t get creative with color. Bring color in through accessories and fabric, or paint an accent wall. Think about the mood you are trying to create; for a calm, tranquil air, stick to blues and greens. If you want your space to feel bright and energizing, go for reds, oranges and yellows. Do you have a pool? Think about bringing in orange as an accent color. Smell: Even smell can have an impact on the overall feel of your outdoor room. If you are going for romantic and intimate, plant garden roses, jasmine, or tuberose. If you want your garden to be a place fit for afternoon naps in the hammock, try lavender or lilac.

The function of your outdoor room can also help determine the appropriate layout and flow of the space. Consider the following: Activities: What makes sense for the activities that you have planned? If you plan to host elegant cocktail parties, be sure to create intimate conversation areas through the seating you provide, as well as places to set out food or serve drinks. If you are going to use your outdoor room for family barbeques, create a casual dining area and dedicate open spaces for playing games like bocce, croquet and corn hole. Flow: When considering the layout, pay attention to how your guests will move through the space. Make sure that there is a good flow between each of the areas.

C 9

Focal Point: A focal point is essential in the design of any space, and your outdoor room is no different. The focal point could be a vertical garden, a water feature, or an art piece created from something thrifted or salvaged. As for placement, think about where you would like to make the biggest impact; will it be the first thing you see when you walk into the space, or is it what you face when relaxing in the seating area?

Now it’s time to personalize your space. Bring in accessories that really reflect you and your personal style. If you love to scavenge the weekend flea markets, incorporate some of your unique finds into your outdoor space. If you are an avid art collector, why not add a unique art piece or sculpture into the mix? It will be a great conversation piece for guests. This is where you can get creative and start thinking outside the box. What do you have that is special to you that you can use as a planter, as lighting, or as an art piece?

Get started!

No matter the size of your space or the size of your budget, there are plenty of creative solutions to help you create the perfect outdoor retreat. San Jose’s Green Design is a great place to start when looking to stock up on unique plants, trees and art for your outdoor space. With two convenient locations in the South Bay, they offer everything from succulents, palm trees, bamboo and other exotic plants, to imported Asian art, antiques and collectibles. One walk through their beautifully designed showroom and nursery will get you excited about the potential of your own space. This family-owned business also offers landscaping and design services, so if you’re feeling like you don’t know where to begin, this is a great place to start! www.greendesignplantscape.com Phone: (408)-971-4089

PROFILES

KYLE PELLET Interview and Photography by Daniel Garcia

San Jose native artist, Kyle Pellet tried the L.A scene after graduating form SJSU to break into the film industry, but didn’t like the “vibe.” He found it “explosive.” Like living in a continuous state of knowing that any minute the people and everything would “explode” was not Kyle’s style. Kyle is much too reserved for that kind of a “dog-eat-dog” scene. Now, retuned to his hometown of San Jose, Kyle has created a world that is focused on exploring his paintings and the supportive community of the locals of San Jose. Sitting in the soft breeze of his downtown apartment we discussed his life, work and the meaning of the universe.

Moving back from LA you decided to begin painting. Did you begin in the small scale as you do now? At first it was, just as far as the space I had to work in and the money I had. I just felt like I could practice and learn on a much smaller scale than if I had bought more resources and more materials. I just thought, “I don’t know how to paint, I’m going to learn how to paint doing this.” In doing that, though, I really liked what I could do on a small piece. It’s more of a challenge of what I can articulate… and how much content I can put into a very small surface area. And I’m into that now. I’m like fully into that. How did you start painting with gouache? (Pronounced, gw-ash, rhymes with “wash”) Kind of by accident. I just was experimenting with materials at first. I was using acrylic for the most part, and watercolor, but gouache has this look that’s kind of like acrylic, very opaque

like acrylic, but when you use it, it feels like watercolor. Like when you apply it, it reacts to your surfaces like watercolor does. And I’ve always liked that very flat, very graphic look. I don’t like brush strokes. Or, I like brush strokes, but in as far as what I’m doing, I’m not interested in showing brush strokes. I like this very solid image that has no indications of where it started or where it ended, it’s just like there. More graphic? Definitely, yeah. It’s not brush or stroke based, but more shape based, or blob based. I might go back to acrylics at some point if I feel I wanted something bigger. At this point, I like what I’m doing as far as gouache and small. In doing that, I’m learning things that I wanted to learn, and some of those things might be better explored in film or in acrylic or in some other media. The more I do, the more I’m finding things I’m curious about, so that might expand. But at this point, I’m very interested in keeping

with the gouache. What would you say you are trying to communicate in your work? Each piece, I’m trying to communicate some sort of mood or something... I might have a memory, and then however that memory feels, I’m trying to convey that. I’m not trying to... Say if I remember my grandmother’s house and I’m like at three or four years old, and it’s just a flashback in my head, just for a second, it’s like, whoa, I forgot how that felt. I forgot what it feels like to be four years old and not know all this other stuff I know. I’m not going to try to show myself on my grandmother’s green carpet, like it was. I’m going to try to articulate that mood, what it felt like at four years old, where all the stuff is weird, wonderful, and how it feels to feel certain things or wonder about certain things at certain points in my life. And I guess that’s at least the start of what I’m trying to do what I’m working on.

“I’m trying to achieve something where it’s very efficient and very concise, but also very stylized at the same time and, still very dense in content.” Your character and figures remind me of the old Felix the cat cartoons, or even early Mickey Mouse cartoons, have those been an influence in your work? Yeah, when I started, I think that one of my main reference points is probably like old pop culture, like old comics and 1920s silent cartoons, that kind of stuff. At this point, I feel like a lot of the characters are I don’t really design them, I kind of just build them. As far as what happens on the paper, it’s kind of automatic, and it’s just more of a variable for what the paint is and the mood it’s trying to convey. And I guess maybe that’s just the best I know how to, or the most efficient way I know how to, render something that’s supposed to be a character connoting some sort of emotion or indicating something that has some sort of mind. It’s an actor in a play, I guess. My paintings I’ve done over the past five months have been more focused on trying to articulate consciousness in another way. Like I might have a circle here showing like an

environment, and then something else, like a face or half of a face, and then another half face somewhere else, like in motion, like trying to show a single moment in different ways. Who are some of the people that have influenced you or you admire? I like Cormac McCarthy a lot. I’ve just been trying to read more of his work. Just his efficiency in language, I feel like I’m trying to achieve something where it’s very efficient and very concise, but also very stylized at the same time and, still very dense in content. I’m not even comparing myself to him, but I’d love to be able to do that. He seems to model that and I’d love search and explored that style. Also, my grandfather, my parents, but yes, my grandfather specifically has all these horrible stories about World War II, and I don’t even know how the dude’s still alive. And then it’s like, man, I feel guilty, I have to do something with my life. I can’t be a total failure, because this guy survived all this horrible stuff, and if I’m a loser, like that’s all in vain. He struggled

and everything, and now I just feel that has influenced me to be productive, in some way. Somehow just not to fail. I can’t just eat Doritos all day and do drugs and kill myself, I have to try to be a productive citizen. What’s next for you? Over the past couple of days, I’ve just been, I don’t know, it’s not depressed, but just frustrated about existence, just about infinity, just time and space. Thinking about what’s greater than us, what’s bigger than us has been sort of frustrating to me. It is also, at the same time, an awesome thing to think about. My day always ends with my head hurting. I guess I’m just trying to explore visually what I communicate and what questions that brings for me, and if I can answer those questions, what questions those will bring me to. www.pelletfactory.com

Dishcrawl By Aleksandra Bulatksaya Photography by Daniel Garcia

They do it in the dark away from prying eyes. With a click of a mouse, a webpage pops-up on a computer screen. A stroke of the keyboard with a series of four digit sequences and an expiration date, enter. A discreet email confirms attendance to one of San Jose’s newest and hottest epicurean events that’s sweeping the entire Bay Area, Dishcrawl. Tickets sell out like wildfire as word spreads on Facebook that the new Dishcrawl is on. “Are you going? I’m going, I’ve always wanted to try the new food truck,” they whisper, hoping to discover food, culture, and people in their neighborhood. The twenty-six bucks Dishcrawlers shell out on average per ticket proves well spent as guests were treated to shots of mescal - a traditional Oaxacan alcohol similar to tequila with a bit more bite -and fried grass hoppers at Mezcal, the hip Oaxacan eatery adorned with Mexico’s southernmost states’ famous colorful wood-carved statues and my favorite painting of Frida’s. If the fried grasshoppers were not your cup of tea, kimchi quesadillas were a block away at MoGo BBQ food truck. None of the mescal or grasshopper tasting would be happening in San Jose were it not for one woman’s search to combine her greatest passions: food and meeting new people. Sitting down to our lipsmacking potato chips in Le Truc, Tracy Lee is quick to point out that the point of Dishcrawl is not just trying some new food. “I wanted to go back to my roots in San Jose,” said Lee. “I went to San Jose State, I lived downtown, and I wanted to bring back a sense of the community block party that used to bring people together.” For Lee, as for many San Jose dwellers, the suburban sprawl makes for peaceful living but sometimes lacks the vibrant communal social scene of more claustrophobic urban centers where patrons regularly visit restaurants and know the chef by name. Lee recalls a woman named Jenny who

pensively emailed her asking if she would be “okay” since she really wanted to go to Dishcrawl but had nobody to go with. Her fears turned out to be unfounded. She sat down for the first tasting and made an instant friend. They have been coming to every Dishcrawl together ever since. “It’s the sweetest thing, she emails me asking if her friends have bought tickets yet, or she tries to call me to add one more person if we are at capacity,” said Lee with satisfaction that can only come from those who truly love their work. Not long ago Lee worked in marketing in Brocade, but she kept finding herself drawn to food and a business of her own. “I started a video blog called Tasty Twosome where I interviewed chefs and put up quirky notes about local restaurant happenings, “ said Lee. “That developed into another site called Battledish and that became Taste Monkeys, which was basically Yelp for dishes, of which Dishcrawl was just a side marketing project.” Proudly announcing the drawbacks of each of these plans, Lee exclaimed that while working on Taste Monkeys, “We built the product, the site, but it took me two hours for each menu! Why would I do that?! In reality nobody cares, nobody is going to your site, and all your market research on compulsion loops is for nothing.” An aha moment came when she stepped back and realized that interaction, not food reviews, were what was missing from the local food scene, and after a second retooling, Dishcrawl as we know it was finally born. Well, almost. “We created a site that allowed people to create Dishcrawls in their city. After a while we realized that most people didn’t want to start a Dishcrawl, they just wanted to come to ours , and once we did what people wanted us to do, we exploded,” multiplying from a modest

C 17

group of thirty from the first Dishcrawl in downtown San Jose, to gatherings of one-hundred and fifty in Montreal. When asked specifically about the San Jose foodie scene, Lee confesses, “In San Jose it’s all about finding the little hidden gems,” and some of her favorites are the Naglee Park Garage and their bread pudding French toast, the flaky empanadas at Mmoon, or the edible orchid salad at Fahrenheit Lounge’s restaurant. “I think the main reason people are not aware of hidden treasures in San Jose is because there is a very small platform for these places to promote themselves, whereas in San Francisco there is a huge dining media machine,” said Lee. “Just look at Satori Tea tucked away in a quiet corner of San Pedro Square and the edible orchid salad at Fahrenheit. Who knew they had an edible orchid salad? And who wouldn’t wanna eat it? I know I do!” gushes Lee. “So, what’s next for Dishcrawl?” I ask as we polish off a toasted shrimp crostata, and Lee hurriedly finishes her bite to dish on her new venture of Dishcrawl diners. She sees a single restaurant, people gather around a table, singing the praises of the chef and drinking wine. “It will be especially prepared menus for a small group of people. The goal will be to get to know the restaurant’s food, chef and each other.” San Jose, like most suburbs, was built with a sense of community to help recapture a pastoral innocence and escape a hectic city pace, but the sheer distance between neighbors at times seems to do the opposite. In her mission to bring a bit of urban foodie raves to San Jose, Lee is accomplishing what few city planners, architects and politicians did. Finally bringing a community together. www.dishcrawl.com

The Event: San Jose

azz Summer Fest Featuring Jessica Johnson By: Victoria Felicity Photography by Daniel Garcia

With the announcement of the San Jose Jazz Summer Fest 2011 lineup, jazz enthusiasts have begun to purchase tickets in advance while getting their dancing shoes and lawn chairs ready for this three-day music festival. The San Jose Jazz Summer Fests have brought over 1,000 jazz artists and over 100,000 music lovers to San Jose. Musicians from all over the country come to share, and genres featured include: jazz, blues, salsa, Latin, R&B, electronica, and many other examples of contemporary jazz music. The music keeps on grooving and the people keep moving for this three-day jazz experience. San Jose native and rising star Jessica Johnson will be gracing the stage at the upcoming San Jose Jazz Summer Fest. “It is an honor to be able to sing at the San Jose Jazz Summer Fest. It’s important because it gets your name out there and widens your fan base,” states the humble and talented Jessica Johnson. If you have not heard the name Jessica Johnson, pay attention. This SJSU musical theater major and part time fitness instructor has been blowing up local music venues bringing her music all over the bay area. Her style is a musical cocktail that incorporates R&B, pop, jazz, and funk. Having performed on stage since the age of 12, Jessica is no stranger to the spotlight. Some of her favorite San Jose venues include the Shark Tank (where she has sung the national anthem) and the Hedley Club lounge. “Music is my life. Music has been a best friend, always there on the good days and the bad. Music understands and lifts you up when you are down,” Johnson says. With lyrics inspired by her genuine and sincere out-look on life, Jessica Johnson has the ability to connect with her listeners. Jessica performs every show with energy and vibrancy. “When I’m on stage I think about life. Many times I think of how grateful I am to have a gig, to be able to sing to an audience, and share my passion and love with others.” Jessica has been singing since she can remember, having been introduced to the world of funk, soul and R&B by her parents and memories of watching classic musicals with her grandmother. Jessica’s musical influences help her create original songs that are enjoyed by people young and old. The rhythms and lyrics created by this young, energetic, and vivacious woman speak to your heart and cause you to get up and move. Jessica’s second album featuring original songs will be released late 2011. Jessica performs at many Bay Area locations with her band led by Tom Tomasello. To find when she will be performing next, visit her website at www.jessicajohnsononline.com. The San Jose Jazz Summer Fest, August 12th to 14th, is brought to us by The San Jose Jazz organization-who brings jazz legends to the Silicon Valley, our schools and supports/promotes local musicians and new jazz forms. For times and details visit: www. sanjosejazz.org

C 21

Seth Godin Interview by Jon Talbert Intro by Daniel Garcia Illustrations by Ben Alexy Marketing Guru Seth Godin is not looking to become a household name, but rather to connect with those who connect with his ideas, which we at Content Magazine do! Author of over a dozen books and described by Business Week as â&#x20AC;&#x153;the Ultimate Entrepreneur for the Information Age,â&#x20AC;? Seth Godin spent time in the Bay Area as Vice Marketing Director of Yahoo!. We had the opportunity to ask him a few questions about culture, his work and his reflections on Silicon Valley.

Content: What would you say inspires you? Seth Godin: I think that this is a moment of revolution we’re living through. We couldn’t do it 10 years ago, and we’re not going to be able to do it 10 years from now. When I look at this moment of opportunity and think about the smart people I know, and the people I know who mean well, I think I can help shine some light and open some doors. That’s enough to get me out of bed in the morning. In your books, Poke the Box, Linchpin, and Tribes, it’s almost as if you’re kind of trumping the system that’s worked for generations before. New business plans, business models, new paradigms in leadership why is this message important today? [It’s] the core of this revolution. The last revolution was 1950 with television. The one before that was 1920 and the Industrial Revolution -assembly lines, mass market, rising productivity, cheaper products made in quantity. The thing is, that’s what made us all rich as a nation and as a world, and it’s always built our culture. You could build an organization that would figure out one item, like the HP Oscilloscope, and you could crank it out for 30 or 40 years in a row and profit from it. Just like we’re talking about HP, they charge $10,000 a gallon for toner. What that means is that if you’re in the toner business, your job is to not screw up. Your job is to make the device the guy before you made, just a little better, just a little cheaper, and crank out more and more and more. This mindset of compliance and average stuff for average people goes way back, in fact, for almost 100 years. My argument is it’s over now; there is no growth there. There is no real profit there. The edge of Silicon Valley keeps moving forward, and it’s being felt everywhere. We’re now all in the fashion business, we’re all in the experience business, and compliance isn’t going to get us much. In your book, Linchpin, ask the question, “How is it possible to brainwash billions of people to bury their genius?” Is our educational system set up in such a way that we’re not fostering genius in emerging culture? I’m using the word “genius” really carefully here. I’m not talking about Albert Einstein level genius, or even “Woz” level genius. I’m talking about the genius of someone who’s willing to do the work of a human being, connect to someone else, make a unique impact on the world and solve a problem in a new way. Everyone who is five years old is a genius. Five year olds know how to finger paint without stress. They know how to tell a joke. They know how to sing in front of other people. Five-year-olds solve problems in a new way all the time. But sometime between the time that they’re five and the time that they’re 12, or 14, or 17, we’ve burned it out of them. We’ve pushed them over and over and over again to color inside the lines and to do what they’re told.

In Poke the Box, you talk about that missing ingredient of initiative. Why is it? Is it just Western culture that has this reaction to fear of failure? How is that changing for us? It’s not even Western culture. Eastern culture has at least as much, if not more. The only reason that we still have a head start is that schools in Japan and China are more obsessed with test scores than we are, not less. So there’s this competition in precisely the one direction. Instead of teaching our students how to take initiative and fail, we’re teaching them how to do perfectly well on standardized tests. What are some of the leading cultural indicators that you monitor to stay abreast of what’s happening in emerging culture? I’m not sure I can answer your question in the way that you’re imagining. I think that if we take a look at how long a book lasts on the bestseller list or how long a video is part of our pop culture. What we see is that it has gone from two years, which was how long “Gone with the Wind” was a hit movie, or two years which was how long the Dick Van Dyke Show was the number one TV show to I don’t know, eight hours, which is how long something lasts on YouTube. So this speeding up of the cycle really informs where we need to think about in the emergence of a new mass culture. When you think of San Jose, you spent some time in Silicon Valley, what stands out to you about San Jose? Well, there’s good news and there’s bad news at least from my personal experience. The good news is that there’s a larger cadre of people who are looking for the next big project. There are people who are eager to give up the sure thing to do the next thing. That’s the good news. The bad news is that the bulk of people are still looking for security, still looking to fit in. I got an email a couple of days ago saying, “Would you please help me? I need your advice on how to go get a job at Google and Apple.” My answer to him was, “Those are the two last companies you should be applying to if you’re looking for the ride of a lifetime.” Why do you say that? Because while those companies may still be good investments, being employee number 22,486 isn’t going to transform your life. And that the magic of the culture of where you’re lucky to live [Silicon Valley] is one of the only places where, with confidence, you can show up at the office park thinking that the decision to work there is going to change your life. ness leaders. But if you’re speaking to, say, high school students or talking to a group of people like educators or communicators that speak to high school students and college students --what are some of the foundational principles that you would say? “Keep this in the forefront of your education and in your thinking;” what would that be?

We all hope for this break, and then what are you going to do next? The magic of the Valley is not that valuations are climbing and it’s easier than ever to find angels [investors]. The magic of the Valley is that you can find people who are willing to work for a piece of the action to help your dream get a shot.

impact the people who want to be impacted, and you can ignore everyone else.

If you were to say to some, “These are the things you need to be aware of in 2011.”

I don’t do any coaching so it’s really hard for me to do this fast, but a non Seth Godin book that I’d push is one called The Republic of Tea, and it’s an entrepreneur’s journey from the start. It’s old and it’s out of print and it’s totally worth checking out. If I were going to be introducing someone to my work, my latest book, which is called Poke the Box. It’s the shortest and the fastest and the cheapest and it gets you started.

I think I would tell them what I said in 1999, which is, “The answer to the future is permission, the privilege of talking to people you want to talk to.” If we look at Groupon or Twitter, two companies that have technology that anyone could copy in six weeks, why are they worth billions of dollars? The only answer is that they have permission to talk to a tribe of connected people who want to hear from them. So the race, I think, is not to run around trying to build a widget. The race is to run around trying to find people who want to hear from you and would miss you if you were gone. Primarily your audience is entrepreneurs or business leaders. But if you’re speaking to high school students or talking to a group of people like educators or communicators that speak to high school students and college students --what are some of the foundational principles that tell them?

If you were counseling someone one on one, what’s one book you would say to read? Outside of Seth Godin books.

Excellent. What’s one movie to watch? Ah, well, I saw Soylent Green eight times because I knew the author and it’s terrible but thought provoking. But I think that the sales scene in Glengarry Glen Ross is a really good way to remind yourself what you don’t want to do. I think that Tucker is also a great movie in terms of taking a look at what happens if you get a little too ego maniacal in your abilities as an entrepreneur. What’s one song to listen to?

I think it comes down to learning how to do two things: solve interesting problems and lead people. If you can solve interesting problems and you can learn to lead people, then everything else takes care of itself. But 90 percent of what they teach you in school is either about fitting in or learning stuff you could easily look up in Wikipedia. But neither of those things, I think, is that valuable. Better to spend the time that you’ve got to learn how to lead and how to solve those interesting problems.

One song? I would go Google Keller Williams and listen to all his stuff. It’s free.

Looking at the next 10 years, what are your plans? Continued writing and speaking?

I would go to Pure Food and Wine in New York City and meet Sarma, the entrepreneur who understands what it means to be a purple cow. Understand, she made a restaurant most people weren’t going to like, and people who like it, love it.

I don’t think either of those are my plans. My plan is to make a ruckus. There are so many opportunities today to interact with people in a way that makes a difference. So that’s what I think, that’s what I’m looking for, which is “What’s an interesting, useful, productive way to make a ruckus?”

[laughs] All right. One city to visit that will inspire you. It’s not a city, it’s a park, three hours north of Toronto called Algonquin Park and it’s the most beautiful place on earth. Lastly, one restaurant to dine in.

Piece of advice you’d give to San Joseans.

Well, if you’re not getting pushed back, then you’re not really creating a ruckus, are you?

Well, I think we have to start by understanding that professionally you’re a resident of the world, not a resident of San Jose. So the question is: How are you going to build a reputation so that when someone looks for the thing you do, they’re likely to find you?

Yeah. That’s right.

Excellent.

Right, and the beauty of it is that if you’re a mass marketer, then you have to please everyone. But if your goal is to make change, to make a difference, you just need to be able to

www.sethgodin.com

What kind of institutions are pushing back on that?

C 26

FEATURES

SAN PEDROSQUARE MARKET By Mary Matlack Photography by Daniel Garcia

Captivated, excited…skeptical? That pretty much sums up the range of emotions I felt the day I got a postcard that read something like, “Every great city deserves a great public market.” I had to do a double take. As an avid consumer of public markets, I couldn’t believe someone was actually planning one here...in San Jose. If we qualify as a great city, then yes, we deserve a great public market. But what did it all mean? I looked online – very little information. I drove by the area and couldn’t really see it. I followed the blog posts and the controversy. Pretty soon it all died down but there was construction, progress and through it all, the unfaltering, positive face of Steve Borkenhagen. As a veteran of the restaurant scene in San Jose, Steve Borkenhagen is the market manager, working with the managing partners, Tom McEnery, John McEnery and Martin Menne, to bring the market to life. Steve’s enthusiasm and passion for this project is clear. He’s the kind of guy who makes you want to start a business and join in the fun and so far, he’s at 65% capacity for the market. “The proof is in the pudding,” he admits, “but we’re going to make it the ‘there-there’ for San Jose. John, Tom, Martin and I are committed to making this happen. The offerings at the San Pedro Square Market will be unlike anything you’ve ever seen in Santa Clara County.” This public-private partnership between the City of San Jose, Urban Markets LLC and Barry Swenson Builder has the potential to bolster private, small businesses in San Jose – a badly needed resource, while providing at long last, a “go-to” public space.

Let’s start with the basics. San Pedro Square Market, located at one end of San Pedro Street – bordering N. Almaden and W. St John, will be a welcome addition to the established retail shops, bars and restaurants already located in the San Pedro Square area. In addition, the Downtown San Jose Farmer’s Market (Fridays from 10am-2pm) is located right there, on San Pedro street between Santa Clara and St. John. The Market is also situated smack dab in the middle of San Jose’s oldest historical buildings: the Peralta Adobe, the last remaining structure from El Pueblo de San José de Guadalupe – founded in 1777 and the Fallon House built in 1855 by one of San Jose’s earliest mayors, Thomas Fallon. Although school groups visit often, with the addition of the Market to the area, the partners are hoping that these historic sites can finally secure a place in the hearts of the citizens of San Jose.

the famous Treatbot Ice Cream and Karaoke Truck parked inside the market building. All the while, you can enjoy a glass of wine while taking in the daily al-fresco entertainment. If I tried to do all of those things today in San Jose, it wouldn’t be a trip to the market, it would be a road trip! In searching for vendors, Borkenhagen started with local folks – no chain stores. With retail spaces to fit most every budget and size, Borkenhagen has been able to attract small one-person outfits as well as slightly larger tenants with bigger plans. And for those who dream of opening up a food related small business but blanch at the idea of having to build and operate their own very expensive commercial kitchen, the San Pedro Square Market offers another unique opportunity - the Demonstration Kitchen. This commercial kitchen, located in the center of one of the market buildings, will be owned and operated by two professional chefs and will offer cooking demonstrations, guest chef appearances, cookbook signings as well as a space that budding chef/entrepreneurs can rent for their own commercial cooking projects. Always wanted to own a pie shop? Take orders from customers; rent the space during off-hours, and “voila” - a “pop-up” pie business without all the stress, hassle, or cost of going it alone. The demonstration kitchen will be a dynamic addition to the Market and has the potential to serve as San Jose’s first and foremost incubator for food-related small businesses.

Located in the center of the outdoor plaza at the new Market, the Peralta Adobe was once part of the original plaza of the first civil settlement in Alta California, Pueblo de San José de Guadalupe. Integrating the Adobe with the San Pedro Square Market creates a destination where the old and the new are intertwined in memory of the past and in celebration of the future. The modern, industrial edge of the new buildings, the trees in the courtyard and the historic adobe provide the place where it will all come together – or where we will all come together. “We see this as a community resource – a place that suits a wide demographic and brings locals and tourists. The outside space is crucial. Live music and something for everyone,” gushes Borkenhagen. “Finally, the Peralta Adobe will get the recognition and respect it deserves.” With parking garages flanking the area, parking for bikes and cars is plentiful and will be free to market patrons. “We want it to be easy to get here and for folks to stay awhile,” remarks Steve.

With the removal of the construction fences and the sidewalk improvements made, the table is being set. So, when can we eat? “September, we’ll open the El Dorado Bar and encourage our tenants to set-up shop. We will offer free rent for a period of time in order to encourage our tenants to get started,” says Borkenhagen. The El Dorado Bar, which is owned by the Market, is a centrally located bar that, along with the rest of the market, “has a unique liquor license that allows customers to casually stroll throughout the project with a glass of wine or adult beverage of their choice and not have to worry about property lines.” I do believe we’re ready for that in San Jose, and like many folks, I think it is safe to say that I for one am tired of driving elsewhere to find it.

The market promises so many goodies; it’s hard to know where to begin. Anyone who attended the recent food truck festival, SJEats, can attest to the fact that the outdoor space is impressive and will be even more so once it is complete. And what would make it complete? How about: interactive fountains, attractive climbable-art for kids and lots of communal seating and resting areas for folks of all ages. Oh, and did I mention food? The list of vendors is impressive. As I see it, all in a day’s visit to the market you’ll be able to enjoy coffee and breakfast, gobble up wood-fired Pizza Bocca Lupo, buy unique items for your kitchen from La Fina Cocina, fill the fridge with veggies from The Veggie Box, indulge in oysters and lobster rolls before taking fresh fish home for dinner, have a glass of wine paired with hand-picked cheese and charcuterie, nibble on organic chocolates, buy a custom t-shirt, sample small bite ethnic fare and top it all off with a visit to

Welcome home – San Pedro Square Market – we hope you like it here. steve@sanpedrosquaremarket.com www.sanpedrosquaremarket.com @sanpedromarket

C 32

If you’ve walked through downtown San Jose’s SoFA district on a the floor-to-ceiling glass windows of Higher Fire Clayspace and Gallery has no doubt caught your eye. The beauty of the studio and the work of its patrons can be seen by all those passing by. Co-owner and instructor, Don Dermer, realizes the pottery wheel acts as a tractor beam that draws people in, but it’s also the desire to create art with the feel of one’s hands that has enticed people to mold clay for the very first time. How did you start making pottery? I started at a studio near my house in Los Gatos, Blossom Hill Crafts, and it is still in existence. Joanne Bruce taught me a class and then would let me come by after school to continue working, and I caught the bug. I became addicted. I’ve been a potter since I was 11. Your online bio says that you were working in IT before you started Higher Fire, can you tell me what you were doing specifically? I was working in tech support and then moved into technical and curriculum development for companies in the Bay Area. I like being with people, I like talking with people, and I like teaching. In the late 1990’s/early 2000’s I thought, “Wow, I am really busy all the time, I just want to be home. Travelling is getting annoying.” Tech support and training was a natural place to be, but I’ve always been a potter. So, did you move to San Jose? I’m from here originally, and my partner and I moved back in 2000. We spent a year in Amsterdam and moved back for a job. I set up a home studio, and it became a hobby that soon took over all my thinking. I had a few mentors who had gotten out of tech jobs and pursued a life as a craft artist. The idea of leaving a “comfortable” job in order to follow your passions can be a scary idea, so what brought you to the point of leaving your tech job to become a full-time potter? Yes, it can be very scary, but I asked myself, “Do I want to learn about the newest programming languages and spend 21 days learning Java, or do I want to be in my garage perfecting glazes?” We had built a safety net, so we didn’t need a hightech income to maintain our residence at the time. Plus, I told myself that if pottery didn’t work out, then I could always go back. People make the switch all the time.

The teaching aspect of my career evolved from the necessity to get to the next step as a potter without heaving even more resources into the business. We wanted to find a space to do this. Where I used to sell platter and bowls, I now sell an experience. What did your first few classes look like in terms of attendance? In the beginning, I would have 3-8 in a class if I was lucky. People are so hungry for this that we had people signing up for classes even before our doors were open. I would receive PayPal notifications from the website letting me know people were paying for classes, and I would think, “What are these people doing sending hundreds of dollars to a business that hasn’t even opened yet?” [laughs] There is a hunger for people to get away from their computers, to get out of their chairs and to do something with their hands. What do you think is the driving force for this hunger? I think people have a connection with clay. When we were kids, we played with Play Doh and hopefully participated in art classes. People are asking how they can get out of their homes and do something with their hands. I mean, look at what is happening with the South First Area (SoFA) district. There is a bit of a craft renaissance and DIY renaissance with the Makers Fair and the SubZERO festival. We are in the mix of all of that. How do you think Higher Fire impacts the downtown area? There is a lot happening in the area so it’s not just us, but we are having an impact because we add to the mix and are giving the residents another activity to try. SoFA is starting to gain a lot of momentum, which is why we decided to open the studio here. People like seeing the floor-to-ceiling windows with people working from 9 a.m.–11 p.m. The community has been extremely generous and welcoming as we have opened our doors. What have you learned from operating downtown? I didn’t realize that we have so many people who bike and walk here from downtown--from the condos, apartments, and houses in and around the area. We had a Thursday night class with 8 people and 7 of those 8 would either ride their bike or walk to the studio for class. It shows that we really are a downtown studio. Is there a place for people to put their bikes when they bike to the studio? We are supposed to be getting bike racks from the Downtown Association. Until we get them, we let people park in the warehouse.

How do you think this kind of environment or classroom compares to a place like Petroglyph? The work that you are creating at Petroglyph has already been created and you are putting your artist touch on it. There is nothing wrong with that, but we want to say, hey if you want to take a block of clay and form it and mold it into something you want, then we have a place for you. How would you encourage people who have never touched clay to get over any fears and try it out? It’s only clay! Everyone is here to help you. One thing I have learned from being in the clay community is that everyone is so open to sharing, and they are supportive. When people come their first night they are going to work with clay, we’ll show you how to place your hands, and we’ll offer support along the way. It can be daunting, but I don’t think it’s too scary. We work with a lot of beginners. There is a neat level of work coming from our studio, but by and large our bread and butter is in our community of beginners. How many instructors do you have, including yourself? There are 5 now, but initially it was just me. That was fine for a few months, but it started affecting my personal life. It was making it impossible to have a life outside of work because I was teaching 4 night classes a week, 3 morning classes, and we are open for members on Sundays. Now, I have other instructors to lighten my load and staffers that work on Sundays and Mondays. How have you grown over the past year? We are learning a lot. Our main method of advertising has been 4”x9” rack cards with class info and a promotion discount. We targeted downtown neighborhoods and must have dropped over 12,000 cards throughout the area. We have gotten a really great response from it. We also used neighborhood e-lists to let people know about what was going on and our classes. Do you still feel as though you get to be a part of creating pottery? I’m a part of everyone’s pottery now, and it’s different. I’m not making a lot of my own work, but I’m using my techniques during classes. Students are using the glazes I’ve experimented with, glazes that they use to finish their pieces. So when I open the kiln and see 200 pieces I’ve had a part in, I have pride in knowing I’ve provided this kind of environment for the students. How does it feel to wake up and come here instead of your high-tech job? It’s wonderful! It’s tiring and hard, but it’s wonderful. I was so tired of coming into the office and being expected to sign onto Instant Messenger right away or to sift through 150 emails a day. I just got tired of it. Any words of advice for people who may be interested in leaving their job and pursuing something they love? Make time for it; move in that direction. Dip your toes in the water and keep going until it’s obvious that that is something you want to do. I think it’s best to make gradual process toward what you love so that you are sure it is something you want to do forever. Pave the road ahead of you while you are paving the road behind you. Check out Higher Fire Clayspace and Gallery at 499 S. Market Street, or by visiting Hgiherfirestudios.com Mention Content Magazine and receive 20% off first time enrollment, as well as a free beginners kit.

C 39

San Jose FIRE MUSEUM By Mary Matlack Photography Daniel Gaines

“You know,” said my history-buff husband, “you can re “You know,” said my history-buff husband, “you can Really tell a lot about a city by looking at the history of fire.” Pretty wise advice, I thought, so I made my way to the San Jose Fire Museum and spent the morning with Chief John McMillan, president of the museum. Chief McMillan is a tall, friendly man – just the kind you’d want to help you in an emergency. And in fact, McMillan recalls, “my favorite part of my career was spending 11 years on a truck company, truck 3 in downtown San Jose. Probably the best years of my life as far as job satisfaction.” Chief McMillan followed those 11 years with nearly 20 more in fire administration and retired as a chief officer. During his time in administration, he began to work with the museum’s collection and upon retirement, “it seemed I had the time to try to make a difference.” Now, Chief McMillan presides over the San Jose Fire Museum’s collection of fire equipment, memorabilia and written records. He also works tirelessly on the museum’s campaign to save Old Station One and turn it into a permanent home for the San Jose Fire Museum. And the collection that the museum has is – even to an untrained eye – impressive. Tucked away in the back of a huge city maintenance yard, the Fire Museum’s collection is housed in a non-descript, cold and dreary warehouse. But locate the sign on the door, step inside and immediately, the temperature rises. An astounding sea of fire engine red, spit and polished brass, sparkly chrome – buggies, trucks, engines, hoses, helmets, photos, tractors and hydrants awaits. If this kind of stuff appeals to you, you’ll definitely have a “kid-in-a-candy store” moment when you enter the museum. But more than just an accumulation of old fire equipment; the Museum boasts quite a few artifacts that are original to San Jose. These “San Jose” rigs were purchased by the city and used in service for years only to be retired to the museum or left to rot for years in a salvage yard. In the far corner of the warehouse, the museum volunteers are always working on fixing up old stuff, some of which was rescued from local junkyards. The collection is always growing. One of the more celebrated rigs is the 1931 Mack Bulldog – purchased by the city following the devastating fire that destroyed the impressive Santa Clara County Courthouse in 1931. The Mack 31 was purchased for $12,500 in the day and had more pumping power than the city had ever seen before – pumping a 2-inch stream of water nearly 500 feet. The Mack is in great shape on the museum floor and with its iconic styling and sturdy build, The Mack is the favorite truck for parades, funerals and public education.

ums across the country,” says Chief McMillan, “and I can honestly say that our collection in San Jose rivals any fire museum in this country.” The Knox-Martin was purchased by the city in 1914 to pull the steam pumper, an apparatus previously pulled by horses. Purchasing the Knox-Martin nearly 100 years ago was the beginning of a new, modern era for the San Jose Fire Department and today the tractor looks as good as new. In addition to the hardware in the collection, they museum also boasts an impressive collection of documents, photographs, books and volumes of data donated by fire and history buffs from San Jose and around the world. Collections Manager David Wood has an eye for antiques. “I served for 28 years on a truck company and retired for 9 years before coming down to the museum. I don’t know why it took me so long to get here. I’m hooked of course,” admits Wood. “You never know who or what is going to walk through that door each day. Some donations become part of our collection, some are for trade and some we can sell to fundraise for the museum.” I came away from my visit to the San Jose Fire Museum with a better understanding of San Jose history, and was also left to consider the strange relationship that fire has with history. When fresh, fire represents the annihilation of history. Families lose the records of the past – their physical history. Businesses lose their financial and intellectual history and tragically, both often lose loved ones – our human history. And with time, after the ashes have settled and generations have passed, the fire becomes a part of our history and we find it in our hearts to celebrate the brave men and women who fought for our memories, our safety and our neighbors. We celebrate the machines that helped them with that mission. And fire museums across the country serve to educate their citizens about the past and help prepare them for the future. Our humble first fire regulation of 1847 warning that “no house or edifice shall hereafter be erected with a cover of straw, grass or flags,” reminds us of how far we have come and also how little has changed. www.sanjosefiremuseum.com 1661 Senter Road, Bldg. #D1 San Jose, CA 95112 Founded in 1854, the San Jose Fire Department is one of the oldest paid fire departments in the country. As a non-profit organization, the SJFM accepts donations as well as historic photographs, artifacts, tools, equipment, uniforms, documents and fire apparatus.

Next to Mack 31 is San Jose’s original Engine 3 Steamer that survived the 1906 earthquake and although it sustained damage when Station 3 collapsed, firemen pulled the steamer out of the rubble and fought the fire for two days – saving downtown San Jose from burning to the ground.

The SJFM’s top priority today is to save “Old Fire Station One”, located on the corner of St. James and Market – next door to “New Fire Station One” and make the old station the new home of the San Jose Fire Museum.

Another gem, the Knox-Martin tricycle tractor, is only one of two in the United States. The other is owned by the Smithsonian Museum. “I’ve visited a lot of fire muse

C42

WRITINGS

Sally Ashton: Santa Clara County Poet Laureate Interview by Felicia Larson Photography by Daniel Garcia

What is a poet laureate anyway? This elevation of a notable poet began in the British Royal court during the 1600’s. The duty of one appointed to this position was to compose official poetry for the king’s or queen’s birthday as well as for great public occasions such as victories in war, coronations, and births and weddings in the royal family. While still quite the prestigious honor, the poet laureate of Santa Clara County has distinctly different duties from its royal courtly beginnings. The poet laureate’s focus is to elevate poetry in awareness of Santa Clara County residents and to help celebrate the literary arts. The poet laureate also serves as an advocate for poetry, literature and the arts and leads a community project that makes poetry more accessible to the public. This awareness of and accessibility to poetry contributes to Santa Clara County’s literary legacy. Sitting in the loft of Café Trieste in downtown San Jose, I had the opportunity to become acquainted with Sally Ashton, our county’s newest appointee to the post of poet laureate. Since it has only been a few months, she is still working out what all this will look like during her two-year tenure. Not sure about the details, Sally is sure that she wants to make the most of our multi-cultural heritage that permeates the fifteen cities and nearly two million people that make up Santa Clara County. Sally believes that she is well suited to be sensitive to a broad variety of communities. She comes from modest beginnings - being one of four children in an agrarian family, originally from Oregon. Her parents had the means to attend college, but due to post-war times, they, like many others of their generation, had to forego higher education and, as Sally said, “just get busy.” Her family was able to move to Santa Clara County when she was five years old. Both her parents worked – Mom in real estate and Dad as an employee for Lockheed. Though her family prized education, she would not describe her upbringing as one that was heavily enriched by literature. With almost a whisper, Sally let it be known that she didn’t read as much as she would have liked, but she always had a

fondness for writing. She wrote her first poem while in grade school. Some years later Sally met and married Frank Ashton, a local wine maker and businessman. They have three children whom Sally describes as “the joy of my life and my three best poems.” Ms. Ashton recounts that her passion for poetry was stoked as she began “following the energy.” She started out taking classes at West Valley College and then transferred to San Jose State University where she is now a faculty member. What started out as a path toward creating non-fiction “pretty quickly circled around to poetry. As soon as I realized there was such a thing as an MFA degree, that was exactly what I wanted to get.” Sally went on to get that Master of Fine Arts degree from Bennington. She persevered, taking the number of classes that would allow for the pursuit of dreams, while still allowing her to be available to her family. Now an editor of DMQ, an online literary journal, Sally has the distinct privilege of being exposed to the voice of national and international poets who compose in various genres of poetry. These are the poets who inspire her. Rather than any one particular poet, it is a brand of poetry: those of the post-modern generation who use words like a designer uses fabric. They are manipulating words to bring forth many shades of meaning while continuing to ask the question, “Can you depend on [language]; can it really mean anything?” And though Sally is impressed with the current breadth of poetry, she made it a point to mention the voices that call to her from the past. Like her, many of these women poets started out composing their works of art amid their domestic duties: Emily Dickinson, Elizabeth B. Browning, and even Virginia Wolfe (though not a poet, she produced works that also empowered women). Though these women were never acknowledged and certainly never published during their day, “they persevered in a very private manner that has become significant.” Here’s what Sally had to say about the significance of poetry in our day and time, and particularly in our culture of Santa Clara County:

C 51

“Poetry all seems very apt, particularly in the contemporary moment, in our area because it’s brief. And there is such a movement in all forms of communication towards brevity with twitter… text messages… Of course not all poems are going to be 140 characters…nor would we want them to be. …They are accessible like a little moment in time. It’s a distilled moment… you can pick it up with your cup of coffee and read a poem or two and enter a reflective or an energized place. Poetry, when it’s working at its best, distills a moment and takes you there, and it can be all the many different kinds of moments. You can find that of course in a novel or short story, you enter a different world for a longer period… A poem is working hard to employ symbol and resonance of an image… [It] makes a difference since you have so fewer words to create your world and make an impact.” In her brief tenure as Poet Laureate, how does Sally Ashton plan to make an impact? With nearly two million people in Santa Clara County, Ashton is aware of the enormity of the task and so she makes the most of opportunities like this and other natural channels of publicity to get her message out to the people. Poets are known to write about the life and times in which they live. One opportunity Sally hopes will allow for the most impact is to partner with the tech community of Silicon Valley. Much of the technology in our Valley is just a different form of art and expression. What better connection than for our poet laureate to connect with our tech community and allow the art that is technology to inform the art of poetry. Unlike the poet laureates of old who were commissioned to write for the pleasure of the royals, Sally has been asked “to contribute to the literary legacy of Santa Clara County. I think as poet laureate… at this point I am just trying to reconnect folks with the idea that there is cultural value in the art form, that there really is a reason to value it, so when the conversation comes up, the response isn’t, ‘I don’t get poetry.’ That’s kind of the majority response. Well, I’d rather people kind of get it.” www.poetlaureateblog.org

FASHION

Photography by Tanja Lippert Styling, Hair & Makeup by Tia Reagan

Cream Color Tunic w/gold Bikini Bottoms Palapa Lounge By: Joie a la Plage Style name: Bahamas $198.00

Big Striped Hat By: San Diego Hat Company Big Brimmed Striped Hat $46.00 Bikini Shown from Behind W/Big Hat By: Nanette Lepore Bikini Top $75.00 By: Nanette Lepore Bikini Bottom $73.00

Bikini On Train Track W/Yellow Fidora and Yellow Sweater By: Ella Moss Top $69.00 By: Ella Moss Bottom $59.00 Fidora Hat: Palapa Lounge

White 1 Piece By: 1 Sol Draped Asymmetrical 1 Piece $160.00 Necklace: by Shoe Candy Swarovski Elements Necklace $99.00

Contributors

From left to right: 1. Victoria Felicity Her passion for photography grew while she was living abroad. After recently relocating to her home town San Jose she has honed her passion focusing on live music and life style portrait photography. “Passion and art is birthed from your spirit not from theclasses you take. It’s inspiration from your experiences and a will to never stop seeing the world differently.” 2. Aleksandra Bulatskaya Born in Odessa, Ukraine, Alex loved writing poetry and fiction since learning the alphabet. She received a Bachelor of Arts in communication studies with a minor in journalism and creative writing from San Jose State University. Her work has appeared in SOMA Magazine and her love of avant-garde art led her to styling conceptualized photos for Access Magazine and creating her blog, www.pastelmarina.tumblr.com You can find her at a food rave or scouring antique shops for a vintage typewriter. 3. Stacy Ernst Stacy Ernst is passionate San Jose native who loves learning about the journey others have embarked upon. She graduated from San Jose State University with B.A. in Communication Studies and enjoys spending time with her humorous and supportive husband, Robbie. She is a diehard Rick Steves fan and loves to travel the world. Although traveling is a favorite pastime, Stacy loves being able to discover the creativity and innovation her city has to offer. 4. Sobrina Tung Born and raised in San Jose, Sobrina has lived in Los Angeles, San Francisco and Walnut Creek but has found that the availability of parking and friendly people in San Jose just can’t be beat. She loves the delicious and whimsical aspects of life. In addition to her writing and styling contributions for Content Magazine, you can find her musings on delightful things to eat, see and wear on her blog at www.Quietlikehorses.com 5. Steveyann Jensen Steveyann is a full time design student finishing up her coursework in Interior Design at West Valley College and currently works for a design firm in Los Gatos. She was born and raised in Santa Cruz and now resides there with her husband. If she isn’t studying hard or working on a project, you can find her pouring over design and fashion blogs and magazines for inspiration. “I love how design can drastically alter how we interact with or respond to a space; it can effect our emotions and mood, and I love that we have the ability to create and shape that experience. There are so many different options, design never gets boring!”

7. Mary Matlack Born and raised in the suburbs of San Jose, Mary is a crazy advocate of all things local. With a freezer stocked with locally raised meat and poultry, eggs, vegetables and fruit direct from the farmer, she is wondering what’s next – a dairy cow? Mary’s husband, two kids and neighbors would prefer if she would just focus on her other passion - rediscovering the charms and the spirit of San Jose and sharing that with others. 8. Felicia Larson A native Californian, who has lived in the San Jose area for the last fourteen years. She is an aspiring writer, public speaker, and a personal coach, with the designation of Associate Certified Coach, from the International Coach Federation. Felicia and her husband Dave have three amazing children who constantly keep life interesting. In her down time Felicia can be found hiking through State Parks or lounging on beaches. Further information at www.journeycoaching.us.com or www.felicialarson.com 9. Daniel Gaines Daniel was born and raised in Richmond, VA. After studying marketing and art at James Madison University, Daniel followed a career in hospitality and property management, until 2009 when he picked up a camera and began shooting. Currently, he resides in San Jose and makes his living as a lifestyle and commercial photographer. www.danielgainesphotography.com 10.Tanja Lippert Tanja is a 100% film photographer, who combines art, emotion and creativity to create one of a kind images that evoke feeling and inspiration. Her background in fashion and flair for making people feel comfortable and beautiful in front of the camera have resulted in helping her achieve images that are truly one of a kind art. Tanja’s images have appeared in magazines and publications throughout the world. She brings a sense of style and grace to her work and her creative energy seems to burst at the seams. She feels very blessed to be able to work every day as an artist and truly pours her heart and soul into her work. Aside from being an artist, she is a wife, a mother, a daughter, a sister, a friend and a hopeless romantic at heart! www.tanjalippertphotography.com

6. Kevin Kempis As a recent graduate of the Academy of Art University Kevin has been immeresed in the design world for 7+ years. Throughout his career he has lead creative initatives for companies such as Riottt.com and Sephora. With his years of experience and now a designer at LEVEL-studios.com Kevin has realized the value of communicating a brand not only through the compelling stimulation of visuals but through the avenue of strategy and the understanding of current cultural landscapes. He is also an avid enthusiest of reality television, The Giants and Tang. Mostly Tang. To view his personal work go to www.KVN10.com

CULTIVATOR NOTES Issue 3.2 “HEAT” Summer 2011

“Summer” brings thoughts of long nights, sunshine and the beach. So with this issue, we wanted to explore what is “Hot” in San Jose. The thing is, there are so many great, new, innovative happenings these days that we could not even scratch the surface. In Issue 3.2 HEAT, we give you a few of the essentials: The San Pedro Square Market, officially launching in September, has the potential of creating a much-needed downtown “plaza” and community foci. We are excited to expose to our readers two homegrown artists: painter Kyle Pellet, and singer Jessica Johnson who again, demonstrate San Jose’s too often uncelebrated talent. Also, we highlight the efforts to develop a San Jose Fire Museum, which you might not even have known is in the works. In all these, we hope that you will gain a greater appreciation for our city and join us in supporting the locals. So even though we say, “San Jose is cool” HEAT will give you a glimpse as to what’s “hot.”

COVER image: Photography, Daniel Garcia & Ajay Fay Make-up, Danielle Randleman Hairpiece, E-Marie Designs Model, Lauren from Scout models

c 66

CONTENT NEXT ISSUE

HARVEST September / October 2011

WWW.CONTENT-MAGAZINE.COM

facebook.com/contentmag twitter.com/contentmag