Phantom Galleries

San Fernando and South First Streets
San Jose, CA

Submitted by: Brian Eder

Former empty retail fronts now filled with artists' installations.

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03/11/03 Bob Nicholson said:

The Orchard Valley Ceramic Arts Guild (www.ovcag.org) was one of the first groups to participate in Phantom Galleries. We found it to be a tremendous way to get our members involved in the downtown arts world, and to meet other artists and art fans in a downtown setting.

03/12/03 Jen Norton said:

Art is a gift...both to the artist, and to those who view it. One of the great things about Phantom Galleries in San Jose, is it allows artists to "give their gift," rather than have to conceive ways to sell it. We get to share our creativity with those who may not otherwise experience it. And Phantom is the gift that keeps on giving right back. In return for exhibiting, we artists gain awareness and recognition in our local city, as well as the pride in knowing that our art was able to enhance an otherwise unused area of downtown. The "silicon" may be leaving Silicon Valley, but the creative minds are definitely not!

03/12/03 Sonya Paz said:

Participating in this awesome event was phenomenal, the streets of San Jose never looked better with all of the vibrancy of art and the colors it all brought to the streets. This would be the third event that I have exhibited in for downtown San Jose in the past two years. The feedback from the community who has visited these populated "art" areas downtown is so positive that it really needs to stay. Art is what it is all about, it's that and the people who make it happen.

03/12/03 GIanfranco Paolozzi said:

I'll be one of the artists during this coming May and June that is honored to participate in the Phantom Galleries in downtown San Jose. It is optimum for the artist to present his/her art efforts to the common people going by for any reason on that street where a window is full of visual communications. It is optimum for any city/town people to be exposed any time of the day to the art efforts that artists are working on. Artists create their works to share with other people. If we do not share, we do not have art.

03/12/03 Ellie Brown said:

As one of the participating artists, I found contributing to the enlivenment of San Jose's downtown invaluable. I was thrilled to be able to help transform a formerly desolate street to a vibrant place to look at art.

03/12/03 susan o'malley said:

What a brilliant idea! Using empty storefronts to enliven downtown while exposing artists' work in a public space. Once an uneventful walk, North First Street transformed into a spot of interest, creating dialogue, exposure for artists and a sense of energy and revitalization. As a participating artist as well as a citizen interested in utilizing space to create a sense of place and community, I am thrilled that Phantom Galleries is a program in San Jose.

03/18/03 Damon Belanger said:

Bringing art to the people - that’s what Phantom Galleries has been about for me. It’s been a great opportunity for myself and other emerging artists to not only get noticed, but to answer the call to bring more art and culture to the streets of our city. Seeing busy people on their way to work or wherever stop to look at the displays is the most rewarding part. I hope San Jose will be fortunate enough to host similar public art projects in the future.

03/20/03 Helene Daudenarde said:

It's a great opportunity to have Phantom Galleries where unknown artists can post their creations. Turning an empty space into a lively paradise of colors is an excellent idea. Blank spaces of an empty downtown are transformed into a living city. As an emerging artist, I cannot thank Phantom Galleries enough for giving me this opportunity by letting me participate in the coming months of May and June.

03/25/03 Angela Buenning said:

I am one of the artists who have been selected to exhibit work in May and June. I am anxious to see my photographs of the Silicon Valley landscape have a chance to literally become part of the new downtown landscape. Phantom Galleries is breaking out of the confines of the gallery walls and bringing art into people's daily lives. Kudos!

03/25/03 everett taasevigen said:

I am an artist that has enjoyed this wonderful opportunity to give to the community. I have had several conversations with folks walking by my installation and they loved it and thanked me for doing it. I ride my bike a lot around town and in doing so I once saw a person - excited! - calling a friend on her cell phone talking about the store fronts.
It has added a nice layer of interest to the downtown of San Jose!

04/28/03 eve mosher said:

I have seen many of the installations over the past few months and have constantly been surprised, intrigued and amazed. The work is of tremendous variety and provides any passerbies on the street a chance to find something new, and engage themselves. Without Phantom Galleries there would continue to be the blight of vacant storefronts on the wonderful streets of downtown San Jose. These projects have brought new life, color and interest to the people of San Jose. This is truly a project that brings art to all the people.

09/10/03 Kaye Luck said:

I really enjoy looking at the cool art as I cycle to work down San Fernando Street. I'd love to find out more about the piece entitled "Bats and Bugs" Where can I find more information about the artist?

10/14/03 Brian Eder said:

Kaye... Thanks for sharing your enjoyment of the Phantom Galleries project in downtown San Jose. The "Bats and Bugs" installation by Bernie Ross is linked directly to the artist from our project site www.populuspresents.com/main/pg/. Feel free to contact him directly or call us through our contact info at the top of this page for more info. Thanks again! — Brian

10/27/03 ken wester said:

I have recently become a resident of Silicon Valley, in particular San Jose, I was first amazed, then in awe of the populus presents phantom galleries public space project. The art work is of tremendous quality and it does nothing less than to increase the beauty of a beautiful city by creating an interesting facade of grace to the less desireable aspects of downtown. I fully support this project and hope to participate in some way.

01/15/04 kelda Van Patten said:

I worked on a collaborative installation for Phantom Galleries and was thrilled to be part of such an innovative public art project. I heard that a group of construction workers showed up at our installation (Amnesia Bakery) expecting to get some pie and coffee! When we were installing, we had several conversations with people walking by; it was great! Most memorable were a couple of little girls in frilly dresses walking home from church with their parents one Sunday. They loved it--they even put their tongues up to the window. I have also enjoyed seeing what other artists come up with. The project has really added an interesting element to downtown San Jose. I think it's so admirable that Phantom Galleries is committed to bringing art into people's daily lives. I hope that the project inspires other cities to do the same.

04/06/04 elizaBeth Benson said:

The WordHouses show was a joy to produce in Phantom Galleries. We so appreciated the ways we were able to show journals & book arts in this extraordinary space. We loved watching people hover by the windows and read the journals. We loved the ways people got to play inside the space at the Opening and Playshops. The vehicle of Phantom Galleries allows for the accidental discovery of the internal creative impulse of every passerby. I so appreciate the way Phantom Galleries works to invigorate and energize and add surprise to the daily experience of those who pass the windows. Additionally, as an artist who has shown now in two different windows, I appreciate the way Phantom serves to support the impulse to break out and try new things. Thank you for this extraordinary gift to the San Jose community.

04/06/04 Carol Worthington-Levy said:

As a participant in Phantom Galleries, I heard ongoing positive comments from all who walked by. Most often passers-by were thrilled to have an alternative to the depressing empty buildings, some color, some art to take them outside of their busy day. It truly acts as an easy gallery experience for many who rarely find their way into a gallery. It brings the intriguing and the colorful and the handmade into the lives of people - a welcome 'breath of fresh air' and expression to people who are bombarded with 'plastic' and 'predigested' imagery fed to them by the media. The verdict of the visitors I spoke to: downtown San Jose is a much better place because of the Phantom Galleries.

02/22/07 Das Sutro said:

A great installation. It is wonderful that someone took the Phantom Art Gallery Project from Wichita, Kansas - started in 1990 and continued until 2000 and implemented it in a great place like California. Those Kansas people have the best ideas!