Nearly 20 years after it was originally painted, the iconic “Homage” mural in downtown San Jose received some much-needed restoration work this week. And the crew doing the job included original artist Paul Urich, who collaborated with Chris Duncan on the piece in 2005, as well as Anno Domini gallery owners Brian Eder and Cherri Lakey, who were also part of the original project.
The mural on the corner of Santa Clara and Fourth streets pays tribute to Olympic sprinters Tommie Smith and John Carlos and their civil rights protest at the 1968 Mexico City Olympics. And longtime residents may remember another mural of a crucified Jesus on that same wall before the property was bought and the wall painted over.
“Homage” really launched downtown’s modern mural renaissance, and the multitude of large-scale paintings on the city’s walls, bridges and even streets are a beloved and well-publicized part of San Jose’s identity. In recent years, though, the murals colors had faded and the bottom part of the mural had been tagged. The tags on the lower section were covered up this year by the temporary addition of “San Jo,” a silver and teal Sharks-themed mural by graffiti artist King157, working with the 1Culture Galley.
While the new artwork protected “Homage” from more tags, it also obscured the mural’s message of gratitude for Smith and Carlos’ act of resistance, Eder said Wednesday as he worked on the restoration. Now, it looks better than ever and is complemented by “The Grand Strike,” an adjacent mural — created by a team that includes San Jose artist Analyn Bones and Texas artist Juan Velazquez — featuring civil rights leaders Dolores Huerta, Larry Itliong, Cesar Chavez and Philip Vera Cruz.
Not all murals downtown are so lucky, though. “Flow of Life,” a beautiful mural painted in 2020 by artist Roan Victor on the Woz Way bridge over the Guadalupe River, has been absolutely savaged by taggers recently. The colorful piece was the first in a series of murals sponsored by the Guadalupe River Park Conservancy to create an “art walk” along the river. We hope plans are in the works to get this one restored, too.
TRIBUTE TO COACH CARR: A celebration of life for legendary San Jose City College basketball coach Percy Carr, who died in June at age 82, will be held at 2 p.m. Aug. 24 at the San Jose City College gym. That location, of course, is where Carr amassed most of his record 900 wins over a 45-year career leading the Jaguars that began in 1975.
“As the former administrator from San Jose City College, I know from experience Percy was one who made such a difference in so many lives,” said Bert Bonanno, San Jose City College’s longtime track and field coach and athletic director. To continue Carr’s legacy, Bonanno said, a student-athlete scholarship will be established in his name.
FOODIE FRIDAY AT VALLEY FAIR: Westfield Valley Fair is closing out the week with a fun event for a good cause. The inaugural “Eat. Drink. Explore” event takes place Aug. 16, starting at noon, showcasing bites from 10 of the shopping center’s eateries including Shake Shack, Salt & Straw, Tong Sui and Rooster & Rice.
There’ll also be live music and retail pop-ups in the Center Court, along with other fun stuff like Plinko and mini golf. You can also upgrade from the regular $30 ticket to a plated, dine-in experience at eateries including Eataly, Mastro’s, AnQi and King’s Fish House. Get more information and tickets at www.westfield.com/valleyfair.
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If you’re worried about adding to your waistline, maybe it helps to know it’s for a good cause. Proceeds from the event benefit Hunger at Home, the San Jose-based nonprofit that works with restaurants and event venues to distribute unused food to the hungry.
CULTURAL CONNECTIONS: Bollywood star Manisha Koirala will be the grand marshal of the India Day parade in Fremont on Sunday. Sponsored by Festival of Globe (FOG), the 32nd annual celebration of India’s Independence Day will start at 11 a.m. at Fremont City Hall and continue down Paseo Padre Parkway.
The parade is the highlight of the two-day India Day Fair and Mela taking place from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Saturday and Sunday at 39439 Paseo Padre Parkway. Get more information at fogsv.com.
