Foundation
The San Jose Downtown Foundation is focused on enhancing the cultural, aesthetic and educational environment downtown. It’s primary program is Downtown Doors which brings the work of high school artists to utility doors and boxes throughout downtown. The foundation also funded murals and other projects. It is an independent 501(c)(3) non-profit organization governed by a Board of Trustees.
We are looking for Board Members. Are you connected in downtown San Jose and interested in supporting the arts in a valuable way? Do you want to be involved in enhancing the cultural, aesthetic and educational environment downtown through our Downtown Doors program? We are looking for locals who want to help connect the foundation with companies and organizations to support our beautification programs.
Contact Donna Butcher if interested.
Downtown Doors 2020
Downtown refreshed with 10 more student art works
San Jose Downtown Foundation finishes 2020 with 20 Downtown Doors
selections applied to service doors and utility boxes
San Jose Downtown Foundation finished 2020 by adding 10 new Downtown Doors art works to downtown San Jose’s public art landscape.
Since 2003, 312 art pieces by San Jose-area high school students have been digitized and transferred to vinyl coatings, then attached to downtown service doors and utility boxes.
This latest round of art includes photographs, paintings and abstracts, sending messages of diversity, passage of time, uncertain but hopeful futures and the beauty of our planet.
The 10 new pieces installed over the holidays replace works created in previous years. A total 110 sites in downtown’s pedestrian environment have been beautified by Downtown Doors artworks.
“Despite COVID-19 restrictions, we managed to add 20 Downtown Doors to our ever-changing downtown environment,” said Ramona Snyder, SJDF Board President. “We want downtown to look vibrant with art, and Downtown Doors does a great job of welcoming people into our creative environment.”
The 10 new works came from a pool of 98 entries submitted in early 2020 before schools were closed to students because of the pandemic. Students are now in process of creating new art for submission for a new 2021 round of Downtown Doors, to be evaluated this spring.
Art selection Committee: James Morgan of SJSU; Jeannine Flores, Santa Clara County Office of Education; Jeff Bordona, San Jose Museum of Art; Michael Ogilvie, San Jose Director of Public Art; Charlie McCollum, SJDF Trustee; the Foundation Board of Trustees and Downtown Association staff.
Selected students receive: Students will receive a $300 honorarium, a printed certificate, a one- year license to Adobe Creative Cloud programs and a gift package from Insomnia Cookies.
Schools will receive a $650 honorarium (schools that won in the spring are not eligible to receive another honorarium if they won again).
Silver Creek High School
Title: Beauty and Destruction
Artist: Madison Sciba
Location: Hammer Theatre on Third Street
(101 Paseo de San Antonio )
Sponsor: City of San Jose
Santa Teresa High School
Title: The Noodle Revolution
Artist: Allison Young
Location: City of San Jose Office of Cultural Affairs
(Southeast corner of Market and Santa Clara street)
Location: Paseo Plaza (Paseo de San Antonio, between Third and Fourth Street)
Sponsor: City of San Jose
Gunderson High School
Title: Ananda
Artist: Alex Hayner
Location: Fairmont Hotel
(170 S. Market Street)
Sponsor: City of San Jose
Andrew Hill High School
Title: Untitled
Artist: Lilian Tran
Location: Fairmont Hotel
(170 S. Market Street )
Sponsor: City of San Jose
Willow Glen High School
Title: Expand Your Horizons
Artist: Cindy Ly
Location: Hammer Theatre
(101 Paseo de San Antonio)
Sponsor: City of San Jose
Evergreen Valley High School
Title: Timeless
Artist: Selena Huang
Location: Studio Climbing Gym
(396 S. First Street - San Salvador/First Street)
Sponsor: City of San Jose
Silver Creek High School
Title: Solace
Artist: Heidi Shin
Location: Cesar Chavez Park utility box @ Paseo de San Antonio
Sponsor: City of San Jose
Del Mar High School
Title: The Beauty in Blue
Artist: Sonia Portillo
Location: Utility box on Third Street @ Paseo de San Antonio
Sponsor: City of San Jose
Leigh High School
Title: The Boy in Red
Artist: Dinhe Calamateos-Abarca
Location: The Fairmont
(First Street/Fairmont Hotel)
Sponsor: City of San Jose
Leigh High School
Title: Girl in Daisy
Artist: Michaela Sampas
Location: Philz Coffee
(Paseo de San Antonio between Third and Fourth streets)
Sponsor: City of San Jose
The Downtown Doorsincludes:
Bellarmine College Prep
Title: Untitled
Artist: Oscar Diaz
Location: The Fairmont
(Circle of Palms Plaza at First Street)
Sponsor: City of San Jose Office of Cultural Affairs
Del Mar High School
Title: The All Seeing Eye
Artist: Audrey Torres-Padilla
Location: City of San Jose Office of Cultural Affairs
(Southeast corner of Market and Santa Clara street)
Sponsor: City of San Jose Office of Cultural Affairs
Del Mar High School
Title: Light Creates Memory: Self Portrait
Artist: Cleo Cole
Location: The Westin
(San Carlos/First Street -
Il Fornaio)
Sponsor: SVCreates, in partnership with the County of Santa Clara.
Del Mar High School
Title: The Monarch’s Journey
Artist: Audrey Simone Garcia
Location: The Studio Climbing Gym (San Salvador/First Street)
Sponsor: SVCreates, in partnership with the County of Santa Clara.
Gunderson High School
Title: My Identity
Artist: Jeanne Clark
Location: City of San Jose Office of Cultural Affairs (Third Street/San Carlos Street)
Site Host: City of San Jose Office of Cultural Affairs
Piedmont Hills High School
Title: Pandora's Basement
Artist: Angela Li
Location: Hammer Theatre Center (Third Street)
Santa Teresa High School
Title: Breaking from Routine
Artist: Allison Young
Location: 50 West
(Passageway between 50 W. San Fernando and the San Jose Museum of Art)
Sponsor: City of San Jose Office of Cultural Affairs
Santa Teresa High School
Title: Fan Lights
Artist: Thy-Thy Do
Location: Hammer Theatre Center (101 Paseo de San Antonio, facing the plaza and Second Street)
Silver Creek High School
Title: Perpetuity
Artist: Jordan Almaguer
Location: Hammer Theatre Center (101 Paseo de San Antonio, facing the plaza and Second Street)
Sponsor: Ernest and Irene Pestana Charitable Foundation
Silver Creek High School
Title: Untitled
Artist: Kristiene Pagaragan
Location: Hammer Theatre Center (Paseo de San Antonio/Third Street)
School tally of Downtown Doors Winners (2003-2019)
East Side Union HS District
(22) Piedmont Hills – 09, 09, 09, 10, 11, 11, 11, 12, 12, 12, 13, 13, 14, 14, 15, 15, 17, 18, 18, 19, 19, 20
(19) Santa Teresa – 06, 09, 11, 11, 12, 12, 14, 14, 14, 15, 15, 15, 16, 17, 17, 17, 18, 20, 20
(17) Evergreen Valley – 09, 09, 09, 09, 10, 11, 12, 12, 13, 13, 15, 15, 15, 16, 16, 18, 19, 19
(11) Andrew P Hill – 12, 12, 13, 13, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 18
(11) Independence – 12, 13, 14, 15, 15, 16, 17, 17, 18, 19, 19
(9) Mount Pleasant – 04, 05, 10, 10, 11, 11, 12, 16, 17
(8) Yerba Buena – 10, 14, 14, 15, 16, 17, 17, 18
(6) Silver Creek – 12, 13, 19, 19, 20, 20
(3) James Lick – 11, 12, 16
(3) Oak Grove – 07, 07, 07
(110) East Side SubTotal
(53) Lincoln (includes Saturda
(34) Notre Dame – 06, 07, 07, 07, 07, 07, 07, 09, 09, 09, 09, 09, 09, 09, 09, 10, 11, 11, 11, 12, 12, 12, 13, 13, 13, 13, 15, 15, 15, 16, 16, 17, 19, 19
(14) Leigh – 09, 11, 12, 13, 15, 15, 16, 17, 17, 17, 18, 18, 18, 19
(13) Pioneer –12, 12, 12, 12, 13, 13, 13, 14, 14, 17, 17, 18, 19
(12) Homestead – 12, 12, 13, 13, 13, 13, 13, 13, 14, 16, 17, 17
(12) Del Mar – 12, 12, 13, 14, 15, 18, 18, 18, 19, 20, 20, 20
(11) Gunderson – 14, 14, 14, 14, 15, 15, 16, 16, 16, 19, 20
(9) Willow Glen – 12, 14, 14, 15, 15, 16, 16, 16, 18
(6) Cupertino – 10, 10, 10, 11, 11, 11
(5) San Jose High Academy – 04, 05, 05, 05, 05
(4) Bellarmine College Prep – 10, 17, 19, 20
(4) Downtown College Prep – 04, 07, 07, 19
(3) San Jose High – 16, 17, 18
(2) Westmont – 18, 19
(1) Leland – 16
(1) Castillero Middle – 12
(184) All other districts Subtotal
(2) Okayama, Japan – 14, 16
(2) Pune, India – 14, 16
(2) Tainan, Taiwan – 14, 16
(1) Dublin, Ireland – 14
(1) San Jose, Costa Rica – 14
(8) International Subtotal
(302) TOTAL
Ramona Snyder – President
Volunteer Manager, Team San Jose
First Term Expires: 2020
Current Length of Service: 2 years
City of Residence: San Jose
Juan Borrelli – Treasurer
Small Business Ally, City of San Jose
Second Term Expires: 2020
Current Length of Service: 5 years
City of Residence: San Jose
Charlie McCollum – Secretary
Retired Journalist, San Jose Mercury News
Second Term Expires: 2021
Current Length of Service: 4 years
City of Residence: San Jose
Brandi Calderon
First Term Expires: 2022
Current Length of Service: 2 months
City of Residence: San Jose
Jeanne Serpa
Community Relations, Republic Services
First Term Expires: 2020
Current Length of Service: 2 years
City of Residence: Milpitas
Manny Fernandez
First Term Expires: 2022
Current Length of Service: First Year
City of Residence: San Jose
