The Willow Glen Resident

Photograph by Skye Dunlap

All Sewn Up: Quilt-maker Therese May worked on her latest creation at her Mystic Butterfly Art Studio on Lincoln Avenue last week.

Closing fairs, craft centers isolates Willow Glen artists

Loss of Founders art day is small part of a larger problem

By Michelle Ku

Young and old residents alike will be celebrating Willow Glen's Founders Day this weekend, but notably absent will be the fair's arts and crafts portion.

While its absence creates a void that will be noticed by many, it comes as no surprise to an artistic community that has witnessed the end of the Fair Glen Art Fair and the closing of the Handcrafter's Mall in the last two years. Despite these losses, an increasing number of artists are moving into the area, only to discover that, contrary to their expectations, there is no true and active artist center here.

Twenty years ago John DeVincenzi, a former art professor at San Jose State University, predicted the influx of artists when he took part in a time-capsule ceremony during San Jose's bicentennial celebrations. He predicted that by the turn of the century, San Jose would be the art capital of the West in terms of selling and producing art. The capsule is buried in a park next to the Montgomery Theater and will be unearthed at the turn of the century.

"It has already happened in San Jose," DeVincenzi said. "San Jose has the location, contact with other areas, the right weather, everything favorable to the growth of San Jose. We're at the point where many artists are moving into either San Jose or into the periphery of the area."

Whether it's the location, people, small-town feel or Eichler homes, Willow Glen is one part of San Jose that is becoming a haven for artists.

"I find myself settling in Willow Glen even though I live in Japan Town," said Therese May, an art quilter and owner of the Mystic Butterfly Art Studio on Lincoln Avenue. "I don't know why exactly I love it here; it must be some kind of energy. It's like a small town."

May, like many of her peers, was unaware of the high number of artists based in Willow Glen. Of the 524 San Jose artists registered with Open Studios, 65 live in the 95125 zip code. According to DeVincenzi, the number of Willow Glen artists is even higher.

"Not all of the artists in the area are registered with Open Studios," DeVincenzi said. "I know that all the artists at San Jose State are not registered. That figure [from Open Studios] can be doubled quite easily."

Still, Willow Glen lacks a gallery or studio area where artists can gather and mingle. Pete Sheremeta, a potter who lives on Crescent Drive, said that he was surprised and disappointed by the lack of a true artists' community in Willow Glen.

"The thing that impressed me was that for a community of this size, there wasn't any gallery space," Sheremeta said. "I would like to see a gallery come in or get a bunch of people together to start one."

The lack of a meeting area for Willow Glen artists has also led to a lack of awareness of the other artists in the area.

"I had no idea until I looked in the Open Studios catalog that there are so many artists here," Sheremeta said.

For many up-and-coming artists, Open Studios is a way for them to show their work to the public and establish a reputation, but Open Studios is not conducive to artist interaction; Willow Glen artists do not have the opportunity to visit the other studios participating in Open Studios because they need to be at their studio during the hours of the show.

The Fair Glen Art Fair provided local artists with a place to interact.

"It had a real feeling of reunion, of getting in touch with people," said Sally Mc Leod, a functional potter who considers herself a craftsperson. "But toward the end, I think it was getting away from what people wanted it to be in the beginning--a community of local artists showing their work."

The Handcrafter's Mall was another arena in which artists could meet. As an artists' cooperative, it marketed products created by local artisans. Since the store closed, these artists have not had a local venue to market their goods.

But two weeks ago The Elegant Favor, an artists' cooperative with 30-plus members, relocated on Lincoln Avenue, giving area artists and crafters a new local venue to sell their work.

"My store has a very good reputation as far as supporting local artists and helping them merchandise and market the material in an environment that the general public will enjoy," said Jan Fey, owner of The Elegant Favor.

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