Tan José No More: Building Vibrant Cities With Artists
In briefAI summary — tap to read
Erin Salazar, founder of Local Color, a San Jose-based artist nonprofit, shared how she transformed her personal struggles into a mission to build equitable pathways for artists of color. Through public murals, affordable studio spaces, and creative programs, Local Color has invested over $960,000 in local artists while celebrating San Jose's artistic diversity and reimagining the city as vibrant rather than bland.
Key takeaways
- Local Color operates as an artist-centered nonprofit (not just arts-focused) that prioritizes the wellbeing of creative practitioners, particularly BIPOC and female/non-binary artists.
- The organization funds public art as a tool for community connection, having produced 214 murals and paid out $252,000 in artist wages during the pandemic alone.
- Erin's personal journey—losing both parents in her 20s, living in an art warehouse, and choosing social impact over traditional employment—demonstrates how fearlessness and channeling difficult energy into creative entrepreneurship can drive systemic change.
- Local Color's future initiatives include a mural museum, digital projection-based art installations called Portals, and sister-city collaborations that could enable international artist exchanges.
- The organization uses intergenerational and community-based creative experiences to build artistic confidence and expand who identifies as an artist, from youth to seniors.
About Erin SalazarErin Salazar is a painter, community organizer, and founder/executive director of Local Color in San Jose. She holds a BFA in Studio Practice from San Jose State University (2011) and an M.S. in Nonprofit Leadership from the University of Pennsylvania (2023).
AI-generated from the meeting recording — AI can make mistakes, so check the recording for anything important.
MEETING FOR THE WEEK OF August 21, 2023
This Meeting at a Glance:
Program: How Photography Can Be an Access to Social-Emotional Learning
Speaker: Erin Salazar
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Send Happy DollarsProgram: Tan José No More: Building Vibrant Cities With Artists
Speaker: Erin Salazar
Every week we bring to you a new program on innovation, entrepreneurship, and education, and how those contribute to service to others.
The Rotary eClub of Silicon Valley seeks to explore perspectives on service from across the world. The views of the speakers in our programs are their own, and unless stated otherwise, are not necessarily reflective of the views of our eClub or Rotary International.
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Local Color builds equitable pathways for artists to thrive. Based in San Jose, California, Local Color is powered by artists and dedicated to supporting creatives in the area. Local Color is committed to promoting representation and inclusion, with a particular focus on serving communities of color. In fact, 80% of the artists served by Local Color are from communities of color, with most identifying as Latinx, Black/African, Indigenous, or Asian diasporas. Moreover, 68% of the artists identify as women or non-binary. Through its four core programs, Local Color provides affordable, membership-based creative workspaces, public art and creative services opportunities, comprehensive fiscal sponsorship, and corporate and youth workshops.
Despite challenges brought on by the COVID-19 pandemic, Local Color has remained steadfast in its mission to serve the creative community. They have provided relief resources and subsidies to members, established new creative jobs, and redistributed funds to BIPOC organizers. Join the Local Color community and learn more about the vibrant and inclusive artistic landscape of San Jose.
Erin Salazar is a multidisciplinary artist, community organizer, curator, and dreamer. As the Founder and Executive Director of Local Color, a San José-based artists non-profit, Salazar has been instrumental in championing the creation of hundreds of murals, securing redistributing over $600,000 to artists and opening thousands of square feet of affordable studios to serve Local Color's mission of building equitable pathways for artists to thrive.
A biracial first-generation college student hailing from the Mojave Desert of Southern California, Salazar moved to San José in 2005 to attend San José State University, where she earned a Bachelor of Fine Arts in Studio Practice with an emphasis in Drawing and Painting. Her work and advocacy for artists and public spaces have earned her national and regional recognition, including being selected as one of seven nationwide Public Space Fellows and featured as KQED's "Bay Brilliant: Women to Watch."
Salazar's commitment to the arts community extends beyond San Jose, serving on Silicon Valley's "Cultural New Deal" committee and recently completing a Master of Science in Nonprofit Leadership from the University of Pennsylvania. Through her leadership and unwavering dedication to artists, Salazar continues to make a lasting impact on the cultural landscape of San José.
Members and guests, please welcome Erin Salazar!
To learn more about or support Local Color, go to:
https://www.localcolorsj.org/donate
https://www.instagram.com/localcolorsj/
https://www.facebook.com/LocalColorSJ
https://www.linkedin.com/company/localcolor/
https://www.linkedin.com/in/erin-salazar-localcolorsj/
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