Vacant San Jose building becomes new home for local artists

A long-vacant building near downtown San Jose is getting new life as a creative hub, with local artists preparing to move into studio spaces as early as next month.

Local Color is transforming the ground floor of the Davidson Building at 255 W. Julian St. into the Big Arts Building through a partnership with developer Westbank. The space will include about a dozen below-market-rate art studios and offices, along with areas for public programming including a gallery dedicated to muralism. The nonprofit is giving residents a first look at the space Saturday from 3-7 p.m. as part of its 11th anniversary celebration.

Local Color reached out to roughly 700 artists about using the space and more than 100 attended two preview events, Executive Director Erin Salazar said.The nonprofit is reviewing interest from prospective tenants and expects to begin moving artists into studios Aug. 1.

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A local arts nonprofit is transforming the ground floor of a long-vacant building near downtown San Jose into studio spaces, offices and a mural gallery. Regional Reporter Maryanne Casas-Perez takes a look. Story 🔗 in our bio.

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“We are committed to opening responsibly and safely, but not perfectly,” Salazar told San José Spotlight. “Artists need these spaces now.”

Local Color’s relationship with Westbank predates the Big Arts Building. The developer also owns the Valley Title building at 300 S. First St., where Local Color operates The Underground, a roughly 20,000-square-foot creative space. Salazar said the organizations first connected through Local Color’s work on the 100 Block mural project downtown. Westbank representatives did not respond to requests for comment.

The Big Arts Building will offer something different. Its ground-floor location provides natural light and allows Local Color to occasionally bring public programming into the space, Salazar said. The space is expected to have roughly 12 to 14 individual office and art studios, giving artists secure places to store equipment, materials and supplies.

San Jose artist Elba Raquel attended a July 10 tour of the space and has applied for one of the studios. She said her first impression was how different the building felt from some of the artist workspaces she has experienced.

“I’m used to having art studio spaces being very dingy, no insulation, fungus, hotter than it is outside or colder than it is outside,” Raquel told San José Spotlight. “My first impression was, ‘This is humane for the artists.’ You can tell that this is a space where the artist’s comfort is valued.”

Raquel said standout features include air conditioning, storage and dedicated spaces for privacy and collaboration.

Access to the building is another draw for Raquel. As a muralist and event producer, she frequently transports large paintings, paint and other materials. She said the building’s proximity to downtown, combined with parking access, makes it more practical than other studio options she has considered.

Local Color began its search for tenants by contacting artists already on its existing studio waitlist and working with other arts groups to spread the word. Salazar said roughly 40 people expressed interest following the first tour of the space.

Beyond studio space, the building will house a mural gallery, which Salazar said is one part of the project she’s most excited about. Artists are expected to begin painting murals inside during Saturday’s celebration.

“For the first time, we’re going to be bringing murals — a whole gallery that’s dedicated to muralism,” Salazar said. “It’ll be an opportunity to give some artists their first mural experience. San Jose has really never had a whole gallery that’s dedicated to muralism, so to me, that’s something that feels very innovative and interesting.”

The building will also include the Creative Outlet, a donation hub where unused art supplies can be collected and redistributed to artists, educators and young people or used during workshops. Salazar said the program is supported through a zero-waste grant from San Jose’s Environmental Services Department.

The opening comes as Local Color raises money to support its work. In honor of the nonprofit’s 11th anniversary, an anonymous  donor has pledged to match up to $11,000 in contributions, Salazar said. She said financial support is one of the organization’s greatest needs this year as Local Color expands its programming and opens the new space.

Contact Maryanne Casas-Perez at [email protected] or @CasasPerezRed on X.