Santa Clara County Art, Culture & Media Digest

It all started with a simple question on Nextdoor.  Alagarasan Chinnadurai put up a post in the Milpitas area, asking if anyone spoke Tamil, which is one of the oldest languages currently being spoken across the world.

Gov. Gavin Newsom and First Partner Jennifer Siebel Newsom recently joined the California Museum in announcing the 15th class of inductees into the California Hall of Fame. They join 138 Californians previously inducted for embodying the state’s innovative spirit.

The 810 frequency on the AM radio dial, where, regional residents tuned in for the news of the day, has begun a new era: coverage of gambling on sports. Station owner Cumulus Media unveiled the new station on Oct. 10, with 810 AM now called “The Spread.”

The School of Arts and Culture at Mexican Heritage Plaza plans a 200-seat theater; 80 percent of funds have been raised.

Artist Woody De Othello’s bronze “Fountain” has been placed at the intersection of McKinley and Murphy in Sunnyvale; the giant stylized spigots implicitly refer to California drought and growing water shortages around the world.

“I can’t breathe.” Eric Garner’s dying words became a rallying cry in the movement to confront police violence and inspired “The Ritual of Breath is the Rite to Resist.” The immersive performance piece can be seen Oct. 14-15 at Stanford’s Bing Theater.

The Bay Area’s legendary KGO 810 AM, which found success for decades with its talk-show format, has abruptly ended that programming. “It’s a terrible loss,” said news-talk host John Rothmann, noting that the station has been “the community billboard for everything, whether it has been elections or disasters or the economy or war or peace.”

Heritage Theater in Campbell will host Big Head Todd, Celtic Christmas, a Highwaymen tribute band, and a double bill of Sheena Easton and Taylor Dayne.

Milpitas celebrated its first-ever Mexican Independence Day Flag Raising this year. The event was sponsored by the Hispanic Chamber of Commerce and featured guest speaker Rigo Chacon, who was the Bay Area’s first Hispanic TV reporter.

Hicklebee’s, located on Lincoln Avenue in Willow Glen, is a family-owned business run by two sisters. The pair are ready to retire and spend time traveling and being with friends and family.

Following the sale of the beloved local landmark, the prior owners will continue to operate the park for another decade.

At home in San Juan Bautista, where he’s lived for the better part of his life, playwright Luis Valdez is working on his autobiography just after publishing the first book he’s written to describe the philosophy behind El Teatro Campesino.

The poetry wall, a series of six painted murals at 2605 Middlefield Road in Palo Alto's Midtown neighborhood, is in need of repair, and city staff is recommending the wall be "deaccessioned.”

San Francisco will hold its traditional flagship Pride festivities during the weekend of June 25. Several other South Bay and Peninsula communities are getting in on the action

The Morgan Hill Mushroom Mardi Gras returns for the 41st year this weekend, May 28-29—this time with a new “Platinum Sponsor,” local mushroom cultivator Sempera Organics.

As the wheels of progress begin to chip away at Parkside Hall behind the Tech Interactive, I cannot help but raise the ghosts of rock stars and vacuums.

The city of Cupertino is asking residents to help decide a new name for the Fine Arts Commission. The City wants a name that will increase public interest and align better with its set goals.

In a corner of San Jose History Park, a yellow historic Victorian house is home to the Museum of the Boat People & Republic of Vietnam.

In reaction to a Tennessee school board’s ban on Art Spiegelman’s “Maus,” Ryan Higgins, owner of Comics Conspiracy in Sunnyvale, offered to donate up to 100 copies of the critically acclaimed graphic novel—and the tweet went viral.

San Jose has announced six new artists to serve as creative ambassadors for 2022. Stephanie Barajas, Ricardo Cortez, Dana Harris Seegar, Eric Hayslett, Amy Hibbs, and Brandon Luu are the six selected.

The Thomas Fallon statue has long been a point of contention in San Jose. Featuring Fallon raising a U.S. flag during an era where the region technically still belonged to Mexico, it has been vandalized repeatedly in recent years. The city’s Arts Commission has unanimously voted in favor of removing it.

After a drive-in format for 2020, the Zoppe Family Circus is back in its big top this fall. The troupe will perform in Redwood City through early November.

After an overwhelming amount of public support, Mountain View’s Castro Street will officially remain a pedestrian street until at least 2023. This is great news for everyone who enjoys the lively scene of restaurants and shops, along with the great nightlife.

Peach Tree Rascals, a band recently featured on Stephen Colbert’s late-night show, is enjoying newfound fame. Not so long ago, the band members were classmates in San Jose.

While still basking in the glow of a brand-new community center, Los Altos Mayor Neysa Fligor has spoken on behalf of a theater dream for the city.

Día de los Muertos altars are on display through Nov. 3 at the Gilroy Center for the Arts. This year’s exhibit focuses on specifically remembering members of the local community.

Santa Clara’s well-known Parade of Champions found its way back to its familiar parade route after taking a year off due to COVID-19. Turnout was higher than in previous years, as residents welcomed the opportunity for some normalcy.

Bay Area residents from all over the region are traveling to Casa de Fruta to experience the Northern California Renaissance Fair.

A San Jose neighborhood loves a local mural that celebrates Hispanic heritage and has been responsible for a reduction of graffiti incidents. But now the new owner of the building the mural is located on has announced he will be removing it despite protests from locals.

The Virtual Science Museum is a traveling exhibit showcasing the wonders of VR to families. It is residing in Valley Fair until January.

Mark Zuckerberg, known for giving financially to the Jewish community, recently gifted funding to local organizations—including $200,000 to the Oshman Family JCC in Palo Alto.

The San Jose Chamber of Commerce and the San Jose Symphony have both dropped “Silicon Valley” from their names in favor of sticking with the city instead.