Editor’s Note: This article was written for Mosaic, an independent journalism training program for high school and college students who report and photograph stories under the guidance of professional journalists.
Art is a powerful form of self-expression and an effective way to illustrate emotions, frustration and opinions. One San Jose organization echoes this belief through its current art gallery, while raising awareness about cultural resilience and gentrification in Latin American communities.
The exhibition, “There Are New Suns,” features artwork from three Mexican American artists with South Bay roots. The interactive gallery is put on by Movimiento de Arte y Cultura Latino Americana (MACLA) at its gallery in downtown San Jose. The show runs through Nov. 9.
MACLA strives to support the South Bay’s Latin American cultures and the community through art.
The artists use various art mediums that explore Latin Americans cultural resilience and experience with gentrification, which happens when a neighborhood undergoes changes because of an influx of more affluent residents. The effect can result in the original residents moving out because of high housing prices.
Natalia Torres, a staff member at MACLA, said the goal of “There Are New Suns” is to spread awareness about gentrification in communities with a heavy Latin American presence, like San Jose. Every week, Torres greets visitors as they walk into the gallery and tells them about the exhibition.
“All of these artists talk in a personal way about gentrification and displacement,” Torres said. “When we talk or think of gentrification and displacement, it’s often described in statistics and numbers.”
The featured artists include Cecilia Perez, who specializes in illustrations in animation; Samantha Saldana, who uses mixed media and photography; and Claudia Blanco, who is known for her cartoon-like drawings.
When I stepped into MACLA’s art gallery at 510 S. First St., I was greeted with beautiful art that resonated with Latin American culture.
My favorite artwork is Perez’s “San Jose” painting, which depicts iconic downtown elements in black and bronze colors. As someone who lives in San Jose, I felt it truly captures the city’s cultural setting and familiar connection.
The painting depicts the Berryessa Flea Market — a popular place to buy food and dry goods — San Jose’s skyline, a street stall and a figure of the Virgin Mary. They are all examples of San Jose’s wonderful Latin American culture and community.
Through her painting, I felt that Perez was trying to show how the local Latin American community can honor their culture amid intense gentrification in the area.
Perez said she was inspired by San Jose’s Latinx culture and MACLA’s welcoming community. She describes her experience with the organization as, “vibrant, understanding, beautiful and culturally incredible.”
Another one of my favorite artworks in the show would be Saldana’s craftwork that features a collection of paper that represent eviction letters. There are also pictures of people’s belongings and families. The work describes those who are forced out by gentrification and the difficulties that they face.
People often have to abandon their homes and look for another place to live, in areas with lower rent or worse living conditions.
Saldana’s work expresses the pain of having to abandon one’s home and belongings for a faint opportunity for a better life. Viewing it took my breath away. It’s a powerful message about the effect of gentrification on many people.
A Claudia Blanco work also stood out to me: a rotating wheel sculpture with cartoon birds painted on it. When the wheel turned, it gave me the sensation of seeing an animation in real time.
The art style is similar to the cartoons I watched when I was a child and brought back memories. To me, the birds moving above the wall sculptures represent how people and nature are constantly looking for a better place to live — more fallout from gentrification.
“There Are New Suns” is an impactful collection of art where artists express their own experience which will resonate with many viewers.
Angelique Alvarez Martinez is a member of the class of 2026 at San Jose High School.