Youth Design Leadership SJ
“Tying Us Back to Our Roots”
“The arts can enrich all of us in this nation as individuals. The arts can enrich all of our communities and the country. And the arts can connect us to each other like nothing else can.” - Michelle Obama
Photos by Clara Mokri and students of YDL
In progress image from Youth Design Leadership’s final partner presentation.
Sketch Up design render by Isabelle T.
About
“Tying Us Back to Our Roots” is a Youth Design Leadership SJ project tying together cultural history and artistic elements of San Jose.
The 2021 Youth Design Leadership SJ program was a unique partnership drawing imagination and resources from Notre Dame High School, San Jose State University, Local Color, Studio Gang, and Westbank. Led by a cohort of local students and facilitated by Artist Emonic, the project aimed to create a welcoming and engaging environment that would bring people together through local stories. At the heart of the design was a focus on community interaction and on immersing visitors in the historical culture of San José, as represented by Westbank's Serpentine pavilion. Recycled materials, printed designs, and AR technologies were all employed to create a space where visitors could rest, reflect, and contemplate our city's past, present, and future growth. The result was a sustainably designed, beautiful, and thought-provoking temporary installation that showcased the creativity and vision of San Jose's young designers.
Design Process
Over the course of 7 weeks, the San Jose Youth Design Leadership program introduced local students to the power of design in their own communities through workshop-style educational sessions, professional practice opportunities, and the experience of taking a project from concept to build completion.
Historical Context
Inspirations for our design as well as other contributing factors that we saw best fitting for the final design.
Land Recognition
We recognize that the City of San Jose and the land we are currently on is ancestral Tamien Nation aboriginal territory. It is important for us to acknowledge that we are visitors to these lands, and the history of places we currently occupy. Today, Tamien Nation is working towards petitioning for U.S. Federal Acknowledgement. You can contact and support them through their website at info@tamien.org and donate here.