Spotlight on Steve Cooley: Visual Artist, Musician and Web Programmer
By: Joanne Hobbs

There is an old idea that each person enters the world “called” and that reading your life backwards can reveal interests and impulses tied to that calling. Looking back on his life from his current perspective, visual artist, musician and web programmer Steve Cooley cites a Mom who was into sewing, a Dad who was into computers (His Dad got an Apple ][+, circa 1982), which kindled his interest in circuit boards, and a Grandpa who worked in a lumber yard as major influences on his development.

“I've been lucky to have had technology in my house for almost all of my life and many of my abstract sculptures show the influence of my Grandfather’s love and skill with wood,” says Steve.

And as far back as Steve can recall he was always interested in typefaces and the shapes of letters. He remembers that their family dictionary had a page at the start of each letter’s section that showed the letter and each major iteration in its evolution—from 5000 B.C. up to the current time. He studied those pages way before he consciously knew that his life path would take him into design. It did prompt him to explore calligraphy for a while and eventually purchase software that let him create his own fonts. He’s created 4 typefaces although they haven’t been updated in years and his interest in unique typography continues.

“I always liked the rules you have to follow to make each letter look like it’s related to the others in a typeface family,” said Steve.

After being released from high school and its rigid curriculum, Steve plunged into fine art and graphic design classes and picked only academic classes that interested him like philosophy, sociology, humanities, marketing and business law. In 1993 he left the college scene and got jobs doing pre-press film separations, print production, and web design.

“Being paid to learn was pretty sweet,” said Steve.  “I’ve come to recognize that everyone learns new skills differently, and that my path was not a well beaten one, but it did work for me.  Now that I’ve been in this professional trade for almost 15 years, I have also discovered that a love of learning is critical to staying up on technology.”

And the web design led into web programming which is what Steve does today to pay the bills.

His art emerges from all these influences and studies. He is always trying out new techniques to achieve harmony between color and composition. Sometimes he does a lot of compositional sketches and then picks one that he favors in order to create a larger version of it. Other times he just sketches directly onto a canvas and starts solving the problems from there.

“Recently I realized that I don’t buy materials to have materials. I buy them to make art, so that insight is freeing me up to really put the priority on a finished piece instead of conserving my supplies,” he shares.

His bent for music developed side by side with his artistic leanings. He traces its emergence to middle school. He chose to take a band class to get out of taking a language.

“The irony here is that as a web programmer, I have to learn new languages to accomplish different tasks for my job,” says Steve with a grin. “Basically all the things I tried to avoid in school, I ended up having to do for my job.”

In high school he joined the marching band and hanging out with musicians led him to enter the current music scene more deeply. Electronic music was starting to pick up steam as was the PC music scene related to Trackers. A Tracker was a program that would let you create patterns of music using samples and 4 to 32 or more tracks. This was way before Windows was available. Midi was out, but using regular computers to control midi was just beginning.

Steve and his best friend Jim created a lot of music using Trackers. Then after high school he was introduced to House music by Adam, another band classmate, when it was still emerging along with techno. He started going to clubs, after hour parties, and raves.

“The music was amazing because it was like nothing you ever heard on the radio,” he recalls.

Steve finishes a live painting at Urban Geography

When he moved to San Jose from Southern California he moved into a house with a group of talented guys. Their musical interests meshed with his own and steered him back to the music that was closer to his Tracker days. He improved his DJing skills  which in turn helped him know how to construct songs for use by DJs.

“My friend Derek, one of the guys who used to live in that house of musicians, has a really innovative music label (http://doboxrecordings.com/) that releases songs from artists from around the world. I have a couple of music releases out on his label. And I've done some of the cover artwork and also help with some of the programming for his website.”  

Derek and Steve are currently working on new digital art forms, focusing on a couple of specific technologies. Derek is focused on Pure Data for music and data transmission and on Steve’s side it’s Processing and Quartz Composer for programmatic graphics. The idea is that Derek will create a live stream of data and music from his various tools and transmit that real time data to Steve over the internet. He in turn will forward it on to different aspects of programs he writes to change different parameters of the visuals.

“Our goal here is to get into another space where we can do a live audio video performance similar to an event we organized last September. This new stuff is exciting because it's really hard to get everything coordinated and working, and it takes 100% of our collective brain power to make something that's audio and visual—with the visuals reacting to the midi and
audio data.  When it's up and running, I have no doubt it's going to be mind bending!”

Steve has no end of projects that he has enthusiastically tackled including creating a content management system for the Heart of Chaos website. (Thank you Steve!). He also won Best of Show at the last Heart of Chaos exhibit Urban Geography and will be one of the live painters at the Work and Play exhibit which opens up on March 9. Check out more of Steve's work on the new Virtual Exhibit!

Last Call for Emerging and Established Artists for the theme “WORK & PLAY”, Heart of Chaos juried art exhibition, scheduled to open March 9, 2007 at The Center for Training and Careers at 1600 Las Plumas Ave. in San Jose. Click here for guidelines and entry form.
Cash prizes for 1st, 2nd, 3rd place and Best of Show. Curators are Summer Munoz and Ivan Gonzales. Contact Summer at for more information. Artwork and posters advertising Work and Play designed by Susie Zarate.

Please donate one piece of work for the HOC benefit Silent Auction. All proceeds will go to the Heart of Chaos programs.

Artists may set up a table to sell their work at the Work and Play Exhibit. Space is limited, however, so please contact Joanne at joanne@heartofchaos.net or call her at (408) 269-3356 to reserve a spot.

Come Paint the Mural for Work and Play!
Before the opening reception of every art exhibit that Heart of Chaos puts on, a group of artists get together and create a collaborative mural 6' x12' on masonite. It's fun and a great way to meet other artists. The mural collaboration is scheduled for Tuesday, February 27th from 8-11 . If you would like to participate please confirm with Joanne.

Collaborative mural from Down the Rabbit Hole Exhibit. See more photos from this Heart of Chaos exhibit.

Sign Up to Participate in First Annual Chalk Art Festival in San Jose

Heart of Chaos (HOC) will put on the First Annual San Jose Sidewalk Chalk
Art Festival at a neighborhood park on the last Saturday in June. The park will be selected according to recommendations by the city and neighborhood associations and by its sidewalk access. The chalk art festival will bring
an explosion of color, vitality and a sense of community to the park as HOC artists demonstrate the many varieties of chalk art and invite the children and adults in the neighborhood to create their own art using chalk provided by Heart of Chaos.

Ten or more visual artists will work individually on designated sections of the park¹s sidewalk. In between every artist will be several open sections of concrete with trays of colorful chalk intended for anyone who visits the park on that afternoon and wants to create their own fanciful chalk art painting. Picture adults, youth and children working side by side inspiring
and encouraging each other. Picture families creating a collaborative art work.

In addition to the chalk art, there will be music, a clay table for children, and a food table to purchase refreshments. The event will be
documented and the local press will be invited to attend and participate. From 12 noon to 4pm, visitors, neighbors, and community members can watch and admire art being created on the spot‹or roll up their sleeves and jump in to create their own masterpiece. At 4 pm, the best drawing will be judged by an independent panel and winners notified the following day. First prize is $250 with smaller cash prizes awarded for runners up.

If you want to participate email joanne@heartofchaos.net and you're in!

SoFA Logo Contest - $500 prize
Deadline is March 24th.
View Guidelines

Turn Your Junk and other Recyclables Into Art!

Stay tuned for information on RE:Use the next juried art exhibit presented
by Heart of Chaos and featuring art made from recyclables. Open reception is May 4th at Brooks College Sunnyvale. Check our website for guidelines after
March 10th.

Get your Heart of Chaos apparel! A $5 donation will be made to Heart of Chaos for every item purchased. There are tons of items to choose from and something for everyone.
Go Shopping!

We always welcome new volunteers and are in need of as much help as we can get! Below are some volunteer opportunities, if you are interested in volunteering with Heart of Chaos, please email Joanne Hobbs.

Graphic Designers and Editors needed for collaboration on
Heart of Chaos Zines

Several volunteers needed to assist in set up and clean up for Work and Play exhibit March 9, 2007 at The Center for Training and Careers at 1600 Las Plumas Ave. in San Jose

Several volunteers needed to assist in set up and clean up for Chalk Art Festival. volunteers also needed to host project and food tables

Heart of Chaos Behind Bars
Young Inmates Hands Are Idle No More
By: Joanne Hobbs

Many people have fond memories of making mud pies, forming figures with
play-dough, or finger painting, but for teens at San Jose¹s Juvenile Hall,
creating with clay, drawing and painting are some of the few positive means
of self­expression and a connection to the outside world. Thanks to Heart
of Chaos' art classes and its guest artist program, these teens have a
regular creative outlet and ability to create gifts for loved ones at home.

Heart of Chaos' art classes at Juvenile Hall are part of its community
outreach program. Reaching out to San Jose¹s incarcerated youth began in
April, 2006 when Heart of Chaos founder and former at risk youth Curtis
Manzano gave several workshops in touch drawing (a powerful art therapy
technique) to inmates at Juvenile Hall. Then current HOC directors and
emerging visual artists Anabella Pinon and Miguel Machuca followed up with weekly lessons in drawing portraits and still life using a variety of
mediums

HOC Co-Director Anabella Pinon teaches inmates contour drawing	HOC Co-Director Miguel Machuca helps a young man with his sketch	Sculptor Ruben Reyes demonstrates how to make bowls from clay

Recognizing the importance of reaching out to these young people with a
variety of creative mediums, Heart of Chaos also opened the door for area
art organizations and individual artists to participate in its Juvenile Hall
Program. Its first guest teacher last summer was the former president of Bay
Area Pacific Scribes Kay Woolfolk who taught the young men black lettering
and other calligraphic techniques. Pacific Scribe member Pam van Dyke
continues to teach a variety of calligraphic techniques to interested
inmates. The latest guest teacher is potter/sculptor Rubin Reyes who also
teaches at Mother Earth Clay Art Center in Sunnyvale. Check out photos from these sessions. If you would like to volunteer to teach a class at Juvenile Hall, please contact Joanne Hobbs at joanne@heartofchaos.net or (408) 269-3356

Heart of Chaos is the premier program of non profit Catalyst for Youth, a
public charity and educational organization that has an incubator initiative for youth created and led businesses.

Inspirations Worldwide
By: Susie Zarate

ART:  –noun  1. the quality, production, expression, or realm, according to aesthetic principles, of what is beautiful, appealing, or of more than ordinary significance.

The ever so constant movement of extraordinaire creation is something that can be described best as unavoidable and unstoppable.  While people are rushing to their local paint store with paint chip at hand, others find beauty in abandoned supply.  But one must not forget our need to restore, replenish and beautify.  Here is a perfect example of how photographer Nathan Gibbs constructed a self portrait using Ralph Loren paint swatches.

Nathan Gibbs is a media producer and artist whose recent work explores color and culture in the United States. His work has been exhibited internationally including the Getty in Los Angeles, the Andy Warhol Museum in Pittsburgh, the Hong Kong Art Centre, and many more.  To find out more about how Gibbs is spreading knowledge through art, visit; www.nathangibbs.com.

South FIRST FRIDAYS
An ecletic evening of Arts & Culture in downtown
San Jose's SoFA district every First Friday of the month

Anno Domini
"EVERYTHING, all at once, all day long."
Daniel Jesse Lewis debut solo exhibit
Exhibit on view through March 16, 2007
Gallery hours: Tues. - Sat., Noon – 7pm

KALEID gallery
88 South Fourth Street
Downtown San Jose
Gallery Hours :
T-F Noon-7pm
Saturday Noon-5pm

MACLA
Domestic Alchemy:
featuring new work by Alejandra Chaverri, Caleb Duarte,
Cristina Velazquez and Nora Raggio
Exhibition: February 2-April 7, 2007

Black and Brown - buy,sell,trade (fashion & art)
Black and Brown is a Used, Vintage, Consignment
Store and showcases monthly artshows
1225 San Carlos Street
San Jose, CA 95106
(408) 298-1970

present:
a book by- Jai Tangu (San Jose photographer legend)

Book Release Party & Art Show
on view from Feb. 16th - March 23rd

April - paintings & mixed media by San Jose artists
Francis Marin & Kim Chritman

Good Karma
Vegan Restaurant
37 S. First St. (between Post & Santa Clara)
San Jose, CA 95113
Open 11am - 9pm Mon-Sat
12pm - 7pm Sundays
Visit Good Karma to check out work by Heart of Chaos
Co-Directors Anabella Pinon and Miguel Machuca
Acoustic performances every Thursday at 8pm
Art show receptions the first Friday of every month


Aurora Colors Gallery
Opening on Saturday, February 24th
Reception for our fine arts exhibition "Abstractions, Color & Texture" featuring 36 artists from around the United States.
"Abstractions, Color and Texture" explores the quality of emotion and the weight of the mood revealed in artistic compositions of various media. This exhibit is a survey of the nuanced and complex relationships that color associations and textural variations form, with each other in a work and with the viewer on an emotional level.

Work & Play :: Juried Heart of Chaos Exhibit
March 9, 2007 4pm -9pm
Art, Food, Music, Spoken Word & Silent Auction
FREE Admission
The Center for Training and Careers at 1600 Las Plumas Ave. in San Jose


The Overpass Gallery
859 West Hedding
San Jose, CA 95126  
for more info email Al at apreciado@bcp.org

The Overpass Gallery named after the nearby Hedding  Street overpass. It began
in March 2006 to promote local artists.
The gallery mission was to simply showcase visual art, poetry and collaborative music without the agenda of selling or money being part of the process. The artists were the cause of their own being helping to facilitate press, instillations , receptions and all the other requirements of putting together a show.

Upcoming Overpass Gallery Shows:

"PERMISSION AND CONSENT" -an exhibition exploring the dynamics of intimacy regarding boundaries  and acceptable or unacceptable behavior between the sexes .
March 24th, 3pm-midnite          
8pm Poetry and Drum Circle
Artist - Bette Linderman Anabella Pinon Al Preciado, Julie  Batista, Paul Gonzales, Monika Rose, Joe Miller ,Tim Cottengim, John Kurtyka, Francesca Lovecchio, Ruth Litoff, Linda Churchill and Others.

April 21, 3pm-midnite
artist - John Kurtyka, Francesca Lovecchio and Tim Cottengim.
A group painting exhibition exploring the human condition.
Poetry and Drum Circle 8pm

May 19th, 3pm - midnite
Al Preciado/ Retrospectivepainting, sculpture, drawings and mixed media
Open Mike and Drum Circle 8pm
The May show will be the last show at the Overpass gallery.