SAN JOSE, CA -- 10/28/08 --
Playwright, film maker and educator Luis
Valdez will be featured at the 2008 Great Cities Speakers Series, 6-7 p.m.,
Monday, November 3, at the San Jose Repertory Theatre, 101 Paseo De San
Antonio. A reception will follow at 7 p.m. to encourage further discussion.
This presentation and reception are free to the public. However,
reservations are strongly recommended and can be made by email to
info@1stACT.org
Valdez's talk, titled "The Power of Zero: The Mayan Key to Vibrant
Communities," looks at how the Mayan design could provide a provocative map
for the multi-cultural communities of the future.
"It was commonplace practice in Mayan cities to link the arts with science
and mathematics within spaces encountered in daily life. This provided a
powerful impetus that even today unleashes the creative faculties of
children, adults and the community at large," Valdez said.
Born in Delano, Calif., Valdez graduated from James Lick High School in San
Jose and went on to earn a degree in English from San Jose State University
(SJSU). Valdez worked with Cesar Chavez and founded El Teatro Campesino in
1965 on the picket lines of the Delano Grape Strike. Regarded as the father
of Chicano theater and film, Valdez's work includes "Zoot Suit" and "La
Bamba." One of the founding professors of California State University at
Monterey Bay, he launched the Institute for Teledramatic Arts and
Technology.
Taking part in the discussion with Valdez is former San Jose Mayor Tom
McEnery. McEnery has been a major leader in shaping the growth of San Jose
and Santa Clara County, a role that his father and both grandfathers also
previously enjoyed. Elected as San Jose's 61st mayor in 1982, McEnery is
credited for leading the rebirth of the city's downtown core and elevating
San Jose to one of the top large cities in the United States. He
continues his interests in the area's political arena while remaining
active as a writer, public speaker and an owner and member of the Board of
Directors for San Jose Sports & Entertainment Enterprises, which owns the
San Jose Sharks, San Jose's McEnery Convention Center is named in his
honor.
Produced by San Jose's Office of Cultural Affairs, 1stACT Silicon Valley
and the Commonwealth Club of California, the Great Cities Speakers Series
engages residents, business and civic leaders as well as those who will be
directly impacted by the evolution of the Envision San Jose General Plan
2040 -- the key planning document that will guide San Jose's growth,
character, and service ambitions over the next 10-30 years. This series of
monthly public lectures is designed to provoke thought, discussion and
imagination about the city of the future and to bring important outside
perspectives to local and regional efforts on civic planning, culture, art
and design. The lectures are free.
The Great Cities Speaker Series is also supported by the American Institute
of Architects-Santa Clara Valley Chapter, the American Planning Association
(APA) California Chapter-Northern Section, the Fairmont Hotel San Jose, the
San Jose Repertory Theater and the San Jose State University Department of
Urban and Regional Planning.
ABOUT THE SAN JOSE OFFICE OF CULTURAL AFFAIRS
The Office of Cultural Affairs is part of the City's Office of Economic
Development. Together, they foster cultural and economic development as
related strategies for building San Jose as the creative center of Silicon
Valley. The Office of Cultural Affairs coordinates services for outdoor
events and festivals, offers financial support for arts and culture
providers, supports arts education, and leads the development of public art
works throughout the city. For more information, please visit
www.sanjoseculture.org
ABOUT THE CITY OF SAN JOSE
From its founding in 1777 as California's first city, San Jose has been a
leader driven by its spirit of innovation. Today, San Jose stands as the
largest city in Northern California and the Capital of Silicon Valley --
the world's leading center of innovation. The city, the 10th largest in the
U.S., is committed to remaining a top-ranked place to do business, work,
live, play and learn. For more information, visit www.sanjoseca.gov
ABOUT 1STACT SILICON VALLEY
1stACT Silicon Valley is a broad network of regional civic, cultural, and
business leaders working to catalyze participation and investment at the
intersection of art, creativity, and technology. 1stACT strives to create
an authentic sense of place in Silicon Valley that fuels community pride,
broad participation, and philanthropic investment. Please visit
www.1stact.org
ABOUT THE COMMONWEALTH CLUB OF CALIFORNIA
The Commonwealth Club of California is the nation's oldest and largest
public affairs forum, bringing together its more than 18,000 members for
over 400 annual events on topics ranging across politics, culture, society
and the economy. The Club has offices in San Francisco and San Jose, with
regular events in both cities, as well as programs in the East and North
Bay. Please visit, www.commonwealthclub.org
Contact
Steven Brewster
(415) 577-8851 mobile
San Jose Office of Economic Development
Email Contact
Brendan Rawson
1stACT Silicon Valley
(408) 200-2020 ext. 105
Email Contact
