SAP Center Dons New Artwork Inspired by Its Home

The next time you "look up" at SAP Center, you may notice an extra pop of color.
And it might just remind you of home.
The San Jose Sharks partnered with Teal Inner Circle partner,
Zoom
, and
Local Color
, a local, women-powered non-profit, to display six vibrant murals on the Zoom Suite Level of the Tank that are inspired by the heart of Silicon Valley - San Jose, California.

"Zoom is proud to support and uplift the diverse community of San Jose where our headquarters are located," Zoom's Head of Social Impact, Roxana Shirkhoda said. "As part of our local efforts, we are excited to partner with the San Jose Sharks, the
Sharks Foundation
, and Local Color to help foster equity, democratize opportunity, and address some of humanity's biggest challenges right in our backyard. By offering local artists a platform to creatively bring to life what an equitable and inclusive community means to them, we hope to leave a legacy for years to come, not only for these individuals but for the entire San Jose community."
For the mural designs, each local artist was asked, "What Does San Jose Mean to You?" The response brought a variety of perspectives that will be on full display for the community to enjoy.
"The artists were granted creative freedom to bring their own unique representations of the city and their community to life," Executive Director of Local Color, Erin Salazar said. "The platform provided to these artists is huge not only for them, but for the folks who see their own stories reflected in the murals as well."
Standing at 28 feet wide by 8 feet tall, these murals can be seen clearly from the Main Concourse, with a scannable QR Code directing to more information on each mural and the artist behind it. Below is a brief description each artist shares about their mural and how they were inspired by San Jose:
Pamiliya by Alyssa Wigant

Each half of Alyssa Wigant's (
@alyssa.wigant
) mural is meant to represent her biracial identity - the left represents her Filipino heritage and the right represents her American heritage rooted in San Jose to tell "one cohesive story, filled with intricacies and twists and turns," just like her. Learn more about Wigant and her mural,
here
.
Santa Clara St. by Eddie Ramirez
Inspired by the iconic Santa Clara St. landmark located in the heart of our downtown, Eddie Ramirez (
@eddieramirezish
) wanted to highlight it "in its prime point of the day - at dusk when the workday has ended and you're getting ready for a night at the Shark Tank." Learn more about Ramirez and his mural,
here
.
Cross-Pollination by Jessica Eastburn
With such a diverse population, one of the things Jessica Eastburn (
@jesseastburn
) likes best about San Jose is its intermixing of cultures. Her mural "depicts a few of the prominent cultures and histories of San Jose," that she learned about when she first moved to the city. Learn more about Eastburn and her mural,
here
.
Hot Summer's Day by Luis Guardado
Growing up in East San Jose,
Luis Guardado
wanted to capture the essence of where he has spent most of his life and features "the busy streets, the deep-rooted culture that is ever -present, the hot and dry summer weather, and the hardworking street vendors…a nostalgic trip down memory lane," in his mural. Learn more about Guardado and his mural,
here
.
Comunidad by Rayos Magos
As a third-generation Mexican-American, Rayos Magos (
@rayos_magos
) wanted to highlight the agricultural roots of the valley with his grandparents migrating to the area to follow the agricultural seasons and "paved the way for his family to grow their roots culturally and economically in the South Bay." Learn more about Magos and his mural,
here
.
Old SJ by Sam Rodriguez
Old SJ is what Sam Rodriguez (
@samrodriguezart
) calls his "Love Letter to San Jose" and is inspired by his experiences growing up, his life stories, and his relatives. Learn more about Rodriguez and his mural,
here
.
Artists and the theme for the artwork were selected by members of the Sharks, Zoom, Local Color, and a community-led advisory group.
"The Sharks Foundation, in partnership with Zoom, also donated $20,000 to Local Color to support the Artist In Residence studios program, which works to reactivate vacant buildings that are slated for demo as an interim use creative workspace," Salazar added.
Additionally, part of the funding supported the commissioning of 15 artists through Local Color to design ceramic shark heads. These shark heads will be auctioned off by the Foundation with proceeds benefiting Local Color.
The large-format murals will be on display for all SAP Center events and will give you the constant reminder that there really is no place like home.