Works San Jose

Works/San José is your community art and performance center—a non-profit creative laboratory where artists, audience, and ideas interact to expand the scope of cultural and artistic experience. Founded in 1977 by local artists, Works provides the environment and the tools to allow emerging artists, independent curators, and the community to challenge the boundaries of contemporary art.

Works is a proving ground for new talent and new ideas that otherwise might never be seen. In the past year exhibitions ranged in size from 3 to 70 artist participants, with more than 400 participating artists, performers, poets, writers, and event producers. More than half of these participants were exhibiting in public for the first time, from young animators in "Working Parts" to college design students re-imagining Silicon Valley public transportation in "Design in Transit." Exhibitions at Works are professional development opportunities in which artists and curators with challenging concepts are supported through the production of their exhibitions. The concepts for these exhibitions come from open community proposals, and in this way, Works presents underrepresented viewpoints while showcasing emerging and experimental visual, new media, installation, performance, and interdisciplinary art. As a focal point in downtown San José’s SoFA arts district, Works finds collaborative support from, and is a key contributor to, the vitality of the arts in San José and the entire region.

Works thrives on community involvement and has an outreach program that favors exhibitions that cross boundaries to bring about dialogues between our diverse populations. Works provides programs for artists at every level of career development through low cost workshops, talks, and free art experiences.