Adobe, Local Color, and the San Jose Downtown Association weave threads of connection through landmark San Jose mural

Image credit: Sagar Pathak.

At Adobe, fostering creativity for social good is ingrained in our DNA. Since establishing our presence in San José 30 years ago, we have seen the transformative power of art and culture in driving innovation and inspiring connections within our local communities.

That’s why, as the first major tech company to set up headquarters in downtown San José, we have embraced our responsibility to nurture the vibrant and diverse community that has shaped our identity and driven our growth. Last year, we established our Hometown Commitment, which aims to foster positive change where we work and live by collaborating with local nonprofits dedicated to addressing critical local challenges, revitalizing communities, and bolstering arts and cultural institutions.

We are thrilled to highlight the efforts of two of our Hometown grantees, the San Jose Downtown Association (SJDA) and Local Color, who collaborated with Adobe and the City of San Jose to rejuvenate the heart of San Jose to create a new vibrant mural along San Jose’s historic San Pedro Square.

Honoring our hometown

Image credit: Sagar Pathak.

Holistic support lives at the heart of our Hometown Commitment, where we leverage Adobe’s people, products, platform, and the Adobe Foundation’s philanthropy to create profound impact. As initial grantees of our Hometown Commitment, Local Color and The San José Downtown Association share our belief that public art fosters a vital connection between community and place.

Adobe employees joined thousands of other local volunteers to transform the Square’s asphalt into a stunning canvas and breathe new life into the city’s hub for connection, entertainment, and small businesses. The mural, entitled “Threads Woven”, was designed by artist and San José native Jim Fonseca, known professionally as Jimmy Paints.

Image Credit: Alex Knowbody.

“Threads Woven” fuses inspiration from Mexican sarape blankets with Fonseca’s signature geometric style to create a series of vibrant color combinations. The mural aspires to capture Fonseca’s spirit of community, a tribute to the streets that shaped him and to San José’s creative essence.

Once completed, “Threads Woven”, will be the largest public artwork of its kind in San Jose, covering over 12,000 square feet of asphalt, and the largest project ever facilitated by Local Color, which has aided in the creation of over 250 murals in the greater South Bay.

Painting a mural of this size is no simple feat, so Fonseca turned to Adobe Photoshop, Adobe Illustrator, and Adobe Fresco to scale his design and layout the colors with ease as he conceptualized and rendered “Threads Woven”. Additionally, to prep the street, he recruited the help of dozens of art and design students from San José State University who traced the mural’s outline prior to volunteers painting and gained meaningful experience with a landmark public art project.

Much like Fonseca, Adobe is always seeking dynamic avenues to secure a more prosperous future for San José by celebrating San José's rich cultural heritage and empowering the next generation of artists, students, and innovators with the creative tools they need to create an impact. Through Adobe’s Taking Action Initiative, aimed at accelerating representation, growth, and advancement for underinvested communities, we’ve partnered with San Jose State University (SJSU), to equip SJSU students with the skills, internship experience, and resources to succeed in today’s digital first world.

We’re honored to support these organizations as they work to champion the betterment of our hometown and transform San José into a vibrant and bustling city.

Erin Salazar, Executive Director of Local Color, Alex Stettinski, CEO of San Jose Downtown Association, Matt Mahan, San Jose Mayor, Maria Yap, VP of Digital Imaging, Adobe. Image Credit: Alex Knowbody.

Mobilizing community for change

As we leverage Adobe's strengths to support our nonprofit partners and community projects, our employees are essential to our enduring impact. Lending their hands and creative spirit to the new mural is just one of the ways Adobe employees are actively making a difference in the communities we call home. They’ve also driven wide-scale positive change through their personal philanthropy, pro bono services, and volunteerism, driving over $33 million USD through Adobe's matching gifts program and dedicating more than 200,000 volunteer hours to support various organizations in 2023 alone.

Image credit: Sagar Pathak.

Adobe is always pursuing opportunities to infuse creativity and vitality throughout the communities where we live and work from investing in public art that celebrates San José’s rich history and culture to collaborations with local organizations and universities.

Over the years, we’ve redefined the San José skyline with innovative projects such as the San José Semaphore, a moving puzzle that delights both locals and visitors alike, and the completion of our campus with Founders Tower whose colorful glowing strands and vibrant public art installations designed by incredible local and global artists serve as a tribute to Adobe and San José’s creative legacy.

Now, we are proud to work alongside Local Color and SJDA to transform a section of San Pedro Street from a two-lane roadway into a pedestrian-friendly corridor, reimagining the urban landscape and stimulating public engagement. As we enter the next chapter of supporting our hometown, we are thrilled to see this mural come to life and to continue to harness the best of Adobe to bring color and creativity to San José’s streets.