SAN JOSE, Calif. - TelAve -- Starting Arts, a Bay Area nonprofit advancing access to arts education, celebrated the grand opening of the Shared Arts Center of San Jose, officially welcoming the community into a new downtown campus designed to expand access to arts education, creative programming and shared space for local artists and arts organizations.

San Jose Mayor Matt Mahan, Vice Mayor Pam Foley, Councilmembers Michael Mulcahy and Anthony Tordillos, Starting Arts Executive Director Ann Watts and SWENSON CEO Case Swenson joined community and arts leaders for a ribbon-cutting ceremony marking the completion of the Center's first phase.

Throughout the celebration, attendees toured the newly completed facilities and participated in arts classes led by professional teaching artists. The interactive programming offered youth and adults a firsthand look at the theater, dance, music and visual arts experiences the Shared Arts Center will bring to downtown San Jose.

The opening marks a significant transformation for a long-underused property at an important downtown crossroads. Located between San Pedro Square, Little Italy and downtown's residential, business and entertainment districts, the Shared Arts Center will bring arts programming, performances and regular community activity to the area while strengthening connections between the surrounding neighborhoods.

"Today is the realization of a vision we have carried for years: creating a place where the arts are accessible, organizations can grow and people of all ages can discover their own creativity," said Ann Watts, Executive Director of Starting Arts. "The Shared Arts Center belongs to this community. It was made possible by people who understand that the arts are not an extra—they are an essential part of how young people learn, how communities connect and how a city comes alive. We are incredibly grateful to Case Swenson, the SWENSON team and every partner who helped us open these doors."

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Located at 99 Notre Dame Avenue and 92 Sharks Way, the Shared Arts Center transforms two downtown buildings into a collaborative arts campus featuring rehearsal and practice spaces for theater, dance and music, along with shared creative facilities. Future plans include a state-of-the-art black box theater with seating for more than 300 people.

SWENSON led the transformation and build-out of the campus in close partnership with Starting Arts, helping turn Watts' long-held vision for an inclusive, collaborative arts center into a permanent home for creative activity in downtown San Jose.

"Seeing the Shared Arts Center open its doors and instantly fill with students, artists, and families is an exciting moment for San Jose," said Case Swenson, CEO of SWENSON. "Ann Watts and her team at Starting Arts have built something truly special. We believe deeply in this vision of a shared creative home. SWENSON is proud to have partnered on a space that will bring neighborhoods together and inspire our downtown community for years to come."

The grand-opening program included remarks from Mayor Mahan, Vice Mayor Foley, Councilmembers Mulcahy and Tordillos and SWENSON. Confirmed community leaders in attendance included Kelsey Combellick, representing Santa Clara County Supervisor Betty Duong; Chris Shay, Senior Vice President of Sharks Sports & Entertainment; Brian Kurtz, CEO of the San Jose Downtown Association; and Alexandra Urbanowski, CEO of SVCREATES.

Starting Arts is the lead partner for the Shared Arts Center, which is expected to serve as a home for Starting Arts, Silicon Valley Shakespeare, ArtHouse Studio, Los Lupeños and South Bay Guitar Society. Additional organizations are anticipated as the campus and its programming continue to develop.

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The Center will provide 25,500 SF of creative space and is expected to serve over 10,000 students, artists, organizations and community members annually. Information about upcoming classes, performances, facility use and community programming is available at https://www.startingarts.com/capital-campaign/

About Starting Arts
Starting Arts (SA) is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit arts education, founded in 2000, with the mission of making the arts accessible to all students in the Bay Area, focusing on under-served youth in Title 1 schools. SA provides arts instruction in dance, theatre, music, and visual arts taught by professional artists. The organization currently serves over 40,000 TK-12 grade students in 115 schools in 18 school districts. To learn more, visit www.startingarts.com. (http://www.startingarts.com)

About SWENSON
For over one hundred years, the Swenson family has been a dynamic partner in building Northern California. Four generations of expertise, along with a proven Design-Develop-Build platform, deliver an unparalleled level of creative design, quality developments and efficient construction practices. Throughout the Golden State, the wide range of real estate services by SWENSON is backed by decades of resources, referrals and sound business practices that have made the storied company a respected leader. Learn more at swensonbuilders.com.

Media Contact
Diandra Weldon | NINICO | diandra@ninico.com
Ann Watts | Starting Arts | ann@startingarts.com