Kerry Adams Hapner, San Jose Director of Cultural Affairs

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Plumed Serpent: Politics of Place, Art, & Cultural Inclusion

Presented by Kerry Adams Hapner, City of San José Director of Cultural Affairs

Public art communicates civic ideals and punctuates public memory, contributing to the identity not only of a community, but of a place. New community voices catalyze the evolution of cultural perspectives, which question the commemoration of certain individuals, events and ideas. Located in downtown San Jose’s central Plaza de Cesar Chavez, artist Robert Graham’s Plumed Serpent was installed by the San Jose Redevelopment Agency in 1994.  Ever since, the artwork has been a lightning rod for civic discourse, exemplifying how public art elicits animated democracy and reflects social issues. Some people saw the art as an homage to Mexican-American culture by a leading artist, while others viewed it as an unconstitutional symbol of an evil Aztec religion. Some…