A city is more than its roads, buildings and parking lots. It is also the places, images and creative touches that make residents stop, look and say, “That’s Gilroy.”
Take a walk around town and you’ll find plenty of examples.
The handball courts at San Ysidro Park have been transformed into colorful works of art. Downtown murals bring life to otherwise ordinary walls, while the alley featuring murals and scenes from Gilroy’s history offers a visual reminder of where the city has been and how it has grown.
Two massive murals were unveiled in 2023 on Railroad Alley, part of an effort to revitalize downtown with vibrant colors in a highly visible corridor for train passengers.
The works, located on the alleyway between Martin and Lewis streets, were painted on the rear of Downtown Furniture and 7568 Monterey St. They join the “Gallery in the Alley” project that got jump started by City Councilmember Carol Marques and artist Sheryl Cathers in 2022 with a mural on the rear of the former Tempo Kitchen & Bar.
The Gilroy Arts Alliance building is another important part of that creative landscape, providing a home for the arts and a place where residents can experience and support local artists.
These projects may not solve a traffic problem or fix a pothole, but they do something important: They give the community a sense of identity. They create places to pause, look and connect—and give visitors another reason to remember Gilroy.
That makes the upcoming Open Studios Art Tour on Oct. 24 and 25 particularly timely.
The tour is an opportunity to discover the creativity that exists right here in our community. Local artists will open their studios, share their work and invite residents to see the people and ideas behind it.
It’s also a reminder that art doesn’t belong only in galleries. It can be found on a handball court, painted across a downtown wall, tucked into an alley or displayed in a local artist’s studio.
So take the opportunity to explore the Open Studios Art Tour. Visit a studio. Meet an artist. Bring a friend. Support local creativity if you can.
And as you move around Gilroy, take a fresh look at the art that has become part of our everyday landscape.
We may take it for granted because it is familiar. But together, these works help tell the story of Gilroy and make the city a more distinctive place to live, work and visit.
A vibrant community shouldn’t just be functional. It should have a little imagination, too.
And Gilroy does.
