FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
CONTACT
Carlos Velazquez, Public Information Manager, Office of Economic Development & Cultural Affairs
408-535-8168;
carlos.velazquez@sanjoseca.gov
Photos of the Ambassadors and samples of their work available upon request.
City of San José Announces 2026 Creative Ambassadors
SAN JOSE, Calif. (Nov. 18, 2025) – The City of San José Office of Economic Development and Cultural Affairs has announced the local artists who will serve as the City’s
2026 Creative Ambassadors:
- Sharon and Tanya Benítez (Los Panaderos), Mexican Folk Dancers
- Jorge Camacho, Designer, Artist
- Tricia Creason-Valencia, Filmmaker, Educator
The Creative Ambassador program champions the power of creative expression, engaging residents across communities and within neighborhoods through creative, participatory experiences. The ambassadors will serve a one-year term starting January 2026, during which they will produce a creative project that invites active participation from residents and celebrates the diversity of San José’s cultural communities. Launched in 2019, there have been 27 Creative Ambassadors for the City including this year’s artists.
“San José’s arts community is a big part of what makes this city so unique, fostering civic pride and contributing to its economic growth,” said City Manager Jennifer Maguire. “This exemplary program inspires creative expression among our residents through a variety of events and activities that will take place across the city.”
“We support artists, performers and visionaries through the Creative Ambassador program because art builds empathy, connects us as human beings, and helps give meaning to our shared experiences,” said Mayor Matt Mahan. “Sharon and Tanya Benítez, Jorge Camacho, and Tricia Creason-Valencia have been chosen because their work will spark creativity in every neighborhood they reach — strengthening our social fabric and building a stronger, more vibrant city."
Los Panaderos are a dance collective led by sisters Sharon and Tanya Benítez, specializing in son jarocho, son huasteco, and son mariachero performances and educational programs that highlight the cultural histories of Mexico, California, and beyond. Their project,
Fandango For All: Tradición Viva, Comunidad Unida, will be a year-long series of fandangos, cultural exchanges that blend music, dance, and storytelling.
Jorge Camacho (J.Duh) is a designer who fuses traditional sign painting, retro cartoon aesthetics, and skate culture with a deep sense of civic pride. His project,
Pop-Up Box, will transform a box truck into a mobile art gallery that brings rotating exhibitions directly into neighborhoods—schools, parks, retirement homes, and block parties. Each pop-up will invite community members to create art on-site, often accompanied by local DJs and musicians.
Tricia Creason-Valencia is an artist who blends documentary filmmaking, photography, and collage to explore identity, resilience, and the creative lives of women. Her project,
I Am/We Are: Our Stories Connect Us, will be a series of workshops uniting poetry, photography, collage, and audio storytelling to promote self-expression and collective healing, culminating in a public showcase.
In addition to producing a creative project involving the community, the ambassadors’ scope of work includes promoting creative expression through social media, participating in interviews, and helping promote and participate in the
WeCreate408 campaign, a month-long creativity challenge organized by the Office of Cultural Affairs and scheduled for April 2026.
“The Office of Economic Development and Cultural Affairs is proud to continue this program that since 2019 has given 24 local artists the title of Creative Ambassadors,” said Cultural Affairs Director Kerry Adams Hapner. “We look forward to continuing to support local artists while offering opportunities for San José residents to express themselves creatively through this array of year-long activities.”
To follow and participate in the 2026 Creative Ambassador projects, follow the Office of Cultural Affairs on
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About the City of San José
With almost 1 million residents, San José is one of the most diverse large cities in the United States and is Northern California’s largest city and the 12th largest city in the nation. San José’s transformation into a global innovation center has resulted in one of the largest concentrations of technology companies and expertise in the world.
About the San José Office of Cultural Affairs
The Office of Cultural Affairs is a division of the Office of Economic Development and Cultural Affairs (OEDCA) in the City Manager’s Office and is the City's lead for stewarding a vibrant arts sector. It fosters cultural development through cultural funding programs, cultural workforce development, cultural facilities, special event services, and public art. For more information, visit www.sanjoseculture.org.
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