History

“The path toward being an artist can take many forms. For some it starts with nothing more than a number 2 pencil and plain sheet of paper. For others it may be a box of crayons, colored markers or a water color paint set. For 11-year-old Carlos Rodriguez, newly arrived to San Jose from Mexico in 1988, his path to being an artist was through creating graffiti on walls throughout San Jose in Latino neighborhoods that allowed spaces for public murals. Twenty three years later Rodriguez opens a studio called The Tracks, located south of downtown San Jose in the Spartan-Keyes Neighborhood, he and co-owner/founder Helene Ehrlich hope to create a space where other aspiring artists can learn and grow, a place where, as Rodriguez elaborates, “Artists can express their passion and create things people will enjoy, create things that people can like or hate at the same time.” “Graffiti helped me to make friends, I was no longer a stranger, I learned at an early age how powerful art was,” Rodiguez said. As a young artist and new immigrant, his work on graffiti murals served as a means to connect to other kids his age and he soon found that other kids admired his work. In graffiti culture the railroad and boxcars are considered the ultimate canvas. That is where a graffiti artist can display his/her talent and showcase art that will eventually be seen throughout the state if not the entire country as the train travels across the landscape day and night. It becomes in essence a moving exhibit, thus his choice to name his studio The Tracks. But prior to opening The Tracks Rodriguez first cultivated his skills and developed his style, when at 18 years-old, he started spending time at MACLA Arte, a gallery serving the Latino community. He would then go on to work at a youth center in Mountain View where he began to teach art to other Latino youth, and he introduced art programs at the Alum Rock Counseling Center and worked for the City of San Jose’s gang prevention program. It was only a matter of time for his hunger to start his own business led him to opening a vinyl business and later a silk screening business which he still currently runs. Like most new business startups, it has not been easy but he learned that having a business is very liberating. “We still struggle as young artists but still we sell our art whether it’s murals, paintings, T-shirts, our own clothing line or photography services” he says. Today his company New Edge Creative Studios consists of T-shirt printing, design work, murals and photography by co-founder Ehrlich.” -Jose Posadas | SV Latino | 2012