When the pandemic began, Andrew Espino started out selling his friends’ artwork out of the trunk of his car. More than two years later in May, he opened up the newest art gallery in Downtown, 1Culture — located at 136 E. Santa Clara Street.

His first official art show, “Day 1s” is now open until Aug. 6 and showcases 20+ artists from coast to coast that have been supporters since day one.

🤝 The mission

1Culture’s biggest theme? Identity. Andrew hopes to make the gallery a place where people can be a part of San Jose’s changing scene.

“I don’t see it as just a retail store or gallery, I really see it as a place where people can come and feel present,” Andrew said. “They can get inspired, they can feel like they’re at home.”

1Culture is Downtown's newest art gallery. | Photo by SJtoday staff

🎨 The art

While 1Culture was born out of the love for street art, the show is not restricted to any certain style. “1Culture legitimately stands for [...] originality, creativity, and unity,” Andrew said. “If you’re behind those three things, you’re a part of our culture, it’s just that simple.”

Many artists have found community within 1Culture — including these San Jose-based artists who are featured in the exhibition:

The exhibition’s headliner is San Jose-based artist Carlos Rodriguez, who immigrated here when he was eight years old. His art career began with graffiti murals in Latino neighborhoods + reflects his Mexican heritage. His work can be found all around San Jose, including Mt. Pleasant High School and August Boeger Middle School.

SJtoday staff won this piece, "Paranoid Freak," by SJ-based artist Francisco Ramirez, in a raffle. | Photo by SJtoday staff

🖌️ Looking ahead

There’s a lot in the pipeline for 1Culture. Along with the goal to host a show every six weeks, there are plans for a back-to-school exhibition in October with art from up-and-coming artists around the Bay Area, aged 10 to 21.

Andrew’s dedication to showcasing local talent is what he says drives 1Culture. He said, “A lot of these artists [...] that haven’t been given the platform they’ve needed to showcase their work, I’m just giving them the source, and I get to see them come to light. To me, that’s super inspirational.