Past Residencies

The 2022 King Artist Residency

Artist Rayos Magos, a San Jose-native Latinx mixed media artist, was approved by the Public Art Commission as the first Artist-in-Residence with the City of Palo Alto Public Art Program. His residency, Rituals of Resilience, included a six month community engagement process sparking conversations about culture, identity, belonging, and resilience, with a special focus on amplifying voices of Latinx and BIPOC community members and mental health service providers.

Rayos' documentation of personal stories and learned experiences has resulted in a final temporary sculptural artwork called Te Veo, Te Escucho, Te Honro (I See You, I Hear You, I Honor You) and will temporarily remain on view on King Plaza through the beginning of 2024. Artist Rayos Magos created a free downloadable Rituals of Resilience Artbook(PDF, 4MB). Use this artbook to color, draw, or express your thoughts about your rituals of resilience.

Final Artwork & Community Engagement

Artist Rayos Magos' documentation of personal stories and learned experiences resulted in a final temporary sculptural artwork installed on King Plaza, in front of City Hall, Palo Alto. 

Te Veo, Te Escucho, Te Honro

Te Veo, Te Escucho, Te Honro (I see you, I hear you, I honor you), Rayos Magos, 2022

 

Group picture from one workshop Participant showing one collage  

During the first six months of artist Rayos Magos' residency, the artist led extensive outreach and engagement with Palo Alto communities in creative ways, including gathering and documenting Latinx/BIPOC stories, connecting with local mental health non-profits, facilitating multiple community art making workshops, conducting interviews with diverse community members and service providers, and creating interactive art to gather more community responses. Rayos Magos' Community Engagement Report(PDF, 272KB) provides an in-depth summary of the artist's goals, methodology, scope, as well as synthesized themes and findings from his outreach.

 

The 2023 King Artist Residency

Artist Kirti Bassendine was the 2023 King Artist-in-Residence, focusing on diverse underserved communities residing and/or working in Palo Alto and experiencing socio-economic or housing instability. Kirti conducted her research phase and worked with Palo Alto Renters Association, Move Mountain View, Alta Housing, Karat School Project, Avenidas, and the Buena Vista Mobile Home Park to engage their communities in storytelling about housing and belonging in Palo Alto. Over the course of her six month community engagement period, Kirti Bassendine held workshops with residents of Buena Vista Mobile Home Park, Alta Housing, Move Mountain View, Avenidas, and the general public. Bassendine's Creative Community Engagement Report(PDF, 115KB) outlines the artist's project scope, methodology, and findings from her outreach.  

Community Quotes

Samples of community quotes that Kirti Bassendine gathered during her 2023 Residency are currently on display on King Plaza, in front of City Hall, Palo Alto.

community quote images installed on king plaza

"In a way, home is where the heart or where friends are. So, home is where I have a sense of community, which I do and have had increasingly here in the last two years." -Mary