Downtown San José as an Imaginative Landscape

Pao Houa Her’s artwork has been featured in the San Jose Museum of Art (pictured here) as well as at SJSU’s Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Library. Photo: Frederick Liang, San Jose Museum of Art.

A visitor to Pao Houa Her: The Imaginative Landscape at the San José Museum of Art.

Downtown San José has long been a hub of culture, creativity and collaboration, and a new exhibition demonstrates just how powerful partnerships can be in shaping a vibrant community.

The exhibition “Pao Houa Her: The Imaginative Landscape,” presented by the San José Museum of Art (SJMA), extends far beyond the museum’s walls thanks to a network of dedicated partners — including the SJSU King Library, San José Downtown Association, Mezcal Restaurant and Visit San José. Together, these organizations have transformed downtown into a dynamic satellite gallery, where art becomes part of everyday life.

Pao Houa Her’s practice engages with the legacies, potentials and aesthetics of landscape and portrait photography traditions, examining the complex intertwining of desire, homeland and artifice. Rooted in the experience of her Hmong community and shaped by family experiences and lore passed down by her elders, Her’s work centers women as the knowledge bearers of both past and future. Her explores constructions of homeland that resonate across diasporas.

Visitors can view Pao Houa Her’s striking photography on the fourth and fifth floors of the Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Library, displayed on monitors scattered alongside library and campus resource announcements. The library’s role exemplifies the benefits of linking higher education with cultural institutions to strengthen civic life and enhance the academic and cultural environment for SJSU students, faculty and staff.

In addition, Her’s art can also be viewed outside the convention center, Mezcal Restaurant on San Fernando Street, and at various downtown locations. This partnership illustrates the value of weaving art into community spaces and across gathering places where people live, work and connect. 

Nick Szydlowski, digital scholarship librarian and lead partner coordinating the King Library Digital Humanities Center (DHC), was eager to showcase how the digital displays could reimagine everyday spaces as venues for creativity and dialogue. 

Pao Houa Her’s photography is on display at SJSU King Library. Photo: Frederick Liang, SJMA.

“By distributing exhibits across multiple physical and digital locations, art is no longer confined to a single venue or format — it becomes part of the city’s sense of place, innovative spirit and collective identity, which makes San José such a rich environment for digital humanities work,” said Szydlowski. 

Through “The Imaginative Landscape” partnership, it’s clear that when organizations join forces, they can turn city streets into a living gallery — where art is accessible, relevant, and deeply connected to the community it serves.

Follow @sjsulibrary and @sanjosemusuemofart on Instagram to learn how this partnership fosters connection, curiosity, and inspiration and visit the various locations in downtown San José during the holiday break.

Mark your calendar on February 12, 2026 for a special SJMA Creative Minds event featuring the artist Pao Houa Her in the King Library Digital Humanities Center.