13.4 “Profiles” Fall 2021

This issue is special to me. There are several articles that I have had to bump from other issues for various reasons—COVID delays, articles not completed, photos unable to be scheduled. Therefore, I am excited to see these stories finally being told.

I have wanted to profile the artisans of the San Jose lowrider community for years, because there is misinformation about who they are and what they are like and a lack of representation of their creativity in the larger arts community. And being a kid from the East Side, it is part of my culture I wanted to celebrate. One of those bumped features was a piece on the car club Low Conspiracy. Just as we began to put the feature together, cofounder Jose Martinez unexpectedly passed away on March 12, 2021. And, what I thought would be a profile and interview with him about his 45 years of supporting and creating a South Bay car culture has become a memorial of a local pioneer. We are honored to have this issue reflect on the club that Jose “All Nighter” Martinez led. Though we are not a car magazine, we are a creative culture magazine, and Martinez’s spirit, talent, and entrepreneurship represent the ethos of our region and our publication. All of the people presented in this “Profiles” issue also emanate that same ethos—from DJs to illustrators, to bands, to dance crews. We are honored to introduce you to them and to dedicate this issue to the life and family of Jose Martinez.

Thank you,

Daniel Garcia

THE CULTIVATOR

Featuring:
Low Conspiracy | Warren Chang | San Jose Foos | Annmariz | Au La La Design | West valley Fashion | Kylee Dougherty | Barely Funktional | HeadHunter Crew | FlipSide Lovers | Google Downtown West | Needle to the Groove Album Picks