IF SubZERO and SVSX are any indication, there’s plenty of local artistic talent to go around in San Jose nowadays. While it may seem hard to regularly find these talents in a single place, a national organization called RAW started showcasing events locally this past May with a novel focus—rather than cover one aspect of a city’s creativity, why not share them all at once?

RAW: Ensemble on Sept. 27 is cross-pollination at play, an event unique for its all-inclusive focus. A typical RAW happening will feature paintings, sculptures, crafts, music and film in a single night. The edition on Thursday will feature music from Boyfriend Academy (electronic, and just heard at SVSX) and Heroes at Gunpoint (punk/metal) and more than 20 other artists, including Joshua Moreno (photos), Leighann Spivey (makeup) and  Demichild (performing arts).

“We try to be open minded to everyone and everything,” says Greg Gioia, showcase director for RAW: Ensemble. “A lot of what RAW is about is not really having limits. Anybody that has their artistic expression to share or some work to share with the world, they’re welcome, and we’re trying to just give an open forum for a lot of voices that have not had a way to be heard yet.”

Founded by fashion designer Heidu Laerra in 2005, RAW presents monthly shows in 54 cities across the United States. The concept was envisioned as a way for independent artists to pool their talent and gain more exposure.

Samantha Vu-Smith, a.k.a. Planet Cutopia, will present her recycled felt crafts for the first time this month and her husband, Tony Smith, will take the stage as electronic music artist Boyfriend Academy. He pointed out that RAW’s collaborative nature favors young artists: “When you have two dozen different artists and performers, each of those people has their own fan club, so you almost are guaranteed a decent-sized turnout just because it’s such a big lineup.”

RAW: Ensemble
Thursday; 8pm; $10
Beso Nightclub, San Jose

Artists are born unionists. Theirs is a talent that requires support, because if can’t be learned, it must be protected. It’s why they tend to cloister together, in the hopes that a collective effort will yield individual growth—power in numbers and such.
The independent artists organization RAW: natural born artists is one of largest of these creative brain trusts.

RAW is intent not on mere representation but on marketing the works of a nationwide network of painters and photographers, makeup artists and musicians, filmmakers and fashionistas. This Thursday, RAW will play curator to San Jose’s artistically gifted in an evening called “Menagerie.”

Currently operating in 64 cities nationwide, the RAW showcase takes up residence at different venues to host the work of local artists. On April 26, Beso Nightclub on South First Street in San Jose debuts “Menagerie,” an evening of sights and sounds featuring both San Jose’s best and brightest, as well as the underground and rising. Some of the featured creative types include photographers SnapShot Ninja (Annalisa Hackleman, whose pics have been seen in Metro) and Joha Harrison, artists Rikki9 Merle, Jamie Berumen and WJS and stylist Susan Talamantes.

“San Jose was a logical choice,” says RAW San Jose showcase director Greg Gioia. The city already has a “massive, thriving underground art scene but no national outlets for that talent.” RAW wants to be that outlet. It’s done wonders for some places already. A Sundance Channel documentary zeroed in on the work of one Los Angeles–based RAW artist, and a designer in Philadelphia landed a clothing line deal with Macy’s.

The selection process is fairly open ended. Looking for young designers in the first stages of their career, RAW’s talent scouts both actively hunt for new talent, and accept submissions on their website. By mid-June, RAW will span the globe. Its first international show will be held in Brisbane, Australia, with more showcases to be added around the continent, as well as in Germany, where RAW debuts in the fall.

RAW Showcase
Thursday, 8–11:30pm; $10–$15
Beso, 417 S. First St., San Jose