After more than two decades since becoming an “accidental arts leader,” as she puts it, Silicon Valley Creates CEO Connie Martinez said even though she’s retiring from her position this year, she’s very optimistic about the future of downtown San Jose.

“Yes, we’ve had setbacks, but if you look at the trajectory over the last 30 years … we’re moving in the right direction. I’m bullish on downtown,” said Martinez, who received the Cornerstone of the Arts award from San Jose’s Office of Cultural Affairs and Arts Commission on Thursday night at the Hammer Theatre Center. “Arts and culture mean more today in my view — post the pandemic — than they ever did.”

In a wide-ranging conversation with San Jose Director of Cultural Affairs Kerry Adams Hapner, Martinez reflected on her career — including leadership positions at the city of Mountain View, UC Santa Cruz, the Children’s Discovery Museum and 1stAct Silicon Valley — as well as those who provided her mentorship and the different groups she tried to bring together to improve the valley.

“Great cities evolve over centuries,” she said, noting that having lived five different places downtown, she’s been able to watch the city evolve. “And we’re a young, young city. We’re an unfinished city.”

Santa Clara County Poet Laureate Tshaka Campbell opened the event, saying, “I only took this gig because I thought I could roast Connie, but apparently that’s not the case.” Instead, he delivered a stirring haiku about peace and a powerful poem about a world without sound.

Also honored at the event were the David and Lucile Packard Foundation, which was represented by President and CEO Nancy Lindborg, and the San Jose Museum of Art’s Let’s Look at Art, a 51-year old program that brings art to classrooms throughout the region for free and was represented by about two dozen of its docents. The awards were introduced by San Jose City Councilmember Omar Torres, Arts Commissioner Lynn Rosenthal and San Jose Mayor Matt Mahan.

The audience for the event — which has evolved over the years into a “State of the Arts in San Jose” program — included Julie Packard, former Agilent CEO Ned Barnholt, former State Sen. Becky Morgan, former San Jose City Manager Deb Figone, Santa Clara County Assessor Larry Stone, San Jose Jazz Executive Director Brendan Rawson, American Leadership Forum CEO Suzanne St. John Crane, Opera San Jose General Director Shawna Lucey and former Cornerstone of the Arts honorees Roy and P.J. Hirabayashi and Bruce Labadie.

ARTISTS GET A BOOST: It was another great year for the Leigh Weimers Emerging Artists Awards, a program of the Rotary Club of San Jose that presented four Santa Clara County artists with unrestricted $5,000 grants this week.

This year’s recipients were performance artist Alycia Adame, pianist and composer Peter Colclasure, visual artist Julie Grantz and textile artist Isabella King. You can get more information about them and previous recipients at www.weimersawards.com, but if you want to see Grantz’ work up close, the Triton Museum of Art in Santa Clara has an exhibition of her charcoal-on-sandpaper drawings on display through Dec. 30.

The program is named for the late Leigh Weimers, who championed the arts in Santa Clara County throughout his 40 years as a columnist for the Mercury News. His wife, Geri Weimers, and his daughter, Kristin Weimers, attended Wednesday’s presentation at the Hammer Theatre Center. And I’m sure Leigh was there in spirit, as always.

HONORED ALUMS: The East Side Education Foundation will be inducting another worthy class of alumni into the Thomas P. Ryan Hall of Fame next month, including an assistant chief of police, a school district superintendent, a law partner and a car guy.

This year’s 10 honorees are Meredith Curry Nuñez (Piedmont Hills, class of 2000); José Vicente González (Yerba Buena, 1996); Frederick Griefer (Santa Teresa, 2001); Mike Hennessy (Oak Grove, 1973); Wahid Kazem (Independence, 1991); Élida Sandoval MacArthur (Overfelt, 1987); Jann Murray-García (Yerba Buena, 1981); Kristi Nevarez (Yerba Buena, 1987); Lan Nguyen (Andrew Hill, 1987); and Christina Marie Ramos (James Lick, 1997).

The foundation board also will be recognizing two education advocates as Special Honorees: philanthropist Paul Humphries, former board chair of the Silicon Valley Education Foundation; and Michael W. Kirst, professor emeritus of education and former president of the California State Board of Education.

Tickets are still available for the Nov. 4 induction ceremony at Hayes Mansion in South San Jose, with proceeds benefitting the Spartan East Side Promise program. Get more information at www.eastside-fund.org/hof_dinner.

IS THAT WHY THEY CALL IT “DOWN” TOWN?: A lot of the pretty renderings out there for future downtown San Jose developments include rooftop bars, an amenity everyone says is sorely lacking around here. (And that’s true; the best San Jose has is still Cielo at Santana Row.) But reality is heading in a different direction — basement bars. Last week, the San Jose City Council approved plans for a speakeasy-style bar in the basement of the former Bank of the West building at 2 W. Santa Clara St., currently owned by DivCo West.

Of course, the Italian Cellar bar just opened in the basement of the Italian Cultural Center and Museum in Little Italy, San Jose Social at San Pedro Square has an underground bar and bowling alley, and Haberdasher has been serving craft cocktails below street level for years on South First and San Salvador streets. I’m not sure if it’s just easier to build a basement bar than a rooftop one of if everyone’s just got fond memories of Manny’s Cellar. Either way, I’ll meet you downstairs for a drink.