Villa Montalvo loses contract, a venue and part of its name in 2001
By Shari Kaplan
How does a nonprofit center for the arts such as Saratoga's Villa Montalvo survive when it finds itself vying with big, for-profit entertainment providers, such as Bill Graham Presents--also known as Clearchannel Communications? Montalvo has been forced to rethink the way it presents its 46th Performing Arts Series, in the wake of losing its contract to manage concerts at the historic Mountain Winery in Saratoga.
There's also a relative newcomer: the Universal House of Blues, which plans to build an amphitheater at the Santa Clara County Fairgrounds and has received the county's agreement not to permit concerts on other county land within a 150-mile radius. That eliminates the use of Vasona Lake County Park in Los Gatos as a concert venue.
But Montalvo has more than a few tricks still up its sleeve. In lieu of Vasona, it has approval from Los Gatos to use neighboring Oak Meadow Park, a town park, as a concert venue. And that's just one of several new and culturally interesting places throughout Northern California where patrons can see both new acts and old favorites.
The year 2001 is certainly proving to be a true odyssey for Montalvo, a nonprofit, multidisciplinary arts organization located in the Saratoga hills that, along with its other changes, has now eliminated the "Villa" part of its name.
The new name, according to Executive Director Elisbeth Challener, is meant to emphasize Montalvo's steadfast commitment to cultural and artistic integrity. Likewise, the performance schedule and partnerships with new venues show Montalvo is growing into a major contender in Northern California's entertainment field.
"In today's competitive environment, it's imperative for nonprofits to establish a strong brand," Challener explains.
"We've adopted a new slogan: 'See. Hear. Create. Be.' See cutting-edge works by emerging artists; hear the world's most talented performers; create a new expression of yourself as an Artist Resident; be a part of this arts center; be a part of arts and culture."
The concerts, theatrical and dance productions, comedy skits, one-person shows and children's events in the 2001 Performing Arts Series will take place in three Montalvo venues--the Carriage House Theatre, Garden Theatre and Front Lawn--as well as at five other locales: Oak Meadow Park in Los Gatos, the Flint Center in Cupertino, the Mission Church at Santa Clara University, the Fox Theatre in Redwood City and Ironstone Vineyards in Murphys. Musical genres include country and Western, Celtic, pop, rock, swing, easy listening, Latin, classical, jazz and rhythm and blues.
Ticket sale proceeds support Montalvo's internationally recognized Artist Residency Program--including the new Orchard of Artists complex currently under construction, the Gallery at Montalvo and the Education Outreach program. Among Montalvo's community outreach activities are performing arts lectures and demos, assemblies and field trips.
|
Saratoga, California Since 1955
