By Shari Kaplan
To accommodate the expanding cultural needs of the community, Villa Montalvo launched a $3 million capital-improvement campaign last fall to help fund two major projects at the historical estate. As of mid-July, the Villa has garnered $2 million in pledges from national foundations, Bay Area corporations and local businesses, families and individuals, a Montalvo spokeswoman said.
The first major endeavor, which began in mid-May, is the renovation of the Carriage House Theatre, once U.S. Sen. James Phelan's garage. Because it is registered as a national historic landmark, its exterior must remain unchanged.
Improvements to the interior, however, include state-of-the-art lighting and sound systems, permanent seating, and temperature controls. An infra-red audio system will allow hearing-impaired patrons to borrow headsets and pick up an amplified performance. Renovations are scheduled to be complete by mid-September.
The second project entails constructing 10 new artist-in-residence cottages, which has been a goal of the Montalvo Association for several decades. Currently two apartments for these visiting artists, poets, writers and musicians are located on the Villa's second floor, with three other accommodations in an adjacent building. The cottages are scheduled for completion in 1998 or 1999.
Montalvo's artist-in-residency program is the oldest on the West Coast and can accept only a handful of the many artists nationwide who apply.
This article appeared in the Saratoga News, August 7, 1996.
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