Now, as the organization begins celebrating its 75th anniversary, it has decided to take a fresh approach to its position in the community with a year full of celebrations and a minor facelift. Villa Montalvo is no more--say hello to Montalvo Arts Center.

In step with its name change, Montalvo has introduced a new logo to represent the organization's look and feel. In place of its traditional, bold typeface that simply used to say "MONTALVO" in capital letters, with only the "V" in red, the new logo simultaneously combines a lower-case "m" with the familiar look of its arches in front of the main villa.

Executive Director Elisbeth Challener says the organization's hope with these changes is that the community will identify with Montalvo not as simply a location, but as an all-encompassing arts center, and a concept of many different worlds of art coming together.

"We needed to communicate that this is a place and an idea but more than anything it's an arts center," she says. Challener adds that perhaps this new message will reach some people who might think of it as only a concert venue and don't know of other offerings such as the Artists in Residency and ongoing art education and enrichment programs Montalvo offers.

Many upcoming events throughout 2005 will commemorate the organization's 75 years in Saratoga. Montalvo staff is planning a 10-day music and education festival in September, for which details will be released on April 5. Challener says the festival will blend many types of music together to expose the community to a variety of genres, from classical, to bluegrass and jazz fusion.

"It's about crossing boundaries in music," says Challener.

An ongoing program at Montalvo for many years has been the Sculpture on the Grounds exhibit. This year Montalvo invited East Coast artist Robert Lobe to create special works of art for the first installment of 2005 in honor of the 75th anniversary. In addition to a few of Lobe's works that are currently on display in Montalvo's indoor gallery, Lobe fashioned many outdoor pieces after sights in nature he has come across that are now on display in various spots on Montalvo's grounds.

Challener says she was pleased when Lobe said his exhibit at Montalvo was one of the best opportunities to showcase his art he's had--it enables him to show off both art that is made to be indoors and art that was made to be amongst nature.

"That was terrific to hear him say that," says Challener.

"My experience was wonderful," says Lobe. "My work is about sensuous things that can engage people's fascination, and I think that's what Montalvo offers with its many trails as well. Especially how the organic interfaces with the inorganic. That's what I really enjoyed about Montalvo is the nature walks and the fact it has a long history with the arts."

Lobe says the chance to display some of his works outdoors was both an inspiring and challenging experience that was a bit humbling as well.

"These are all examples of eastern nature, brought to the other side of the country. Most of these pieces are from New England," says Lobe, referring to his roots. "There's a kind of take on nature that's sort of not as sensuous as you get in California. The trees here are really so amazing, so [my exhibit] really needed a transformation of art to hold its own with how beautiful Montalvo is. That's what these works are--a transformation of art into nature."

Other artists will join in for the 2005 Sculptures on the Grounds series throughout the year, including Chris Drury from Britain, Steven Siegel from New York and a unique collection of benches and chairs that 10 regional artists will create and either give or loan to Montalvo to be placed around the grounds. Challener says local individuals and corporations will be able to sponsor the various benches and chairs.

"It's like a treasure hunt," Challener says. "You never know where you will encounter a work of art while walking around Montalvo. People walking through can see a sculpture or piece of art that wasn't here when they were walking through a few months earlier."

Challener and Katy Rees, public relations manager for Montalvo, say they believe the highlight of the year will be the Community Open House coming up on Oct. 15, and that plans for a possible Visitor's Center on the grounds may get under way soon.

Challener says she hopes the entire community feels as much of a sense of accomplishment as she does for reaching such as milestone as Montalvo's 75th anniversary.

"Seventy-five years is really such an awesome achievement," she says, pointing out that she is hard-pressed to think of many other organizations or corporations that can say they have been around as long and have adapted and grown with the area's changes over the years as Montalvo has. "We have that history, but there will be 75 more. That's something for the community to be proud of. The community has assured that we will be here."

For more information on the Montalvo Arts Center, visit www.villamontalvo.org or call 408.961.5800.