montalvo arts center celebrates its 100th anniversary in 2012

8/3/2019 Montalvo Arts Center Celebrates its 100th Anniversary in 2012

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Saratoga boys, girls basketball teams are El Camino Division leaders* page 33

Vol. 57, No. 5 Tuesday, February 7, 2012

An edition of the

B Y BRIAN B ABCOCK

Saratoga City Council members have said on severaloccasionsthat they care about the needs and welfare of thecity’s youth, knowing that loved and educated children will

be better citizens.But the council showed some tough love when discussing how many absences Saratoga youth com-missionersare allowed during their terms.

City staff had recommended that the council increase thenumber of allowed absences for youth commission meet-

ings from two to three. Staff also asked that the councilleavemid-term vacanciesunfilled.The issues cameto the forefront after a youth commis-

sioner had to be dismissed for missing a second meeting.Underprevious guidelines,the council had to immediately fill the position.

All council members agreed that the guideline neededto be changed. They said there was no need to interviewcandidates and fill a position that wasgoing to be vacatedagain in just a few months when the term was up.

But the council didn’t agree on how many absences a youth commissioner should be allowed. Each city commis-

COUNCIL TAKES HARD LINEON NUMBER OF ABSENCESFORYOUTHCOMMISSIONERS

Members decide, though, not to fill mid-term vacancies on commission

A

N E W S P A

P E R

P H O T O G R A P H

B Y G E O R G E

S A KKE S T A D

Montalvo executive director Angela McConnell says of the volunteers who support the arts centerthrough the Montalvo Service Group, ‘It’s remarkable, their passion for this place.’

Viva la Villa Viva la Villa

Montalvo Arts CenterMontalvo Arts Centercelebrates its 100thcelebrates its 100thanniversary withanniversary withmany events in 2012many events in 2012page 18page 18

Council, page 12

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18 SILICONVALLEYCOMMUNITY NEWSPAPERS FEBRUARY 7 , 2012 185

“I would like the property at Saratoga, California, knownas Villa Montalvo, to bemaintained as a public park openunder reasonable restrictions,the buildings and groundsimmediately surrounding the sameto be used as far as possible for the development of art, literature,music, and architecture by

promising students.”—Sen. James Duval Phelan

One hundred years later,the words of James DuvalPhelan’s bequest still as-

tonish the reader. Not too many people, past or present, wouldturn over a mansion and 160acres of property to promote thecause of the arts.

What is even more impressiveis tha t s ince his death in 1930,

Phela n’s dream of a refuge forartists is still being realized, and

in fact has come even closer tohis vision than ever.

Villa Montalvo—known now asMontalvoArts Center—is busierthan ever in the pursuit of all theMuses. Its grounds house someintriguing visual art in gallery displays and permanent instal-lations, music that ranges fromclassical to contemporary, and

grand old architecture in the villa and other buildings.

This year marks the 100th an-niversary of the building of VillaMontalvo, a centennial that will

be highlighted with a variety of festivities throughout 2012.

Montalvo came into being when Phelan, a wealthy banker-turned-politician who was Cal-ifornia’s first popularly electedU.S. senator, decided to build a

vacation home somewhere southof San Francisco around 1911.

According to the book, Legacyof a Native Son by James Walshand Timothy J. O’Keefe, Phelan“recalled nostalgically two idyl-lic summers spent in the nearby hills during his childhood,” andliked the rural setting of Sara-toga as well as its convenientlocation.

The former three-time mayor

Turning a Century

By K ATHRYN MCKENZIE

It’s been 100 years since Sen. Phelan had Montalvo

constructed as his vacation home

PHOTOGRAPHS COURTESYOF THESARATOGA HISTORICAL FOUNDATION

U.S. Sen. James Duval Phelan(above) liked the rural setting

of Saratoga so much that hedecided to build a vacationhome here. His massive VillaMontalvo has been standing watch over Saratoga for 100 years now. In a generousgesture, Phelan dedicatedthe villa to the arts, and sincehis death in 1930 has been amonument to that goal.The ‘Great Lawn’ in front of the villa (at right) has been the siteof numerous events, such asthis party circa 1920, and someof the events celebrated during

this centennial year with beheld on that same lawn.

Montalvo, page 19






FEBRUARY 7 , 2012 SILICON VALLEY COMMUNITY NEWSPAPERS 19185

of San Francisco would go onto purchase the Bonnie BraeRanch, the core of the Montalvoestate, described in a real estatead as “one of the most beautiful

and scenic properties in SantaClara County, elegantly locatedin the foothi lls … overlookingthe Bay and Valley,” accordingto Annette Stransky, presidentof the Saratoga Historical Foun-dation, quoting from Walsh andO’Keefe’s book.

The 19-room vi lla, designedsimplybut with touches of Span-ish a nd Cal ifornia influencesin the architecture, was com-pleted in 1912. Phelan named itfor 16th-century Spanish writer

Garci Ordóñez de Montalvo, whocoined the name “California.”Phelan never married and

never had children, but “he hadan exci ting artistic l ife,” said

Angela McConnell, executive di-rector of Montalvo Arts Center.“He was very much a Renais-sance man.”

In fact, according to Montalvomarketing and communicationsmanager Leah Ammon, Phelannever wanted to be a business-man; he would have rather beena poet. Yet hefounda way toim-

merse himself in the arts, and tochampion its cause.

The literati and glitterati of those times all came to VillaMontalvo. During the 1920s,Phelan invited leading writersand artists to Villa Montalvo, asfriends and as comrades inartis-ticprojects—among themwriterJack London, stage actress

Ethel Barrymore and Hollywoodmovie stars Mary Pickford andDouglas Fairbanks.

But Phelan’s visitors includedmany more than that, and fromall walks of life, according to the

book James Duval Phelan: A Por-trait , by Dr. Dorothy Kaucher.

“School children, Boy Scouts, Annapolis cadets, Congressmen,presidents of the United States,lords and ladies, poetry societ-ies, princes and princesses, themerchants of Saratoga—they came by the hundreds, some

for small, exclusive luncheons,dinners, weekends, some incrowds,” Kaucher wrote.

He also did not neglect the lo-cal community, contributing toSaratoga’s Blossom Festival, as

well as helping establish a newlibrary and Saratoga’s first ten-nis courts.

Phelan lived life to its fullestat his villa, and it was also therethat he died, in 1930. His willspecified that Montalvo would

be used to further the cause of the arts, and trusteeship of the

Montalvo

property passed to the SanFrancisco Arts Association,

which reopened Montalvo to thepublic in 1939 as an arts center

with 10 artists in residence anda small gallery.

Following World War II, ashift in priorities at the SFAAleft many residents concernedabout the future of Villa Mon-talvo. They joined together toform the Montalvo Association,and in October 1953 trusteeshipof the villa was turned over tothat organization.

McConnell notes that some of the volunteers who support thearts center through the Mon-talvo Service Group have been

doing so for 60 years. “It’s re-markable, their passion for thisplace,” she said.

That passion hasalso reachedout and touched a great many other people, from the artistsand musicians who have comethere over the years to staff,

board members and visitors.Montalvo is not only the site

of countless concerts and artexhibits, but it’s also where agreat many people have been

PHOTOGRAPH COURTESY OF THE SARATOGA HISTORICAL FOUNDATION

PHOTOGRAPHS COURTESY OF THE SARATOGAHISTORICAL FOUNDATION

Pillars mark the entrance to the Montalvo grounds (above), and many celebritiespassed through that entrance in the early years, including writer Jack London,actress Ethel Barrymore and Hollywood movie stars Mary Pickford andDouglas Fairbanks. At left, William Randolph Hearst (right) enjoys some quietconversation with Phelan (second from left) and others at the villa.

Sen. Phelan, with his dog Bozat his side, ‘was very much aRenaissance man,’ says AngelaMcConnell, executive directorof Montalvo Arts Center.

Continued frompage 18

Montalvo, page 20






20 SILICONVALLEYCOMMUNITYNEWSPAPERS FEBRUARY 7 , 2012 185

married. Locals hike the trailsaround the property, even onrainy days. And its gardens and

natural areas provide a peaceful backdrop to whatever is goingon at the main buildings.

McConnell said there are sev-eral challenges ahead for Mon-talvo. First and foremost is itsgoal of further developing artseducation programs that will“influence and inspire classroomteachers” and others who are in-

volved with area youngsters. Another goal is to raise money

to maintain and repair the his-tor ic bui ldings, and also to re-

furbish Phelan’s arboretum, where he collected and cared forhis collection of rare plants. Tothat end, Montalvo Arts Center

will launch its “100 Years for 100Trees” fund drive for the arbo-retum at its Arts Splash eventon April 21.

Today, the grounds of the villaencompass 175 acres , 15 a cresmore than the original 160 pur-chased by Phelan, and include 17

buildings, among them two the-aters, an art gallery, the historic

mansion and an artists resi-dency, where artists who receive

Montalvo

CENTENNIAL

CELEBRATION

A series ofcelebrations have beenplanned throughout the year tocelebrate the history and future ofMontalvo Arts Center.

O’ GreatReverie: Montalvo1912-2012Through May 10, Thursdays-Sundays,11 a.m.-3 p.m,Project Space Gallery,free admission.Montalvo associatecurator DonnaConwell,in association with LucasArtist Design fellowsScott Barry andNeil Doshi,presents an unconven-tional timeline exhibition comprisedof photographs,video and ephemera.Organized thematically, the exhibitforegoes a standard chronology toemphasizepoetic associativerelationships among Montalvo’s past,present and future.

3rd annual Arts Splash andSen. Phelan Birthday BashSaturday,April21, 11 a.m.-4 p.m.,freeadmission.Montalvo throws open itsdoors to thecommunityfor the official centennialkickoff celebration event.Highlightswill include a tree planting ceremonyand launch of“100 Trees for100Years”arboretum fund drive; openartist studios at the LucasArtistsResidencyand artists’ presentations;hands-on art workshops for children;live music and performances; andtours of thevilla.

Wedding of the CenturySunday, June 10, 2-5 p.m., admissionprice TBA.A joyous celebration on the Great

Lawn of the Villa,this event will be anopportunity for couples married atMontalvo to renew their marital vows,topped off with champagne toasts,wedding cake,live music, elaborate

floral displaysand more. Coupleswhowere not married at Montalvo butwho would like to renew their vowsare also invited to join in.

Rock the Garden: Sculptureon theGrounds—Opening celebration Friday, July 20, 8-10 p.m.,admissionprice TBA.Live performances, spiritedmusicand food and drink will mark theopening of the 2012 Sculpture onthe Grounds exhibition on the GreatLawn. Media artist and Lucas Resi-dency fellow Daniel Canogar, basedin Madrid and Montreal,will show a

large-scale projection on the frontof the villa as one component of thecelebration. Canogar’s Film Trilogyexhibition will also be on view in theProject Space Gallery.

Great Gatsby GalaSaturday, Sept. 22, 5:30 p.m, $500 perperson.Aspectacular celebration in the grandstyle of the 1920s and’30s brings theseries to a close. The gala will featurevintage cars,elegant flapper dresses,great music, period décor, dinner anddancing, and lots of surprises.

For more information aboutany ofMontalvo’s centennial celebrationevents, visit the Montalvo Arts Centerwebsite at www.montalvoarts.org.

PHOTOGRAPH COURTESY OF THES ARATOGA HISTORICAL FOUNDATION

There have been countless performances through the decades at Montalvo, such as this one in theGarden Theatre in the early years of the villa.

PHOTOGRAPHBY GEORGE SAKKESTAD

The Montalvo Arts Center will celebrate its 100th anniversary

this year, and executive director Angela McConnell looks ahead tomany events that will take place as part of that celebration.

fellowships live and work on theproperty.

Inaddition to the special eventscoming up this year, Montalvo

will also have a full slate of mu-sic, theater and art. Its Family Performances series will featureCinderella and Runaway Bunny:

The Musical! this spring, andconcerts by diverse talents thatinclude the Saint Michael Trio,Philip Glass, Taj Mahal and theTrio, and Spencer Day are com-ing up in the next few months.

McConnell is also proud of twonew series that celebrate otherarts: the chefs tasting salon, tak-ingon the culinary side of things,and the master gardener series.Other cutting-edge performanceand education outreach work-shops are in the mix as well. And

then, of course, there are thehistory walks and historic villa

tours led by docent volunteersthat continue to commemoratePhelan’s legacy.

It’s ambitious and demanding, but McConnell believes all of thisis vital to the community and theBay Area at large.

“We are exporting innovationto the world, but future genera-tions are not able to have thatarts education that inspires cre-ativity,” said McConnell, whocalled the lack of funding for artseducation in the schools “a crisisin this country and this state.”

And for the future of Silicon Valley, the place of so much bril-liant innovation, she said thatexposure to the arts is essential.

“Look at Phelan,” said Mc-Connell. “He was a successful

banker, but he valued the thingsthat make us human.”

Continued from page 19




montalvo arts center celebrates its 100th anniversary in 2012

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