Montalvo Association

Montalvo Arts Center (Saratoga, CA) is a multidisciplinary arts center located on the 175 acre estate of former San Francisco Mayor James Duval Phelan. Opened to the public in 1959, Montalvo today includes two theaters, a gallery, a historic Villa, a large park and ten live/work spaces for resident artists. Each year tens of thousands of patrons come to the Center for large concerts at an outdoor amphitheater and intimate performances in the Villa. Montalvo also programs arts education events in Santa Clara county schools and libraries and runs one of the nation’s most acclaimed artist residency programs, providing space for local and international performing artists for periods ranging from 2 weeks to 2 months. During the past grant period the Montalvo’s budget, programming, and audience all contracted significantly due to poor management and artistic decisions and external economic realities. Just as Montalvo radically shifted its business plan and artistic vision away from popular concerts supported by ticket sales to the long term development of non-commercial contemporary performance pieces underwritten by institutional funders and private donors the economically collapsed. Failing to meet its contributed income targets Montalvo cut its budget 35% to $4,000,000 and dismissed its executive director. In the past year Montalvo has begun to bring back lapsed patrons by reviving its summer music series (a program that’s being evaluated with the benefit of Organizational Effectiveness funding from the Hewlett Foundation), has successfully met a $125,000 board match (provided by Hewlett) to close an operating deficit, and hired a new executive director, Angela McConnell. With renewed support Montalvo will continue its turn-around predicated on deriving more earned income from ticketed events and venue rentals and will maintain its commitment to operating a top flight residency program.