For Immediate Release Contact: Becki Gervin 408.961.

5814
March 18, 2010 bgervin@montalvoarts.org

ARTS SPLASH!
OPEN HOUSE & STUDENT ARTS FESTIVAL
Saturday, April 17, 11am – 4pm
Montalvo Arts Center Celebrates the Arts and the Community at FREE event

SARATOGA, Calif. – Montalvo Arts Center invites the public to ARTS SPLASH!, an Open
House and Student Arts Festival celebrating the arts and the community on April 17 from 11
a.m. to 4 p.m. The FREE day-long event features a wide variety of activities and events for all
ages, including music and dance performances and visual art exhibitions created by 14 student
groups from Santa Clara County schools; hands-on art workshops; open artists’ studios and
presentations in the Lucas Artists Residency Program; a special performance by the Banana
Slug String Band; ranger-led hikes of the forest trails; informative tours of the historic Villa and
grounds; food concessions, including a beer and wine garden; and so much more. Free parking
and shuttle service will be provided from West Valley College all day; limited parking at $10 per
car is available on site.

A central focus of the Open House that makes it truly unique to the community is the inclusion of
the Student Arts Festival. Montalvo partnered with the Santa Clara County Office of Education
to reach out to K-12 grade student teams, inviting them to submit themed proposals on the topic
of the environment for student collaborative artworks or performances addressing environmental
concerns for the event. Montalvo expects to host more than 170 students and their families
throughout the day.

Also part of the Open House line-up is a performance by the popular Banana Slug String
Band, known for relating their performances to the environment and earth. Fostering ecological
awareness, the Banana Slug String Band promotes music as a powerful instrument for honoring
our world’s diversity while uniting people for the common good. With vocals, guitars, mandolin,
bass, harmonica, banjo and percussion, Slug songs range from rockin' boogies to sensitive
ballads; folk songs to reggae and rap. The lovable Slugs – “Airy" Larry Graff, Doug "Dirt"
Greenfield, "Solar" Steve Van Zandt and "Marine" Mark Nolan – provide accurate information
about natural history and science through music, theater, puppetry and audience participation in
this fun-filled interactive concert.
Features of the day:

• Student performances and art exhibitions

• Free performance by The Banana Slug String Band
• Montalvo’s artists in-residence open their studios and talk with the public about their
work
• Project Space Gallery exhibition by artist in-residence Nicole Schmoelzer
• Hands-on art workshops led by Bay Area-based artists
• Live music by the Mark Rickey Band
• Historic Villa tours – learn the history of the Villa and its grounds
• One-day-only discounts on Montalvo membership
• Concessions by Sweet Pea’s from Los Gatos
• Beer and wine garden
• Food, friends and fun!

This event has been generously sponsored by the San Jose Mercury News and Santa Clara
County Department of Education.

About Montalvo Arts Center

Montalvo Arts Center is a nonprofit organization that fosters community engagement through the creation and
presentation of multidisciplinary art. By uniting the broadest possible audiences with a global community of artists,
Montalvo expands the role of arts and culture as an essential community resource. Montalvo’s programming includes:
an annual theme-based arts program; music and performance; education and public programs; new media and visual
arts; and the Sally and Don Lucas Artists Residency. Located in the Saratoga foothills in the midst of Silicon Valley,
Montalvo Arts Center occupies a Mediterranean-style villa on 175 stunning acres, which Senator James Phelan left to
the people of California for the encouragement of promising students in the areas of art, music, literature and
architecture. In January 2005, the organization changed its name from "Villa Montalvo" to "Montalvo Arts Center" to
better communicate its mission to increasing local, national and international audiences. Montalvo celebrates its
centennial in 2012. For more information about Montalvo Arts Center, call 408.961.5800 or visit
www.montalvoarts.org.

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