Montalvo Arts Center - Historic Villa

Montalvo Arts Center’s mission is to engage the public in the creative process, acting as a catalyst for exploring the arts, unleashing creativity, and advancing different cultural and cross-cultural perspectives. We achieve our mission by creating and presenting arts of all types, nurturing artists, and using our historic property in innovative ways.

Place: The 175 acres encompasses the historic Villa, ten artist residences, indoor and outdoor performance and exhibition venues, lush gardens, and hiking trails that wind through redwood forests to stunning vistas. The property was left by Senator James Phelan to the people of California. Our work, programs, and culture embrace and leverage our home, creating harmony and intimacy with the natural beauty, history and peacefulness that surrounds us. Montalvo is an oasis of culture and nature in the heart of bustling Silicon Valley.

People: We believe in the power of community to spur creativity. People from all walks of life, cultures and countries gather at Montalvo to create and participate in shared arts experiences -- professionals and amateurs, old and young, families and singles, staff and volunteers, practitioners and patrons, teachers and students. We provide the place and programs that allow them to connect, explore, collaborate and share creative experiences, often to surprising results.

Programs: We emphasize programs that nourish creativity. Our hallmark is excellence in the experience. For professional artists, we create an unparalleled environment that nurtures and supports creativity. For people interested in exploring their own creativity, we offer experiential learning opportunities, rather than "teaching the arts." For everyone, we provide the opportunity to witness creativity in process during outstanding performances and to enjoy the results of creativity through art on display. Montalvo is a place people return to again and again to create, connect, perform, learn, exhibit, and enjoy the arts and the creative process.