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Welcome to our blog and archive project dedicated to offering a glimpse inside the Lucas Artists Residency Program at Montalvo Arts Center.
Recent Posts
FELLOWS IN THE NEWS
June 2021
This June, we celebrate the varied achievements of Lucas Artists Program alumni which include new projects, exhibitions, performances and awards as we wish you all a happy LGBTQ+ Pride Month and celebrate the national recognition of Juneteenth.
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FELLOWS IN THE NEWS
May 2021
In recognition of Asian/Pacific American Heritage Month, and the unacceptable increase in hate crimes targeting this community, we celebrate the important creative voices and recent successes of some of our Lucas Artists Program AAPI alumni—including new exhibitions, public art projects, books and albums.
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 SPOTIFY MIXTAPE
Spring 2021: Quarantine Edition
By Emily Borchers
​In honor of this year's International Jazz Day and LAP Fellow ('16) Henry Threadgill's 2021 NEA Jazz Masters award, we've put together a playlist filled to brim with music celebrating the many jazz musicians who have stayed with us. From smooth jazz, to vocal, to jazz funk fusion — there's something for every musical taste in our playlist. Give it listen this Friday and celebrate with us!
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A Statement of Solidarity
Within the Bay Area, and across the country—attacks against Asian Americans have been on an alarming rise. We at Montalvo condemn racism and xenophobia in all forms. We condemn this shocking surge of anti-Asian hate crimes. We stand in firm solidarity with the Asian American and Pacific Islander community because we believe everyone has the right to live without fear, and any act of violence against one of us, is an act of violence against us all.
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SCRATCH SPACE
Foraging for a Future
How do we reclaim our natural place in the world?
On May 20, 2021, we were joined by chef and journalist Andrea Blum with artist Kija Lucas for a conversation about their work on a new cookbook project about foraging and sustainable food practices.
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SCRATCH SPACE
When we Gather
On May 6, 2021, we were joined by interdisciplinary artist and educator María Magdalena Campos-Pons for a conversation about her work and latest projects. We’ll discuss the artist's trans-institutional platform "Engine for Art, Democracy and Justice" and latest project When We Gather, Campos-Pons’ multifaceted collaborative undertaking and five-minute film that premiered in 2021 and celebrates the role of women in ushering in sweeping political change and progress across the United States.
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SCRATCH SPACE
Digging Down Into Our Planetary Futures
On April 22, 2021, we were joined by Xin Liu, a conceptual artist and curator; Rachel Obbard a senior scientist at the SETI Institute and Adjunct Associate Professor at Dartmouth College; and Bettina Forget, Program Director for the SETI Institute’s Artist in Residency Program where we discussed what astrobiology can tell us about life here and on other planets and how we navigate our sustainability crisis.
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SCRATCH SPACE
The Thirty Names of Night
On April 8, 2021, we were joined by Zeyn Joukhadar and writer and residency director Lori Wood where they discussed Joukhadar’s latest novel, The Thirty Names of Night, a moving and lyrical story following three generations of Syrian Americans who are linked by a mysterious species of bird and the truths they carry close to their hearts.
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SCRATCH SPACE
Grammar of Grief
On March 18, 2021 we were joined by visual artist Indira Allegra and curator Erin Christovale where they discussed quiet and interiority as spaces for discovery and open-ended imagining.
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​Pedagogical Experimentation & Mutual Aid
On March 4, 2021 we were joined by artists and educators Jennifer Parker and Kim Yasuda as they discussed the importance of pedagogical experimentation and collaborative learning; as well as ongoing projects that empower interdisciplinary thinking and activate the intersection between institutional knowledge production and creative practice.
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SCRATCH SPACE
¿estamos bien?
On February 25, 2021 we were joined by interdisciplinary artist Edra Soto and curator Susanna V. Temkin as they discuss Soto’s latest installation Graft presented at el Museo del Barrio as part of the ESTAMOS BIEN: LA TRIENAL 20/21, the museum’s first national large-scale survey of Latinx contemporary art featuring more than 40 artists from across the United States and Puerto Rico.
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SCRATCH SPACE
Adapting History
On February 11, 2021 we were joined by Dahlak Brathwaite as he shared the journey of developing the theatrical work, Adapting History, into a film during the pandemic. 
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SCRATCH SPACE
Access is Love
On January 28, 2021, we sat down with disabled activist, media maker, and consultant Alice Wong and visual artists Jason Lazarus and Siebren Versteeg where we explored tactics for making protest accessible to all and giving voice and visibility to communities at the margins. 
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SCRATCH SPACE
Rethinking Artificial Intelligence
On January 21, 2021, we had a conversation with transmedia artist and scholar Stephanie Dinkins and digital media theorist and artist Jason Edward Lewis where we explored how to imagine a future with A.I. that contributes to the flourishing of all humans and non-humans.
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SPOTIFY MIXTAPE
Winter 2020: Quarantine Edition
By Emily Borchers
It's normally around this time of the year that Montalvo welcomes back smooth jazz musician and LAP alum David Benoit for his annual holiday concert. However, due to COVID restrictions, that couldn't happen this year. Instead, we've gathered all his holidays albums into one playlist for you to enjoy.
Happy holidays!
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VIRTUAL ARTVENTURE
Studio Visit with James Gouldthorpe
Join us for an intimate virtual visit with visual artist and painter James Gouldthorpe. View and discuss the brand new body of work created by Gouldthorpe during these past eight months of shelter in place, and the new Corona-Virus reality we share. The Covid Artifacts 2020 series of paintings has been a daily practice for Gouldthorpe, beginning after he arrived home from his first visit to the grocery store, and the ensuing efforts of tirelessly wiping down each purchased item, to rid it of any potential contamination. In the words of the artist, “…I began to consider our new world. What previous innocuous objects have suddenly become heavy with Corona baggage...” 
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