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On July 19, in a celebration throughout the Montalvo grounds, Montalvo premiered Threads: Weaving Humanity, featuring four newly commissioned works of textile by five artists whose work redefines fiber arts. These works were created to provide opportunities for contemplation, consideration and conversation on the meaning of our shared humanity, and what is necessary for humanity to thrive...This includes kindness, compassion, integrity, respect, empathy, forgiveness, and self-reflection. Highly sensitive to the elements, fiber works are traditionally displayed inside carefully controlled environments of galleries and museums. Serving as an analogy for our human vulnerability, Threads: Weaving Humanity places these works outdoors, where we can witness and appreciate the fragility as well as the resilience of the materials as they interact with the natural surroundings. To celebrate the premiere of these new works of art, artists, musicians, poets and dancers performed in Montalvo's many unique spaces, welcoming audiences to participate. 

Composer and LAP Fellow Fernando Vigueras and artist Daniel Godinez ​Nivón activated Charmaine's Garden Terrace with a participatory sound activity, poet and LAP Fellow Yona Harvey read from her book, Hemming the Water and LAP Fellow Johannes Bergmark activated a string installation with a performance. 

In the Italianate garden the Oriki Theater held a participatory drum circle. And on the Great Lawn, dance group Xpressions worked with audiences to create percussion sticks and dance, artist Ramekon O’Arwisters welcomed the public to a Crochet Jam, and dancers from Calpulli Tonalehqueh engaged with visitors. On the villa's front veranda, the San Jose Taiko group gave a rousing drumming demonstration and while in the Historic Villa, members of the Montalvo Service Group led a creative sewing exercise. In the Oval Garden, people of all ages experienced origami plus dance and harp demonstrations with International Performing Arts of America presenting Yang Yang Dance. Charlene Eigen-Vasquez gave a Land Acknowledgement on the front steps of the villa. The evening culminated with Mosaic Montalvo, an immersive dance event created through a collaboration between Montalvo and Sangam Arts. This series of performances celebrated our community and Montalvo’s breathtaking landscape with performances integrated throughout the grounds.  
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​Download the event's program here.
Image Gallery
Commissioned Works
Meet the Artists
Performances by:
Partners and Sponsors
Threads: Weaving Humanity was made possible through the support of the following program partners, exhibition sponsors, and Friends of the LAP:

​Sally Lucas • The Ariko Family Foundation • Roger and Mercy Smullen Fund • Wanda Kownacki • Dominic Orr • Kathie and Bob Maxfield • ​Sathaye Family Foundation​

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It may look as though Montalvo Arts Center has been yarn-bombed, but it’s actually the annual Art on the Grounds Exhibition. “Threads: Weaving Humanity” is a series of four newly commissioned textile works that use braiding, stitching, patching and mending as a metaphor for weaving the diverse threads of the South Bay community into a shared social fabric. The works are designed to spark conversation about human connections, including practicing kindness, compassion, integrity, respect, empathy, forgiveness and self-reflection.
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Montalvo Arts Center presents "Threads: Weaving Humanity"
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Montalvo Arts Center kicks off its annual Art on the Grounds exhibition program this summer with Threads: Weaving Humanity, a series of newly commissioned textile works that use braiding, stitching, patching, and mending as a metaphor for weaving the threads of our diverse communities into a shared social fabric. Many of the works on view will offer opportunities for conversation about connecting through our collective humanity, including practicing kindness, compassion, integrity, respect, empathy, forgiveness, and self-reflection.
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