7/31/2019 May Final Friday Showcases Work by Montalvo Fellows

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ForImmediateRelease Contact:LeahAmmon,(408)9615814

May8,2012 lammon@montalvoarts.org

MayFinalFridayShowcasesMontalvoFellowsProjects

EveningofpresentationsbycurrentLucasArtistsinResidencecomingMay25

SARATOGA,Calif.VisitorstoMontalvoonFriday,May25

willenjoyafulleveningofeventsledbycurrentMontalvo

artistsinresidence.Beginningat6pm,soundartist

MamoruOkunowillgiveapresentationofhisinnovative

worketudeforeverydaylife.From7:30to8:30pm,the

ProjectSpaceGallerywillbeopentothepublic,displaying

itemsfromthecurrentexhibitionMontalvoHistorical

FabricationsandSouvenirs(APopUpShop).Then,aspart

oftheperformanceseriesNewDirections,at8:30pm,

musicianandcomposerBethCusterwillpresenta

rediscoveredSovieteraavantgardefilmMy

Grandmother,accompaniedbyalive,alloriginalmusical

scoreunderthestarsintheMontalvoGardenTheatre.AdmissiontothepresentationbyOkuno

andtheexhibitionisfree;thescreeningofMyGrandmotherwillbe$20forgeneraladmission,

$16formembers,and$8forstudentswithcurrentschoolID.

PoetryoftheEveryday:MamoruOkuno

Montalvoartist

in

residence

Mamoru

Okuno

is

a

soundandvisualartistwhofocusesonsimple

gestures,andexploreshowtheseunremarkable

actionscarrytheunexaminedfreightofcomplex

socialconditions.Hislatestwork,"etudefor

everydaylife,"celebratestheinherentbeautyof

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themundaneandvalorizesactionsandobjectssocietytendstoignore.Heusesitemssuchas

plasticstraws,foodwrap,ice,steelhangers,instantnoodles,anelectrickettle,andthe

microwave,andintegrateseverydaypracticessuchasshopping,eating,anddrinking.From

theseheextractsandrearrangessoundsandgesturestocreateanintimatelistening

experience.

The"etudeforeverydaylife"serieshasbeenexhibitedandperformedatTheJapanFoundation

(Hanoi,2011),MOCATaipei(Taipei,2011),AomoriContemporaryArtCenter(Aomori,2011),

MUMOK(Vienna,2009),LaChambreBlanche(Quebec,2008),YUKATSURUNO(Tokyo,2010)

andotherinternationalvenues.In2010,theetudeno.13hangingicewonthefirstprizeat

theTOKYOEXPERIMENTALFESTIVALorganizedbyTokyoWonderSite.

Okuno's

Final

Fridays

lecture

will

include

video

and

live

demonstration

of

several

of

the

"etude"

pieces,givingtheaudienceinsightintohiscreativeprocess.

ManufacturingMemories:TheMarianas*andtheirSouvenirPopUpShop

MontalvoartistsinresidenceMichaelArcegaand

StephanieSyjucoareSanFranciscobased

interdisciplinaryartistswhoarefascinatedbythefraught

relationshipbetweenpastandpresent.Arcega,who

worksmostlyininstallationandsculptureart,draws

inspirationfromhistoricaleventsandthestructureof

language.Heoftenuseshumorinhisworkstocouchhissociopolitcalcritique.Syjuco,alsoan

installationartist,hascreatedabodyofworkincludingspectaclesofcollectedculturalobjects,

cumulativearchives,andtemporaryvendinginstallations,oftenwithanactivepublic

engagementcomponent.

Collaboratingunder

the

moniker

The

Marianas*,

Arcega

and

Syjuco

have

created

an

exhibition

entitledMontalvoHistoricalFabricationsandSouvenirs(APopUpShop),whichwillbeonview

atMontalvothroughJune20.Theshowdirectlyaddressesourculturesappetiteforsouvenirs,

bothasrepositoriesofmemoriesandascommodities.TransformingtheProjectSpaceGallery

intoafunctioningstorewithanactivefactoryarea,theartistswillbepresentinthegallery,

bothcreatingandsellinghandmadelimitededitioncollectiblestovisitors.These

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souvenirswillengagewithaspectsofMontalvoscentennial,aswellasitsplaceinthecultural

andpoliticalhistoryofCalifornia.

DuringtheMay25FinalFriday,thegallerywillbeopen,andthepublicwillhavethe

opportunitytoviewandpurchasethesouvenirsonview.

AccompanyingAnarchism:TheBethCusterEnsemblepresentsMyGrandmother

MontalvoartistinresidentBethCusterisaSan

Franciscobasedcomposer,performer,and

bandleader,whohascollaboratedwitha

myriadofartistsfromaroundtheworldduring

thecourseofherdecadeslongcareer.

Currentlyan

Adjunct

Professor

of

Composition

atMillsCollege,aswellasaprivateinstructor

forclarinet,voice,andcomposition,shehas

beentherecipientofnumerousnationalfellowshipprizes.AmongCustersfondestpassionsis

filmscoring;shehascomposedscorestoaccompanysuchclassicsasG.W.Pabst'sPandoras

BoxandFritzLangsMetropolis.

Custerslatest

score

was

written

to

accompany

the

1929

film

My

Grandmother.

Made

by

Soviet

GeorgiandirectorKoteMikaberidze,MyGrandmotherwasbannedinitsdayforitsirreverent

satireofthestateorganizationofthestillyoungUSSR.AdelightfulexampleoftheSoviet

EccentricCinemamovement,thefilmtellsthestoryofthetravailssufferedbyamilquetoast

bureaucratmodeledafterAmericansilentcomicHaroldLloydafterheloseshisjob.

Mikaberidzesworkstilldazzlestodaywithitsbold,experimentalcinematictechniques

includingstopmotionanimation,puppetry,exaggeratedcameraangles,andconstructivistsets.

CustersscorefeaturesaquickpacedpasticheofAmericanjazzandblues,contemporary

classical,andworldfolkmusic.ShewillleadherensemblefeaturingNilsFrykdahl(narrator),

ChrisGrady(trumpet),VickyGrossi(bass),JessicaIvry(cello),JanJackson(drums),David

James(guitar),andDinaMaccabee(violin)inaliveperformanceofthepieceduringa

screeningofMyGrandmotherintheMontalvoLilianFontaineGardenTheaterduringtheMay

25FinalFriday.

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MAYFINALFRIDAYATMONTALVOARTSCENTER

What:AneveningshowcaseofworkbycurrentMontalvoArtsCentersartistsinresidence

includingsoundartistMamoruOkuno,installationartistsTheMarianas*,andcomposerBeth

Custer

When:Friday,May25,from6p.m.to10p.m.

Where:The

historic

Villa,

Project

Space

Gallery,

and

Lilian

Fontain

Garden

theater

at

the

MontalvoArtsCenter

Admission:TicketsarefreetoMamoruOkunoslectureandtotheMarianas*exhibition;$20

forgeneraladmission,$16formembers,and$8forstudentswithcurrentschoolIDforMy

Grandmother

###

Nowcelebratingitscentennialyear,MontalvoArtsCenterisanoasisofculture

andnaturewhosemissionistocreateandpresentartsofalltypes,nurtureartists,

anduseourhistoricVilla,buildings,andgroundsininnovativewaysthatengagepeopleinthecreativeprocess.LocatedinSiliconValley'sSaratogahills,Montalvo

occupiesaMediterraneanstyleVilla,builtin1912bySenatorJamesDuvalPhelan,

surroundedby175stunningacres,includingthecampusofourinternationalLucas

ArtistsResidencyProgram.SenatorPhelanbequeathedthevillaandgroundsto

thepeopleofCaliforniafortheencouragementofart,music,literatureand

architecture,amandatethatMontalvohascarriedforwardeversinceitsfounding.

Formoreinformation,call(408)9615800orvisitwww.montalvoarts.org.