Montalvo Explores LIFE BEYOND EARTH

The Sally & Don Lucas Artists Program at Montalvo Arts Center in partnership with the SETI Institute is proud to announce the 2018 SETI Artist-in-Residence, Felipe Pérez Santiago at a lively evening of conversation and performance, presented as part of Montalvo's Open Access series. The evening event, entitled Life Beyond Earth will feature Santiago in conversation with SETI Institute President and CEO Bill Diamond; visual artist and SETI Institute Artist in Residence Program Director Charles Lindsay; Bernard M. Oliver Chair for SETI Research at the SETI Institute Jill Tarter; SETI Institute Artist in Residence and Lucas Artists Program Fellow, Jen Bervin; and Montalvo's Lucas Artists Program Curator Donna Conwell. Together, the group will explore the importance of artists and scientists coming together to examine some of the central questions about life in the universe. Life Beyond Earth will be presented 7pm, April 27 at Montalvo Arts Center, 15400 Montalvo Road, Saratoga. For tickets ($10 general/free for children, students, and Montalvo members) and more information, the public may visit montalvoarts.org or call 408-961-5858.

In 2010, visual artist Charles Lindsay and Jill Tarter founded the SETI Institute Artists in Residence Program with the aim of facilitating the fruitful and interdisciplinary exchange of ideas between artists and scientists, expanding upon the SETI Institute's mission to explore, understand, and explain the origin and nature of life in the universe and the evolution of intelligence. Since then, over a dozen artists from around the United States and beyond have developed new and compelling work in dialogue with SETI Institute scientists. With works ranging from an installation inspired by the Kepler Space Telescope and the search for Earth-like exoplanets, to a poem for an interstellar dust cloud, SETI AIRs continue to bring a fresh perspective to cutting-edge research, while also broadening awareness of the groundbreaking science carried out at the SETI Institute. Montalvo has collaborated with the SETI AIR program since 2012.

Internationally acclaimed composer, arranger, guitarist, conductor, and sound artist Felipe Pérez Santiago is the newest SETI Artist-in-Residence. In addition to participating in the conversation, he will also share the progress of his ambitious live musical project Earthling, a work that he is developing in partnership with Jill Tarter. A project that involves gathering language and song recordings from around the world, Santiago's Earthling-when finished-will be mixed and merged live, melding with performances by a wide range of musicians. Members of the public will also have the opportunity to hear some of Santiago's past work performed.

"We are thrilled to bring the musical and artistic creativity of Felipe Perez to the SETI Institute's Artist in Residence Program, and delighted to be collaborating with Montalvo in this endeavor and the exploration of the convergence of art and science more broadly," said Institute CEO Bill Diamond.

Montalvo's Open Access offers the public a unique opportunity to connect with the world-class artists of the international Lucas Artists Program (LAP) and explore the creative process. Open Access offerings are conceived of as a "bite-size artistic sampler," featuring an array of activities that reflect the multidisciplinary approach of the LAP and the work of its diverse Fellows. These can include music and dance performances, readings, conversations, culinary projects and presentations, and feature hands-on art-making activities.

Montalvo Arts Center is a donor-supported nonprofit institution whose 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. Located in Silicon Valley's Saratoga Hills, Montalvo occupies a Mediterranean-style Villa, built in 1912 by Senator James Duval Phelan and surrounded by 175 stunning acres. Senator Phelan bequeathed the Villa and grounds to the people of California for the encouragement of art, music, literature, and architecture, a mandate Montalvo has carried forward ever since its founding. The grounds include the campus of the Sally and Don Lucas Artists Residency Program (LAP), the Claire Loftus Carriage House Theatre, and the Lilian Fontaine Garden Theatre. For more information about Montalvo Arts Center and its programs, the public can call 408-961-5858 or visit montalvoarts.org.

Photo Courtesy of Felipe Pérez Santiago

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