$5 million gift expands Montalvo’s artist residency program

Montalvo Arts Center received a $5 million gift from the George and Judy Marcus Family Foundation that will support its artist residency program and fund two new opportunities for emerging artists, the Saratoga arts center announced Tuesday.

The Lucas Artists Program, which is a multidisciplinary residency program for artists, writers, musicians and others, has been closed since March 2020 due to the pandemic. The donation will reopen the center and support its artist fellows.

“This phenomenal investment from the Marcus Family Foundation will be transformational for the Lucas Artists Residency Program and Montalvo, elevating our role regionally, nationally and internationally, impacting generations of artists and members of our community in exciting and inspiring ways,” Montalvo Executive Director Angela McConnell said. “We are deeply grateful for this opportunity.”

The funding gift also created two opportunities for young artists: the Marcus Curatorial Fellowship and the Marcus Prize.

The two-year paid fellowship will give Bay Area college students opportunities to work with contemporary artists while allowing them time for independent research and schoolwork.

The Marcus Prize will be an annual commission granted to an exceptional artist or collective whose proposed project will engage the public through a centralized theme.

“This generous contribution is truly representative of a significant and lasting commitment to the development and growth of the Lucas Artists Program and the support of our artists and their work,” said Kelly Sicat, director of the Lucas Artists Program, adding that the gift will allow Montalvo “to broaden and deepen our opportunities to integrate the arts and the artists we serve within the Bay Area.”

The funds will also provide support for Montalvo’s annual summer exhibition and arts festival, which has been renamed the Marcus Exhibition and Festival.

Judy Marcus, of the Marcus Family Foundation, is a former Montalvo trustee and currently co-chairs the committee that oversees the Lucas Artists Program.

“We believe in the power of the arts and the positive impact they can have on the community,” Marcus said. “We have the utmost faith in Montalvo’s leadership to fulfill the vision laid out in our investment. We hope our gift can be leveraged to attract other leadership gifts to support Montalvo’s important mission.”

The Lucas Artists Program opened in 2004 and provides artists with a flexible and expansive space to create and collaborate. It welcomes about 80 artists from around the world every year.