Montalvo Arts Center - Saratoga

I can't remember the last time I was at Montalvo Arts Center. As I walked around the estate I recalled so many memories of coming here with my son when he was little. We've shared a lot of laughter at this special place. It is very different coming here on my own. I enjoyed sitting in the Italianate Formal Garden listening to the birds chirping as I was writing in my journal. Sitting in the garden I noticed a mixture of old and new art, surrounding me amongst the trees. I loved losing myself in the beauty and forgetting all about daily life. I felt peace, happiness, and tranquility. It is wonderful that you can visit this place for free. We are so lucky to have such a stunning place in the Bay Area, especially in Saratoga, that is so rich in history. Sometimes there is a "Project Space Gallery" exhibit but not today. In the past we have enjoyed checking out the exhibits. We have also been here for some shows in the Carriage Theater which are always fun!

The Historic Villa was built in 1912 by James Duval Phelan Montalvo. Montalvo was Phelan's treasure hence the griffins on the entrance pillars. When Phelan died in April 1930, he left Montalvo to the San Francisco Art Association as a charitable trust for public use. Phelan's wish was to have an Artist Residency Program at Montalvo.  It began in the late 1930's. The Lucas Artist Program, with specially designed studios for various disciplines, was completed in 2003 with accommodations for ten artists, plus one culinary expert. Integrated through the resident program other public program offerings include classical and contemporary music education classes and performances for all ages. 

Historic Villa 

Oval Garden

This intimate garden serves as the elegant backdrop for many of the wedding ceremonies that take place at Montalvo. The lawn used to be Senator Phelan's swimming pool. The area was filled in and planted over in the 1950's. If one looks closely, it is still possible to see remnants of the pool's design, including the tails of stone dolphins that decorated the edges of the pool. 

Spanish Courtyard

Framed on three sides by the Villa and on the fourth by a dramatic wall fountain, this "sunken" courtyard is a favored location for wedding receptions and summer luncheons. Plantings of Wisteria, and Australian Tree Ferns provide a calming complement to the soothing sounds of both the wall fountain and the central marble fountain in the brick courtyard patio. 

"Fountain of Life" by Kenny Scharf

This blue tendril-like water fountain combines cartoon-like features. LA-based artist Kenny Scharf often uses a vocabulary of cartoon personalities drawn from his childhood. The natural world remains his primary inspiration. 

"Control Tower" by Cameron Hockenson

Control Tower is Hockenson's contribution to Sculpture of the Grounds. He built this "bird condominium" over the course of a three-month-long residency at Montalvo in collaboration with fellow resident Robert Davis and Montalvo's Garden Curator, Delmar Mc McComb, to enrich the architectonic critique with an electronic sound and bird garden. 

"O California, best beloved land" by Ann Weber

California artist Ann Weber transforms the ordinary medium of cardboard into impressive large-scale sculptures reminiscent of pods, gourds, and organic spires. "O California, best beloved land" was created during her Montalvo residency in 2010.

The Italianate Formal Garden

Senator Phelan was an admirer of Italian art and culture which led to his creation of this garden at Montalvo in the 1920's. When he traveled in 1922 Phelan sent photographs and plans of gardens he visited.

Love Temple

"Broken Wing" by David Middlebrook

Broken Wing (2004) is a bronze work that represents objects, often taken for granted, that are depended upon as part of our daily routine - like a wing nut for a carpenter. This piece is installed in the Phelan Cactus Garden, located on the north end of the Italianate Garden. 

"Twisted Heart and the Eucalyptus Muse" by Chistopher Loomis

Twisted Heart and Eucalyptus Muse refers to a California lumber baron's unrealized dream of replacing  achres of native tree species felled using timber clear cutting methods during the late 19th and early 20th centuries with the large scale commercial planting of Eucalyptus trees. 

"One Voice"  (Yek Seda) by Taraneh Hemani

In Persian the word yek seda means one voice or shared sound/voice. With One voice, Hemani presents a modular sculptural installation that connects voices, and carries messages, stories, lullabies, whispers and shouts from one person to another. The decorated structures, which are basic tube-like shapes in clusters, draw inspiration from technologies like the voice pipe and speaking tubes. 

After my adventures at Montalvo Arts Center I headed over to the Saratoga Village on Big Basin Way. A few times on my way to Hakone Gardens I had noticed "Sue's Gallery Cafe" and reminded myself to stop there someday. It seemed like a perfect day to stop there after enjoying so much art at Montalvo. There were many people sitting outside on the nice patio enjoying the beautiful day. 

I decided to go inside and check out the menu. The menu consisted of coffee, teas, pastries, flat bread, and ice cream. Most of the pastries were already gone except for some scones. Since it was lunch time I decided to try J.J's Flat Bread. I enjoyed the flat bread, which consists of Naan bread, basil pesto, honey & maple smoked ham, Havarti cheese, baby arugula, served with a balsamic reduction. A woman in line suggested trying their short bread cookies. She bought a package and shared a couple of pistachio short bread cookies from Satura Cakes in Los Altos with me and a few other women. They were delicious. I enjoyed it with a latte and ended up buying a package myself and taking them home for my family to enjoy. 

Sue's Gallery Cafe is both a gallery for Sue's handmade ceramics, as well as a specialty coffee shop, which opened up in November 2015. The interactive nature of the cafe allows guests to try out their ceramic pieces with every latte, tea, ice cream or pastry that they order. Every handmade piece serves as a reminder for us to take things slow, counting the process as important as the end destination. Their philosophy is for every drink and food offered on the menu to be one that is locally sourced.

If February 2017 they expanded the gallery to provide more seating and to give the pottery the ample display space it deserves. Sue has been molding clay for thirty years, beginning in Korea. She believes ceramics are pottery and pottery is meant to be used. She believes her pieces are used as functional items in the home and kitchen that live up to their purpose. The pottery that you see in the gallery are all items used at the cafe or on display in the gallery. 

After ordering my food I took a look around the cafe and gallery. I was really drawn to the gallery space. This would be a great spot to hang with friends or have a small event. The gallery has such a warm and homey feeling. The even offer pottery workshops in the gallery, which I would like to check out. Since it was such a beautiful day outside, I decided to join the rest of the crowd and sit on the patio. This was definitely the perfect place to end my day of art and nature and to stop and take a breath from everyday life. 

Color Factory - Neighborhood Map

The Color Factory pop-up museum closed its doors on April 30th.  I am so lucky to have had the opportunity to visit this amazing place just a few weeks ago.  I didn't want all this fun inspiration to end so when I learned about the Color Factory Neighborhood Map I immediately began planning my adventure day around the city to search out these additional colorful surprises.

I used to live in San Francisco but this "treasure map" has now led me to explore some areas I've never been before. Even though any traces of the Color Factory that were once there were gone our day turned into our own adventure around the city starting with Chinatown.

Color Factory - Neighborhood Map

Fleet Wood- Stop #1: Where colorful graphic tees fill the racks and works by local artists fill the walls. Fleet Wood has turned Color Factory's postcard of all black things into an all black tote bag (available for purchase) to carry your things! Located at 839 Larkin Street. This store was closed on Sunday so we did not get to pop in and check it out. I will have to come back and check it out another time. 

Hero Shop - Stop #2: The Hero Shop carries many nice things, such as a nice person pin ($12) designed by Carissa Potter. All proceeds go to Larkin Street Youth Services. Located at 982 Post Street.

Tenderloin  Museum - Stop #3: Delve into the rich history of the Tenderloin through colorful paintings and photographs in the gallery. Then hit the pavement with Color Factory's special pocket guide and embark on a self-guided tour of the neighborhood by color. Located at 398 Eddy Street. Since all Color Factory items are now gone we did not stop by the museum.

Valencia Tenderloin Center - Stop #4: This is a non-profit writing center serving neighborhood youth were you can pick up the book "Five Seven Five".  It is the home of King Carl's Emporium, a supply store for explorers of all types. We did not make it to this spot but I would like to check this place out someday especially since they inspire kids to write.

Market Mayflower & Deli - Stop #5:  You can pick-up postcards designed by artist Leah Rosenberg at this little market and deli.  Unfortunately when we walked here the museum had come and picked up the postcards just the day before.  The manager of the shop was super nice after telling him that I was going through the city with the Color Factory map. He peeled the Stop #5 Color Factory sticker off the store window and gave it to me as a souvenir so I stuck it on my map as a collector's item. Located at 985 Bush Street.

Mason Street - Stop #6:  Go to the corner of Mason and Sutter. Find the Yellow Star to stand on. Once you are there look around until you see a much larger star. When you spot it you will feel like one yourself at 600 Mason Street.

Hotel Rex - Stop #7:  Next to an armchair by the front windows. Look inside the book "The Red Thumb Mark" by R. Austin Freeman who was known for his detective stories. Open the book up to discover a clue about a hue and for a special message ($5 glass of red wine in the Library Bar) on 562 Sutter St. across the street from The Color Factory. We went inside for our glass of wine after having lunch at Scala's Bistro in the Sir Francis Drake Hotel but the bar was closed and the book was no longer there.  I took a photo of the Library Bar sign and of the Color Factory across the street, which is now under scaffolding. It was sad to see it going away but nice to be able to say goodbye to the museum one last time. Located at 562 Sutter St.

Sutter Nails - Stop #8: Request the $20 technicolor Color Factory manicure. Spend the rest of the day pointing out things with your freshly painted palette of nails. Located at 539 Sutter St.

Moth & Dagger Tatto Studio - Stop #9: Choose a temporary tattoo from the vending machine in the lobby. Pick from an array of colorful designs to match your mood. You know where to return if you want to make it permanent.

Boba Guys - Stop #10:  Everybody's favorite boba shop is serving a limited edition Strawberry Cream Boba (jasmine tea fresca with milk - $4.50) just for the Color Factory. It's a perfect pink to drink. We went inside to check it out and my friend got a Boba. They are no longer serving the limited edition drink. Located at 429 Stockton St.

Fortune Cookie Factory - Stop #9: Get a handmade matcha Color Factory Cookie and find the bright green wall outside in 56 Ross Alley. This was probably the highlight of our blog adventure day! It was exciting that of all our stops they still had the items from the Color Factory Map. We went into this rather tiny factory where nobody spoke English. We told them that we were here for the matcha Color Factory Cookie so we purchased a few for $.50 each. We also got to taste some freshly baked fortune cookies. Before leaving the factory I purchased some yummy chocolate dipped ones with sprinkles to bring home as a souvenir.  They would be a great favor for a kids party. It was really neat to see the whole process of making fortune cookies in the heart of Chinatown. After the cookie experience we went outside to take photos by the bright green wall, which thankfully was still there.

Mister Jiu's - Stop #12: Cozy up at the bar with a friend and order the Heart of Gold, a custom hot pink cocktail topped with gold leaf that is meant to be shared. This teapot for two is sure to rosy your cheeks after a full day of color. Unfortunately this place was closed on Sunday.

Mister Jiu's Secret Back Door - Stop #13: Under the blue awning and inside the doorway of what used to be the "Four Seas" you'll find a mini golden oasis. Amid old photos of dim sum offerings push colorful buttons for a dance party on 731 Grant St.

China Town Kite Shop - Stop #14: This local institution since 1969 showcases kites in every color. This was a fun stop for us. We went inside to check out this little shop which only sells kites. There were so many fun colorful designs to choose from. The Color Factory added a special display to the top window which still remains. "Let's Go Fly A Kite" with tinted colored glass just like at the museum. After walking out of the kite shop we came upon a Zoltar fortune telling machine just like the one in the movie "Big". I did not ask it to make me a kid again even though I felt like one most of the day on our scavenger hunt. It was fun to hear what Zoltar had to say and to get my fortune told, another fun souvenir from Chinatown.

Method Bubbles - Stop #15: Personality, champagne, and this building; three things that can be bubbly under the right circumstances. Push the colorful button under the red flag. Hold it down, count to three and look up! Let the colors fall as they may. This place was also closed on Sundays. 

Chinatown Flavor - Stop # 16: Color Factory design lead Erin Jang created this colorful stairwell inspired by the tastes of Chinatown on the Corner of Grant Avenue and Vinton Court in the alley alongside Bargains of Chinatown. Step up to your favorite flavor and take a photo with the corresponding color. We wandered around looking for the stairway and when we finally arrived there were a few people taking photos even though the stairway was now painted over with white paint covering any traces left of the color factory. It was sad that we could not see all of the color and joy that was once there. At the top of the stairway there is still a cool colorful dragon mural to admire.

Paint The Town - Stop #17: This special mural made by Color Factory was designed by one or their favorite lettering artists, Jessica Hische at the Corner of Sutter Street and Claude Lane right near a favorite of mine, Cafe Claude. Unfortunately when we got there the wall had already been painted over with white paint just like the Chinatown Flavor Stairway. The only art left is some graffiti which was a bummer but the Color Factory's way of saying goodbye to San Francisco.

Local Color - Stop# 18: Take a seat in one of five colored nooks by Lean Rosenberg for Sites Unseen, a public art project in SF's Yerba Buena Alleys at Natoma Alley at New Montgomery Street. Not sure if this still stands since we did not make it over to this area. I am hoping to plan another adventure day in the city to go check out SFMOMA again. 

After completing stops on the Color Factory Neighborhood Map we went to some of my favorite places around the city. One stop was Rare Device located at 600 Divisadero, which is connected with Oh Happy Day and the Color Factory on Instagram. I wrote about these in a previous blog post, "Eclectic San Francisco". Currently they have a window display by a German graphic designer Rosa Kammermeier. She has many window displays that can be seen around the city on the "Walk of Happiness".  I am pretty excited that I can plan another blog adventure scavenger hunt day looking for her hidden window display art in the city. Stay tuned for the blog post next month!