Estimados,
¡VivaFest! is thrilled to announce a co-presentation with the Commonwealth Club of California: "Linda Ronstadt in Conversation." Read on to learn about this wonderful event and hear about good news from our funding community!
Linda was the first female artist to release four consecutive platinum albums, and has collaborated with everyone from Neil Young to Frank Sinatra to Dolly Parton. Her music represents all facets of rock, pop, country, jazz and Latin, and she has sold more than 100 million records worldwide. She was also the Artistic Director of our festival from 2008 to 2010, and we are delighted to welcome her back to the San José area.
Join us as Linda traces the roots of her musical journey. She'll start with her childhood in Arizona, then discuss her introduction to the Los Angeles music scene, and talk about coping with success as one of the most iconic singers of our time. Learn more about her fascinating life, political activism and ongoing commitment to arts education.
The Jan. 24 event will be moderated by Barbara Marshman, editorial-page editor of the San Jose Mercury News, at Santa Clara University's Mayer Theatre, 500 El Camino Real, Santa Clara. The conversation starts at 7 p.m. with check-in at 6:30 p.m.
Tickets are $30 general admission, $20 for Commonwealth Club of California members, and $10 for students with I.D. Premium tickets (priority seating with a signed copy of Linda's book, "Simple Dreams: A Musical Memoir") are $75 general and $60 for club members.
Click here for more information and to buy tickets. Our special $10 discount code is: VIVA.
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A grant triple play
National recognition is always a reason to celebrate, and this December has brought us another gift: new funding from the National Endowment for the Arts. The NEA has announced a $25,000 Art Works grant to the Mexican Heritage Corporation to support the 2014 ¡VivaFest! cultural festival in San José.
The NEA received more than 1,500 applications nationwide for Art Works grants. We're honored to be among the 895 nonprofit recipients, and we congratulate our colleagues who were also chosen.
Joan Shigekawa, the NEA's acting chair, said: "The National Endowment for the Arts is proud to support these exciting and diverse art projects that will take place throughout the United States. Whether it is through a focus on education, engagement, or innovation, these projects all contribute to vibrant communities and memorable experiences for the public to engage with the arts."
But our December good news doesn't stop here. We're honored to let you know that we have also been honored with two other grants, giving us a sort of grant triple play! We recently received support of $25,000 from the Packard Foundation for our standards-based mariachi in the schools program, and $5,000 from the Horizons Foundation for support of LGBT programming at ¡VivaFest!
We're so grateful for these gifts, and for the support you all give us. Stay tuned: We'll be announcing the ¡VivaFest! theme and artist roster in 2014.
Happy holidays!
Saludos,
Marcela
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