contACT ARTS Organization

snippets for new show…

Liliana Cattaneo — Mon, 24 May 2010 05:58:38 +0000

Here’s a medley of new show music by composer Bobby McElver

http://bobbymcelver.com/audio/lily/contactartsmedley.mp3

heart started beating again…

Liliana Cattaneo — Mon, 03 May 2010 18:18:38 +0000

Working out of Santa Rosa & Glen Ellen, CA has been very beneficial to regroup and refocus. Northern California offers a great abundance of artistic resources and harbors some pretty great people. This city girl spent two years living on a road with cows as neighbors, a country lifestyle compared to the cramped life in San Francisco, sharing a living room with someone else, or traveling the states, living in a van…there is something to be said for stillness.

I’ve been creating a new show with musician, Bobby McElver to be set for stage in 2011. We look forward to performing live together after all these years, and taking it on the road to a theatre near you!

Karen & Colin Archipley have been working hard on VSAT in becoming their own established non-profit. I’m honored to become a Founding Board Member of their Veterans Sustainable Agriculture Training program. www.vsatusa.org
contACT ARTS has enjoyed helping with the growth of their program and looks forward to their ongoing success in serving veterans across the country.

A letter to the press

Liliana Cattaneo — Sun, 31 Jan 2010 01:11:48 +0000

“I just stumbled across something very creative and inspiring while filling my car with gas. I was at the Bennet Valley 76 where, low and behold, there was a fantastic and creative dance/protest going on by a dancer, backed by a lone musician playing several traditional as well as unusual instruments. She performed in a barrel of oil, telling a story of our dependence on foreign oil. What an inspiring and thought provoking expression of her views and the creative medium with which it was delivered. Where can people with such ideas and talent present their message in Santa Rosa? Wells Fargo Center? I don’t think so. If you are not aware, there is a ban on street performing within Santa Rosa city limits. Want to sing a protest song in Court House Square? Beware, you might be ticketed. Want to join a drum circle in Julliard Park, same result.

Why do we stifle the creativity of some very talented performers? People in San Francisco can enjoy free entertainment in public places without any penalty being levied on the performer. Is San Francisco on the verge of anarchy? I don’t think so. It is a very nurturing environment for up and coming entertainers with creative and distinct ways of sharing their art. WAKE UP Santa Rosa! We are trying to build a vibrant and active downtown. It starts with performance art and street musicians creating a backdrop for the businesses to draw clientele from.”

Dan Hoffman
Santa Rosa
August 2009

It’s all coming up roses…

Liliana Cattaneo — Sat, 22 Aug 2009 00:19:21 +0000

contACT ARTS was formed to express new goals under a name connected with it’s vision..to offer conscious art a platform… A new direction for Xdrop (the old name) which served it’s communities faithfully for 5 years strong (2003-2008) as a company ’seldom on a mission but always on the road less traveled.’ Still under the same non profit status and commitment to providing honest service and original production, this Indie Arts Organization is gearing up to set out on advocating the Arts while strengthening communication between artists and audiences.

After touring for 5 months through the U.S. last year, and driving by a thousand gas stations, wal-marts, and fast food chains, I wanted to start working on an “Angry American Tour” to be featured at some of these locations…and funny enough, John Moran of the Sonoma Arts Council called when I relocated myself back to Northern California…he wondered if I would be interested in performing site-specifically around town for the fall Fringe Festival…I asked what he thought of gas station shows and he loved it…so with his help, much hard work and determination the Sustainable Choreography Series has started to evolve. I’ll be performing with local musician, Mike Wilson for our shows opening August 30th…along with trying not to get run over, I hope to expose people to progressive art who don’t normally get the opportunity.

In May, contACT sponsored a benefit at the World Beat Center in San Diego for Archi’s Acres (small organic farm in Escondido, CA) and their new program, Veteran Sustainable Agriculture Training which helps veterans gain jobs and experience working on their farm. Mimi Kennedy (our host), Bree Walker and Francine Busby showed up to offer their support…very cool to know that Karen and Colin Archipley of Archi’s Acres are getting up on their feet…quite the pair, those two…contACT will continue to be their fiscal sponsor and collecting donations on their behalf. The International Dance Exchange Alliance (IDEA), a project I started 10 months ago, now has over 100 members from 5 countries. I look forward to our continued progress.

I recently learned that we aren’t allowed to street perform on public property in Santa Rosa. I’ve called the City to find out what’s going on..they did return my call to say that they are working on allowing permits but cannot tell me when this will come into fruition or what is being discussed in their meetings..hmm…Tara at the City Manager’s office is whom I’ll be contacting again… Seems I missed out on a protest gathering downtown concerning Santa Rosa’s situation with denying street performers a place in their society. I’d like to hope that a town I now call my home will be able to embrace Art as a valuable part of daily life.

I’ve been thinking that we should have an Artist National Park in this country since we as Artists are an endangered species…

Big wet thanks to Julia Holland and her company, Blue Penguin Consulting for donating services to our new website…and to the musicians hard at work on the new show…of course, the Board…and to all of you who come to shows and for your support all these years. It’s been a long journey so far which now seems like just the beginning…from the fan mail to the hate mail, it’s all coming up roses somehow..