Olympiad of the Arts : About Us
When James Phelan of Montalvo and Poet Laureate Dr. Henry Meade Bland initiated the Olympiad of the Arts in 1928 with a “Poesy Olympiad”, they envisioned Santa Clara Valley as the “Athens of the West.”
Poet Laureate Henry Meade Bland at Montalvo, 1928 In the 1950s Gwendolen Penniman, a devotee of the arts, continued their efforts with the support of the Edwin Markham Society and incorporated the Olympiad Contests. Early Olympiads and awards ceremonies were held at Villa Montalvo.
West Valley/Mission Colleges Foundation embraced the competition in 1978 and has continued to honor and promote Phelan and Bland’s vision to make this area a center for the arts.
The Olympiad of the Arts Committee, made up of representatives of the Foundation, Fine Arts Faculty and Staff members of Mission and West Valley Colleges, and members of the community, directs the annual contests which are open to all high school and lower division college students in Santa Clara County.
The Walter and Josephine M. Wichansky Awards for Excellence in the Arts were bestowed for the first time in 2005 to students for achievements in poetry writing. This is the first of five such gifts to the Olympiad of the Arts, to be awarded between 2005 - 2009. The award is a memorial to two people who were involved in, supported, and appreciated the arts of all variety throughout their lives. Their daughter, Anna Wichansky, was a published poet and award winning soprano in New York in high school, and has created this award to further encourage student achievement in the arts. Her daughter, Christina Filipp, is a 2004 winner in poetry at the Olympiad of the Arts.
To date, over 10,000 student artists have participated, receiving recognition and approximately $70,000 in monetary awards.
West Valley/Mission Colleges Foundation
The West Valley/Mission Colleges Foundation is a 501(c)3 non-profit organized in 1971 to provide scholarships and support programs and services of West Valley and Mission Colleges. The Foundation manages the Olympiad of the Arts, as well as numerous scholarships.
Board of Directors of the
West Valley/Mission Colleges Foundation
Robert C. Fernandez, President
Michael F. Kotowski, Vice-President
Doug Allen
William W. Allman
Howard Bailey
Bill Cooper
Len Duncan
Linda Durnell
Mike Foulkes
Mike Fox, Sr., Foundation Chair Emeritus
Frank Jewett II
David Montagna
Tab Morales
Willys Peck
Joseph Pon
Julian Roberts
Dan Schettler
Eugene Sterling, Ph.D., Olympiad of the Arts Committee Chair
Chad Walsh
Mark Waxman
West Valley-Mission Community College District Administration
Stan Arterberry, Chancellor
Harriett Robles, President, MC
Philip Hartley, Ph.D., President, WVC
Cindy Schelcher, Advancement Dean
For more information contact:
Paula E. Pacheco, Director: Click to E-Mail, or call (408)741-2066.
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