There's Nothing Informal About It

Participatory Arts within the Cultural Ecology of Silicon Valley

Maribel Alvarez, Ph.D. with research assistance from Lisa van Diggelen

2005, 80 pages. Cultural Initiatives Silicon Valley 1153 Lincoln Avenue, Suite I, San Jose

Cultural anthropologist Dr. Maribel Alvarez conducted ethnographic field research in a range of commercial and non-commercial settings for the second Cultural Initiatives publication exploring the nature of the participatory arts in Silicon Valley. In this study, Dr. Alvarez eloquently and thoughtfully examines multiple settings and finds not only a breadth of motives for participating in the arts, but also a strong strain of arts that are being made in counterpoint to the performance, exhibitions, and writings of professional artists and institutions.