Middletown >> The public is invited to a celebratory opening reception for EcoArts: Lake County Sculpture Walk, and “Multi Lingual” at the Middletown Art Center (MAC) Saturday from 6-8 p.m.
Festivities include musical and spoken word performances by Edgewise and Lake County poets including poet laureate Julie Adams, poet laureate emeritus Casey Carney, Sam Flot, Graham Lloyd and Richard Schmidt as well as performance art by Wendy Dalton.
For the past 13 years, local and regional artists have installed artwork “in dialogue with nature” at the Middletown Trailside Park. Over the years, the sculpture walk has featured new work annually, and was open to the public from early June through mid-October.
The park was severely impacted by the Valley Fire and is still recovering. Until it is deemed ready for the public, EcoArts will install artwork at MAC’s corner lot, and in the more intimate side garden at MAC. This year’s exhibit will run through Labor Day weekend.
As in years’ prior, artists use natural and re-purposed materials to present a variety of aesthetic and/or ecological messaging. This 14th year’s works are a “Tribute to our Resiliency.” While the exhibit is more compact than usual, the artwork installed at MAC once again engages viewers in the long-standing conversation around the relationship between nature, man and art — a conversation that is more poignant now after the fire.
Multi Lingual is an exploration of open ended interpretations of language; the works in this exhibition integrate language of all kinds, including text, signifiers and sequenced imagery. The exhibit will run though Aug. 14. Gallery hours are Fridays noon-6 p.m., Saturdays 10 a.m.-6 p.m. (farmers’ market outdoors 9 a.m.-noon), and Sundays noon-5.
The installation of the sculpture walk at the junctions of Highways 175 and 29 marks the first iteration of a new use of the formerly empty lot. Further improvements to this corner are underway and are made possible through the support of the Lake County Rising Fire Relief Fund.
MAC welcomes volunteers, members, sponsors and donations to help support its growing programs and site improvements. Learn more at www.middletownartcenter.org.
To find out more about the exhibits, classes and cultural offerings at MAC, visit www.middletownartcenter.org, Facebook.com/ARTMiddletown, email Middletownartcenter@gmail.com, call (707) 809- 8118, mail P.O. Box 1616 Middletown CA 95461 or stop by. MAC is located at 21456 Highway 175 in Middletown.
