MIDDLETOWN
Call for art, MAC’s upcoming exhibit: ‘Apart & Connected’
Artists are invited to submit work for the upcoming exhibit, Apart & Connected, at the Middletown Art Center (MAC), Lake County’s premier contemporary art gallery. The curatorial team seeks strong, well-crafted work in any medium that expresses the new normal which now marks over one year of challenges with distancing and how we strive to maintain connectedness. Submissions are due via email February 28th, with a hybrid virtual and on-site opening reception March 20th. The exhibit will run through June 20, 2021.
“The work at the MAC is as impressive as work I have seen in boutique galleries throughout the Bay Area and Wine Country,” said Nicola Chipps, Co-curator at MAC and former Art and Design Consultant at Ærena Galleries in the Napa Valley. “With support from a CARES grant from the National Endowment for the Arts, MAC is leveraging digital tools such as virtual exhibits and hybrid opening receptions to reach a broader audience.”
MAC has been a beacon of resilience and hope during challenges of widespread social distancing, Sheltering in Place and continuous years of wildfires. A dynamic contemporary arts resource, the gallery features rotating exhibits of exceptional work by regional artists.
Applications and high-resolution (300dpi) jpeg images of work are due via email by Feb. 28, 2021. Delivery of accepted work is March 12 or by appointment. The submission fee is $40 for 3 entries, or free to MAC Professional Members. Download an application and learn more about the benefits of exhibiting at MAC at middletownartcenter.org/calls-for-work.
The MAC Gallery is open Thursday – Monday, 10:30 to 4:30, or by appointment 707-809-8118. You can also see the current show virtually at middletownartcenter.org/home. The MAC continues to adjust and innovate during this time of COVID-19. Social distancing and masking are always observed.
Find out more about events, programs, opportunities, and ways to support the MAC’s efforts to weave the arts and culture into the fabric of life in Lake County at middletownartcenter.org
—Submitted
$17.3 million awarded to community based organizations for outreach to California communities disproportionately impacted by COVID-19
SACRAMENTO
The Center at Sierra Health Foundation, in partnership with the California Department of Social Services (CDSS) and the Labor and Workforce Development Agency (LWDA), today announced more than $17.3 million in grants to 110 community-based organizations throughout California to support community engagement, public health education and encourage COVID-19 vaccination among those who have been hardest hit by the pandemic.
Community based organizations have been providing critical services and information to Californians during the pandemic and are key partners in reaching Californians who have been disproportionately impacted by COVID-19.
“Systemic inequalities in our government and healthcare systems have left many Californians at a higher risk from COVID-19,” said Governor Newsom. “Building on the successful infrastructure created to encourage underserved communities to participate in the census, we must reach these disproportionally affected Californians through trusted messengers and community-based partners to minimize the spread of the virus, overcome vaccine hesitancy and save lives.”
The Center at Sierra Health Foundation was brought on board as a partner due to their expertise and deep reach into underserved communities. Funds will be used to support outreach to disproportionately impacted populations, including workers in the hardest hit sectors, and will prioritize interactive engagements designed to connect individuals with information and resources related to the safety of the COVID-19 vaccine, public health guidance, workplace protections, and other state resources, including the public safety net in multiple languages.
Organizations received awards ranging from $50,000 – $300,000 for regional or statewide outreach efforts to be conducted over six months (February – July 2021). The Center at Sierra Health Foundation is administering funds on behalf of LWDA. The California Community Foundation is administering the COVID-19 outreach project on behalf of CDSS in Los Angeles, Ventura, and Orange Counties and will announce its contracted partners in mid-February.
—Submitted
WASHINGTON, D.C.
Newsom loses biggest court battle yet
Churches can reopen indoors
The U.S. Supreme Court dealt a major blow to Gov. Gavin Newsom’s executive authority when it knocked down California’s ban on indoor worship, ruling that the governor’s pandemic restrictions unfairly targeted churches in violation of the First Amendment.
The 6-3 ruling issued late Friday prompted Newsom’s administration to release new guidelines Saturday permitting places of worship to hold indoor services at 25% capacity in purple- or red-tier counties and at 50% capacity in orange- or yellow-tier counties. The Supreme Court left intact the state’s prohibition on indoor singing and chanting, though Pasadena-based Harvest Rock Church, one of the plaintiffs, plans to petition for the right to sing indoors. In another wrinkle, Santa Clara County said it will continue to ban indoor worship because its health orders are different than the state’s.
Although some California religious institutions plan to continue holding online services for the time being, others opened their doors for Sunday services.
Bishop Arthur Hodges of San Diego’s South Bay United Pentecostal Church: “We are thrilled and excited to go back to church without legal threat of fines or arrest.”
The ruling is likely to embolden other groups fighting Newsom in court who argue they, too, are being singled out. Among them:
- Let Them Play CA. The group sued Newsom for banning high school sports but allowing college and professional sports teams to compete.
- The California Fitness Alliance. The group on Friday questioned why Newsom “continues to bend the rules subjectively” by allowing one-on-one personal training indoors, but not indoor gym workouts.
- The California Craft Brewers Association. The group is suing Newsom for “arbitrary” rules that allow wine tasting rooms to serve wine by itself but force brewpubs to serve food with beer.
Newsom offered his perspective on reopening at a Wednesday press conference.
Newsom: “We want to do it safely and a lot of great data has been provided by the same groups that are suing us. If I was concerned about lawsuits, I would have collapsed a year ago. We receive dozens of them every week.”
CalMatters political reporter Ben Christopher is tracking all those pandemic suits — 67 and counting.
—Hoeven, CALmatters
