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MIDDLETOWN, Calif. – This weekend the Middletown Art Center is kicking off a yearlong art project and opening its newest art exhibit.
“Five dollars for a five-hour art class – you simply can’t beat that!” said Lisa Kaplan, executive director at the Middletown Art Center, or MAC.
This is a call for the public to come to MAC and, for $5, participate, collaborate and create every first through fourth Saturday in “Resilience.”
“Resilience” is a year-long project that culminates with county-wide exhibits, a chapbook of writings and images, spoken word performances and other community events.
The project is funded through a Local Impact grant from the California Arts Council with additional local business and community support.
Classes kick off this weekend with the first Saturday of the month dedicated to photography. Cell phone cameras are just fine for this class.
Poetry/written and spoken word follow on the second Saturday each month. On Sunday, June 18, painting will be offered due to Middletown Days, but generally the third Saturday will be devoted to painting and the fourth to drawing/printmaking.
MAC instructors will work in teams and take turns leading classes so that a variety of approaches and techniques in each discipline can be explored.
Classes, which are open to adults of all ages and teens ages 12 up, will run from noon to 5 p.m.
Further details are posted at www.MiddletownArtCenter.org/resilience . Please register in advance online, email or call to reserve your spot.
MAC’s newest exhibit, “Eco-Centric,” also opens this Saturday.
The public is invited to a fun and festive opening reception of new exhibits indoors and out doors from 6 to 8 p.m.
Brian Ward’s Interactive Sound Tree will be on view in the back of the house, and David Neft will be playing tunes in the front.
“Eco-Centric” features a compelling assortment of contemporary artwork by local artists that continue the dialog between art and nature which was the impetus of the EcoArts: Lake County Sculpture Walk.
The Sculpture Walk opened new exhibits each summer for 13 years at the Trailside Park until the Valley fire destroyed the park.
Since June of 2016, the MAC Art Garden on the corner of Highway 175 and Highway 29 has served as a means to continue the tradition and bring large-scale artwork to the center of town. Eco-Centric will be on view through Sunday, July 9.
The Art Center and EcoArts focus on the relationship of man to nature continues through Resilience. In this project the goal is to observe, document and use as inspiration nature’s regeneration and resilience after the fires of 2015 to 2016 through a cycle of seasons.
“Everyone, from beginner to professional, is encouraged to participate in classes in one or all four disciplines. Come to one class, sign up for a series, or take several classes in each discipline,” said Kaplan.
Thanks to this Local Impact grant, the cost is just $5 per class or $60 for a complete series in one discipline.
“Our motivation for this grant was to provide affordable access to the arts for anyone in Lake County. We also set our hours to coordinate with the Lake Transit bus schedule for this purpose. On an individual basis, we can subsidize the class fee and/or bus passes for those who may need further assistance,” explained Kaplan.
“We hope to see lots of folks engage with the arts through this project and encourage people to sign up as soon as possible,” said Kaplan.
Reserve your spot online with a Paypal payment, via email at
You can sign up in person when MAC is open Thursday to Sunday from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. All payments help support costs associated with the Resilience project.
