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MIDDLETOWN, Calif. – The National Endowment for the Arts has awarded a Challenge America grant of $10,000 for workshops to support outdoor sculpture projects in the Middletown area.
The funds were awarded to EcoArts of Lake County, doing business as the Middletown Art Center.
“We are thrilled to receive recognition from a prestigious federal organization and be included in the Arts Endowment’s first major funding announcement for fiscal year 2019,” said Middletown Art Center Director Lisa Kaplan.
Challenge America grants support projects that extend the reach of the arts to underserved populations – those whose opportunities to experience the arts are limited by geography, ethnicity, economics or disability.
“Our project, ‘Locus,’ focuses on sculptural expressions to revitalize and promote community use of Middletown Trailside Park and Rabbit Hill, both burned in the Valley Fire,” Kaplan said.
As Mary Anne Carter, acting chairman of the National Endowment for the Arts, said, “The arts enhance our communities and our lives, and we look forward to seeing these projects take place throughout the country, giving Americans opportunities to learn, to create, to heal, and to celebrate.”
“We are really pleased that the NEA recognizes the quality and importance of our continuing fire recovery efforts,” said Kaplan. “‘Locus’ extends our work from the Resilience and Restore projects to further engage community with artists and collaborative art making.”
In Locus, Kaplan said artists will lead creation and installation of artwork for the June 1 reopening of the EcoArts Sculpture Walk at Trailside Park and for Phase II of the Rabbit Hill Art Trail.
The Rabbit Hill project Phase II is scheduled to open in November, marking the end of fire season and commemorating the 2018 Camp fire in Paradise, Kaplan said.
The community is invited and encouraged to join one or many Locus activities in the coming months as makers and collaborators.
“Together, we can further renew our sense of place, and create a legacy of high quality artwork and local pride,” added Kaplan. “Especially during this coming month of May, as we prepare to reopen the Sculpture Walk at the park, we encourage folks who like to work outdoors, who have an interest in revitalizing our shared outdoor spaces and/or have landscaping skills, to assist in site preparation, installation, or maintenance of exhibits at Trailside Park or Rabbit Hill. Please contact the MAC if you would like to help in any way.”
Upcoming workshops in May include Marcus Maria Jung’s collaborative sculpture created from felled trees found at the park on Saturday, May 4, from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m.; “Eclipsopy” led by Layna Joy – a collaboratively made canopy shade structure to assist regrowth on Sunday, May 12, from 1 to 5 p.m.; and “New Growth” with Sherry Harris – a sculpture from woven Mulberry branches date and time to be announced.
To learn more or to participate in the Locus project visit www.MiddletownArtCenter.org/Locus.
The NEA is an independent federal agency that funds, promotes and strengthens the creative capacity of our communities by providing all Americans with diverse opportunities for arts participation.
For more information on this National Endowment for the Arts grant announcement, visit www.arts.gov/news.
Middletown Art Center is located at 21456 State Highway 175 at the junction of Highway 29 in the heart of Middletown.
