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MIDDLETOWN, Calif. – The Middletown Art Center studio classroom is bustling with creative activity most days of the week.
From the ongoing Restore Project, to Woodland Community College classes in drawing and art appreciation, to homeschool classes in art and drumming.
This Sunday, March 31, from 1 to 5 p.m., the Restore Project’s focus is on the collaborative art piece “Vertical Pathways for Rabbit Hill,” a working title.
Taught by sculptor Emily Sheibal, the class involves woodworking and additive sculpting in concrete using hardware cloth and burlap.
“I am overjoyed to see the Rabbit Hill project coming to fruition after a series of classes and collaborative brainstorming with Restore Project participants”, said Sheibal. “Members of our community have been given an opportunity to take ownership and contribute to local revitalization after the 2015 fires. They are collectively giving back hope through art.”
Adults of all ages and children age 11 up are encouraged to participate in this unique opportunity to collaboratively create and engage with the natural environment.
The cost is $5 per session. There is no requirement to attend every class and no previous art making experience is necessary.
Sign up at www.middletownartcenter.org/restore. Preregistration is mandatory as space is limited.
Vertical Pathways is comprised of "totem pole" like sculptures. Participants are invited to select a fallen tree to carve and add form and shape to.
The “poles” will be installed in an undulating serpentine fashion to create a rhythmic visual pathway on the hillside. The “pathway” will provide a sense of protection, and visual contrast and harmony, while honoring remaining trees and offering additional habitat for birds and pollinators.
Visit www.middeltownartcenter.org/restore to learn more about the project and see the kind of sculptural works we have been inspired by.
Earlier this year Restore participants who attended a field trip to Rabbit Hill with Lake County Land Trust members were inspired by both the totem like quality of remaining burned trees on the hillside and by stories they were told about the flutes that the former Rabbit Hill owners, “Huck” and “Skee” Hamann used to teach neighborhood children how to make and play.
In the 1970s the Hamanns donated the property to the Madrone Audubon Society. Rabbit Hill was transferred to the Lake County Land Trust after its inception in the 1990s. This project is a partnership between MAC and the Land Trust.
Additional Restore sessions focused on Vertical Pathways will be held April 14 and 28 with other creative and installation activities announced during April and May. Community members interested in helping with landscaping and installation can email
Restore classes in sculpture, mixed media, printmaking or creative writing are offered most weekends through May from 1 to 5 p.m.
Upcoming classes include block printmaking with John Jennings on April 6, 3D Mixed Media with Laura Kennedy on April 7. Pre-registration is required for all classes at www.middletownartcenter.org/restore as space is limited.
The Restore project was made possible with support from the California Arts Council, a state agency, with additional support from the Lake County Land Trust and other local organizations, businesses, and individuals.
Visit www.ca.arts.gov to learn more about the California Arts Council’s work in communities and schools throughout California. Learn more about the Lake County Land Trust at www.lakecountylandtrust.org.
The MAC Gallery currently features “Living Color” and vibrant exhibit open to the public Thursdays from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m., Fridays from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m., Saturdays from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. and Sundays from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Be a part of the growing arts and cultural scene in South Lake County by becoming a MAC member, by participating in Restore classes, or by attending one of the many events or classes at MAC.
Visit www.middletownartcenter.org or “Like” Middletown Art Center on Facebook to stay up-to-date.
