MIDDLETOWN, Calif. – The Middletown Art Center is bustling with activity as class participants and teachers prepare for the opening reception of “Community Works” on Saturday, May 18, from 5 to 7 p.m.

The exhibit is comprised of work created in three different programs that took place at MAC this past year: Woodland Community College Lake County Campus Art 4A and the exhibit “Emerging”, the Restore project, and ArtVentures for Homeschoolers, each taught by MAC artists.

“It’s the diversity of work and artists that makes the show!” said Susan Littlefield who participated in the Art 4A class.

“We worked together to choose and hang our best works, and the arrangement created a new piece of art in and of itself. It reflects the collaborative and supportive spirit of our class,” added Ava Kennedy.

The 2018 spring semester was the first time Woodland Community College, or WCC, offered art classes at the MAC.

“I am so pleased that we are able to offer affordable access to quality semester-long art courses for WCC,” said course instructor and MAC Programs Director Lisa Kaplan. “This class was very similar to a Foundation Drawing class I taught at the Art Institute of California, San Francisco in the late 1990s, except that WCC students are not necessarily preparing for a career in the arts. But they were receptive to the rigor and quality of instruction and learning and it shows up in their work, and in the exhibit.”

Woodland Community College will continue to offer classes at MAC during the 2019-20 academic year beginning with Art 4B in the fall.

Those interested in developing skills drawing the human figure, landscapes, and architecture should sign up for class at https://wcc.yccd.edu/admissions/apply-today/ . A prerequisite of a basic drawing class, or commensurate experience or course work is required. Contact the WCC or the MAC to learn more.

Mixed media, woodworking and prints from the Restore project have also been carefully placed in the MAC gallery’s attractive spaces. The Restore project now drawing to a close provided Lake County residents with low-cost art classes on weekends from July 2018 through May 2019, and the opportunity to learn or refine skills in a variety of materials and techniques.

Classes were open to adults of all ages and teens and included monthly writers workshop, printmaking, sculpture and mixed-media.

Participants engaged in both personal and in collaborative projects like Vertical Pathways at Rabbit Hill, which opens Friday, May 17, from 5 to 7 p.m.

The collection of work on view in the gallery now is inclusive and compelling. Come to the reception this Saturday and see for yourself.

The Restore project was made possible with support from the California Arts Council, a state agency. Visit www.ca.arts.gov to learn more.

View “Community Works” and see what kind of art our community is up to. Be a part of enjoying and sustaining the arts and culture in Lake County by becoming a MAC member, by participating in classes, or by attending one of the many events at MAC.

Visit www.middletownartcenter.org or “Like” Middletown Art Center on Facebook to stay up-to-date with what’s happening.

MAC is located at 21456 State Highway 175 at the junction of Highway 29.