MIDDLETOWN, Calif. — Middletown Art Center, or MAC, is hosting a retrospective of Alana Clearlake’s art work. 

Alongside the solo exhibit in the larger gallery space is a group show Intimate in the smaller gallery at MAC. 

The exhibition opens Saturday, July 12, from 6 to 8 p.m. and is free to the public. 

Clearlake is an artistic gem hidden in the slopes of Cobb Mountain. She is a prolific artist — a painter, sculptor, jeweler, enamel worker and felt maker. Her work has been published in Craft in America Magazine, and has been exhibited in galleries and museums throughout the US and internationally. Clearlake has contributed work to every MAC exhibit since it opened in 2015.

Among works featured in the show is Clearlake’s opus work “Hard Rain“ comprising 16 felt painting panels that are a progression of climate conditions and intensity. Spanning just over 17 ft. the piece is a masterful labor of deep concern, and of love of family, and the planet that took her about a year to complete. Her execution of rain, storm, and sea are brilliant, sensitive, and dramatic. The rendering of light and transparency in the opaque medium of felt is striking. 

The exhibit also features needle and wet-felted sculptures that integrate natural materials like devils claw, horns, shells, and manzanita. Some hang from the ceiling, while others float on the wall or sit on flat surfaces. Earlier works include colorful enamel sculptures, vessels, and jewelry, as well as watercolors. 

The works span 1970 to 2025. The colors are vivid, and the shapes, textures, and organic materials used are a unique synthesis of her consciousness, artistry, and temperament.

The exhibit will be on view through Sept 8, Thursday to Monday, 10:30 a.m. to 5 p.m., or by appointment. 

A conversation with artist Alana Clearlake will take place in mid-August, with the date to be announced.

The Middletown Art Center is a local nonprofit organization dedicated to engaging the public in art-making, art education, and art appreciation. It provides a platform for the expression of a plurality of voices and perspectives, fostering an inclusive and accessible space for all.

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

To learn more about MAC’s programs, events, and ways to support their efforts to weave arts and culture into the fabric of life in Lake County, visit middletownartcenter.org, text or call 707-355-4465.