- Mary Snodgrass
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Interact with art and nature at EcoArts Lake County Sculpture Walk
MIDDLETOWN, Calif. – The community is invited to come and check out the annual EcoArts Lake County Sculpture Walk, entering the final weeks of this year's exhibit.
The sculpture walk, now in its 12th year, is located at Middletown Trailside Park. It combines art and nature into a unique experience.
The exhibit is free and open everyday from dawn to dusk through Oct. 13.
Professional sculptors and local artists and craftspeople have produced works that speak to the natural surroundings of the park either by the use of natural or repurposed materials, or through an environmental message.
While you’ll find a variety of concepts and themes expressed by the artists, the prevailing message is to consider how delicate nature is and how we can preserve and protect our environment.
From the moment visitors start on the trail, they are reminded of the regenerative aspect of nature in Renata Jaworska’s “Force,” a giant chrome heart; wounded it would seem, but caught in the midst of beating regardless.
They encounter nature sprites, such as Mary Mattlage’s “Trickster,” a feathered imp peeking from a tree, and deceptively whimsical, and delicate “GMOs” by Terry Church.
Lisa Kaplan’s powerfully expressive “Who Will Be Our Leaders,” made primarily from earth and straw, depicts a child leading an adult into the future.
Additional works from natural materials include Laura Kennedy's complex “Points of Connection,” created from fallen limbs and branches gleaned from the park; the simply elegant, perfectly serpentine lines created by Chuck Williams in his “Playful Pickets”; and “Gourd Flower Tree,” stretching towards the skies by Sherry Harris, among others.
Unlike a conventional art exhibit, viewers can physically interact with some of the works. Two pieces that literally resonate are Don Speed's, “Earth Echoes,” an unconventional gong awaiting your strike; and Diego Harris' astounding, “Giant Serpent Horn,” a gigantic musical instrument that you can sing or shout through.
There is much more great work to see. Take “the walk” and delight in this year’s EcoArts Lake County Sculpture Walk.
The Middletown County Trailside Park is located approximately a mile and half from downtown Middletown off Highway 175 and Dry Creek Cutoff.
The sculpture walk is along the center trail and is approximately a quarter-mile long. There is a free guide-book at the entrance to the trail.
Pack a lunch or dinner and take advantage of the many benches and picnic tables scattered throughout this beautiful 107-acre park.
Additional work by Eco Artists will be exhibited during the month of September at the Life Gallery in Middletown, 21037 Calistoga Road, open 9 a.m. to 7 p.m. daily.
The exhibit opening will be Sept. 6 from 6 to 8:30 p.m. and the public is invited.
EcoArts of Lake County is a 501(c)3 nonprofit organization dedicated to promoting the visual arts, visual art education and ecological stewardship for artists, residents, and visitors to Lake County.
For more information visit www.EcoArtsofLakeCounty.org , contact This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it., call 707-809-5398 or find them on Facebook.