MAC and youth artists working on the Connected by Water mural at Lakeside Park Boat Launch
The Middletown Art Center (MAC) invites community members of all ages and abilities to participate in a free Community Painting Day for the Connected by Water mural at the Lakeside Park Boat Launch on Saturday, August 22, from 9 am to 12 pm. Celebrate our shared humanity and community vitality while learning more about the natural history and ecology of the Clear Lake region. Everyone is welcome, and no artistic experience is required. The event is free and open to the public, and food will be provided to participants in collaboration with Goddess of the Mountain.
During the Community Painting Day on Aug. 22, youth artists will guide the public in painting alongside MAC artists Darina Simeonova, Ruth Richards, and team. Cultural practitioners will engage the public in weaving with tule and learning more about the natural history of the lake, including the importance of Hitch fish and the tule reed to healthy aquatic ecosystems.
MAC’s Community Painting Day at the Clearlake Oaks Boat Launch was well attended. Community volunteers enjoyed painting together, working with youth and MAC artists, and learning more about Clear Lake’s ecology from cultural practitioners.
Connected by Water was collaboratively designed by Kelseyville High School students and is part of MAC’s Rooted in Place, multi-site project, funded by Parks California and in partnership with the County of Lake Public Services Department. The project includes three murals designed by youth, with MAC artists facilitating the collaborative mural design and implementation process. Youth artists from Middletown and Lower Lake High schools have joined students from the Kelseyville area in the painting process at Lakeside. The experience provides exposure to and training in skills that support viable career pathways in the arts, enabling young people to pursue their talents and passions with greater competence and confidence.
“Working on Connected by Water has been really fun! I’ve met people from different schools, and we have been learning to name some of the lake species together. I also learned that the hitch is an important food source and that tule has been used to make baskets and shelter. Also, hitch and other fish, animals, and birds can hide in it,” explained Angelica Aguilar, who will be a senior at Kelseyville High School this year. Angelica has been involved throughout the project, beginning with the collaborative design phase. She has been painting at Lakeside Park with other youth and MAC artists for the past few weeks. A career path Angelica is considering is cosmetology and becoming a tattoo artist. “Working on this mural is helping me learn new techniques, like blocking colors and adding details later, learning how other people do things, and trying new styles – it’s fun! Also, the mural is very colorful and resonates with me through my Latin American cultural roots.”
Rooted in Place includes two painted murals and one mosaic and painted mural at Clear Lake Shoreline County Parks, as well as the installation of an interactive sculpture at Trailside Park in Middletown. Community engagement days, led by youth artists, are a key part of the Rooted in Place project, inviting the public to contribute directly to the artworks while learning about Lake County’s environmental and cultural legacy through hands-on activities. The artworks beautify public spaces while conveying the interconnectedness of the natural world and our shared responsibility for ongoing, collective stewardship. Community engagement activities aim to motivate people to visit the park and the art they helped create again and again, allowing them to enjoy the healing power of art and nature.
Attendees are encouraged to register in advance at www.MACLAKE.org to help MAC plan for supplies and food. Lunch will be provided for participants. The Lakeside Park Boat Launch is located at 1985 Park Drive, off Soda Bay Rd. between Kelseyville and Finley.
EcoArts of Lake County, DBA Middletown Art Center (MAC), is dedicated to weaving the arts into the fabric of community life by supporting local artists, mentoring emerging youth creatives, and creating opportunities for meaningful public participation in the arts.
To learn more about the Rooted in Place project and other community days, please visit www.middletownartcenter.org/rootedinplace or find MAC on Facebook, Instagram, and TikTok @mtownartcenter.
