Tag:

Art

YÓMI-Place: A New Exhibit Opening August 8 at Middletown Art Center

by The Bloom Curation Staff August 3, 2026

Artist Jacob Meders and Justus Simon from Middletown Rancheria Environmental Dept. bundling willow (photos: MAC Staff)

Middletown Art Center (MAC) invites the public to the opening reception of its new exhibition YÓMI-Place, this Saturday, August 8, from 6 to 8 pm. The event is free and open to the public. Join the MAC for the opening reception and hear from Tribal Elder Millie Simon and Artist/Curator Jacob Meders at 6 pm.

Yómi-Place features artists Eric-Paul Riege (Diné) and Jacob Meders (Mechoopda) as well as Pomo and other Native Northern CA basket and jewelry makers. The exhibition highlights how contemporary Indigenous artists gather culturally meaningful material to build upon ancestral traditions and values.

The artists all come from communities with weaving traditions, though from different regions of Turtle Island (North America), and with different materials in mind. They dig deep into the beauty and values of their ancestors’ ways of knowing and making to reframe how contemporary Indigenous aesthetics are woven together across regions, know-how, and future visions. Learn more about MAC’s guest artists at Middletownartcenter.org/yomi.

“When I do these installations, it is important to gather materials from the land where I am installing the work because it’s about our relationship with the land,” said Meders. “People, animals, plants, the land, and waters are all our community, and we need to take care of each other. These are reciprocal relationships.”

MAC will host free school field trips to the exhibition and studio, primarily for grades 4 and 9, starting August 17, thanks to a California Arts Council Arts and Youth program grant. Field trips will include interactive gallery tours and artmaking with cultural educators and teaching artists, providing a rich, holistic learning experience. Lake County teachers are encouraged to contact info@middletownartcenter.org or call 707-809-8118 to reserve a field trip early, as space is limited.

“We are honored and thrilled to have been able to bring Jacob Meders to Middletown to share his work and curate the work of others, most notably guest artist Eric-Paul Riege. Both are innovative in their use of materials and form to elicit meaning and questions,” said MAC’s Executive and Artistic Director Lisa Kaplan. “Jake’s work includes a strong component of social practice—involving community members in the co-creation of his work while raising awareness to a variety of ecological and social justice issues, especially pertaining to Native Americans. Youth Tribal members from Middletown Rancheria, the MAC team, and MAC volunteers worked together to harvest willow from Rancheria lands for Jake’s installation. We are very excited to present his exhibition to the people of Lake County and beyond!”

Thanks to the Middletown Rancheria Environmental Department for hosting the willow harvest, and to the people of Big Valley for sharing tules, as well as the County of Lake Water Resources Dept. We are also grateful to Twin Pine Casino and Harbin Hotsprings for providing lodging for Jake.

The MAC is located at 21456 State Hwy 175 at the junction of Hwy 29 in Middletown. To find out more about the art center’s broad palette of programs, events, arts and culture engagement opportunities, and ways to support MAC’s efforts to weave the arts and culture into the fabric of life in Lake County, visit middletownartcenter.org or call 707-809-8118.

August 3, 2026

COMMUNITY NEWS

Community Mural Painting Day at Clearlake Oaks Boat Launch

by The Bloom Curation Staff July 13, 2026

written by The Bloom Curation Staff

Photo: The Gathering at the Water mural in process at Clearlake 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 Gathering at the Water mural at the Clearlake Oaks Boat Launch on Saturday, July 18, from 9:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. 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.

During the Community Painting Day on July 18, youth artists will guide the public in painting alongside MAC artists Darina Simeonova, Ruth Richards, and team. Cultural practitioners from the Elem Tribe, whose ancestral territory the boat launch is on, 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.

“This project really means a lot to me. It has the possibility to invite unity and to provide knowledge to the people who may not know much about the lake,” said Chimew James, a participating youth who is from Elem and a senior this year at Lower Lake High School. “If they see this, say they’re tourists, say they’re people who just live here, who don’t know… they’ll see the animals of the lake, the people in the mural, and the culture that comes with it.”

The Gathering at the Water mural at the Clearlake Oaks Boat Launch was collaboratively designed by Lower Lake High School students and is part of MAC’s Rooted in Place, a 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. The experience provides exposure to, and training in, viable career pathways in the arts so that young people may pursue their talents and passions with greater confidence.

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.

“Seeing people together, happy, being diverse yet happy, working together. I want to promote that,” continued Chimew, “I want to promote people feeling loved and cherished in the community. Around this lake, this whole lake, everybody needs to be happy.”

Attendees are encouraged to register in advance at www.MACLAKE.org to help the MAC plan for supplies and food. Lunch will be provided for participants. The Clearlake Oaks Boat Launch is located at 12684 Island Dr., Clearlake Oaks, 95423.

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 the MAC on Facebook, Instagram, and TikTok @mtownartcenter.

July 13, 2026

“We Only Have the Fun We Start Ourselves”: Six Sigma Ranch and Winery’s Cave Painting

by Trudy Wakefield April 15, 2022

written by Trudy Wakefield

Photo: Scott Serena plays the banjo while Ben vanSteenburgh points out a detail of the mural to Else Ahlmann

There’s nothing new about celebrating wine and art together. It’s been a uniquely human experience since the beginning of time. And today is no exception. A warm, gentle spring breeze and bright orange-yellow California poppies welcome us as we head towards Six Sigma Ranch and Winery’s wine cave. To the left, winery equipment rests for the time being, while the vines are just beginning the hard work of producing this season’s harvest. Ahead, friends gather in conversation on the broad concrete patio outside the cave’s large open doors. Inside, a table lines one wall, filled with various hors-d’oeuvres, wine, and chocolate. Rows of full barrels fill the back of the cave. Their contents perfume the air, a reminder that this is a working wine cave. And to the right, the recent artwork of Ben vanSteenburgh covers the wall, reaching far into the depths of the cave. It’s the reason for this celebration.

Co-owner Else Ahlmann greets us with camera in hand, ready to capture every moment in pictures. Before long, we’re chatting. “It all began right where you are standing,” Else says, her face smiling. “Martha Mincer and Ben were looking at the cave wall at one of our events, and she said it needed artwork. It went from there.

“If you notice, the bear and that deer are making eye contact.” Else points to the far left of the painting. “I asked Ben why they were looking at each other, and he explained that it was the deer that saw the bear first and warned the herd. That’s why they’re all running away out of the cave.” Else pauses as a new thought enters her mind. “But of course, you can’t just have one bear, so I had Ben add momma bear and baby bear.” We laugh, seeing the complexity of the painting and the stories within the story.

“You know,” Else continues, “there’s a children’s story to be told in this painting. I don’t know what it is yet, but it’s there.” We both gaze down the wall, imagining all the tales to be told.

*Ben vanSteenburgh* *flips through his sketches*

Near the entrance, winery owner Kaj Ahlmann stands, a glass of wine in his hand. “Well, the painting is inspired by the cave paintings in Spain, of course, but we took some liberties,” Kaj smiles and gestures. “We asked Ben to add Topper and the two goats,” he chuckles.

Sure enough, about halfway down the mural, Topper, Six Sigma’s beloved pot-bellied pig, frolics. According to legend, Topper first belonged to a neighbor but kept running away onto Six Sigma’s property. Finally, after enough escapes, the neighbor asked the Ahlmanns if they wanted to adopt him. Ever since he’s been a part of the Six Sigma family. In fact, Christian Ahlmann, Vice-President of Six Sigma, has written a book about Topper’s adventures. Later, two goats joined Topper in his new home behind the tasting room. They’re also in the painting, near the door. And, Kaj notes, if you look closely, you will see his granddaughters Elizabeth and Isabella’s handprints in the mural.

*Kaj Ahlmann points out one of his granddaughter’s handprints*

Artist Ben vanSteenburgh stands next to Kaj, looking at his handiwork. “I deliberately didn’t put a border on it so it would look like it was always here,” he says, pointing at the edges. “I’ve never done a mural without a border.”

I take a step or two back, and the art reveals more layers. The soft colors speak of mystery and history, but don’t compete with the surroundings. The raised texture of the cave wall gives a three-dimensional effect, making the mural a living and breathing experience. It also gives one a sense of timelessness, as if it’s always existed.

I can’t help myself; I look at the artwork and allow my mind to wander, creating a mythology of a working vineyard and ranch, a place where stories are frequently told and mountain lions, bears, and deer visit.

Six Sigma is a working ranch and vineyard open to the public seven days a week, where you can meet Topper and the goats for yourself as well as hear true stories of many of the other animals that visit the ranch. Sign up for the Six Sigma Newsletter here and be the first to know about their next wine cave experience and the other events they offer.

Six Sigma is open 11:00 – 4:30 daily

13372 Spruce Grove Rd, Lower Lake, CA 95457

(707) 994-4068

April 15, 2022

HOLIDAY SHOPPING GUIDE

A Perfect Place for Last-Minute Presents: Lakeside Arts and Gifts

by Trudy Wakefield December 18, 2020

written by Trudy Wakefield

It’s the holidays in Lake County. The pale winter sun reflects in spots and flashes off Clear Lake. A few bass boats putt along the shoreline, their owners flicking their lures into nooks and crevices, then winding them slowly in. At the nearby park, a couple sits at a picnic bench, eating lunch. And hidden off to the side, tucked like a treasure to the left of the boat launch, sits Lakeside Arts and Gifts.

Wind around the lawn to the front door, where the lake peeks through the shrubs, and step inside. There you’ll discover a new world. Across the walls, photographs and artwork spread, while tables and shelves filled with curios, local crafts, and quality art dot the room. For a small space, it’s got a large selection of gifts perfect for the holidays.

Now celebrating its eleventh year, Lakeside Arts and Gifts is more than just a gift shop; it’s also an art gallery. Started by four artists: Linda Kelly, Gytha March, Toni Stewart, and Susan Laymon, it features much more than just their work.

“We’ve currently got seventeen artists we’re featuring,” says Gytha March, staffing the store for the day. Her rainbow mask, supposedly designed to keep her glasses from fogging, keeps slipping down her face; her glasses fog anyway. “And everything’s priced reasonably,” she continues. Gytha’s kind and gentle-mannered, and she lets the customer wander, discovering all the nooks and crannies of the place.

There’s a broad selection of goods: Photos, postcards, exquisitely painted rocks and platters, ceramics, jewelry, aprons, back scratchers, scarves, hats, gloves, soap. Everything’s locally designed. A peek at a Christmas ornament leads to the discovery of a fridge magnet, which, in turn, leads to a group of necklaces. Underneath the display, a short artist’s biography stands. Turn around, and there’s a wall of ceramics, rocks, and sculptures, begging to be looked at, touched, and marveled. That’s how Lakeside Arts and Gifts works. Each small section is a world of its own, filled with intention and beauty. It’s a place where a person can get lost.

It’s also inexpensive: Handmade ornaments sell for $2.50, detailed magnets for $5.00. Pottery that would cost hundreds other places sells for $50.00. Original framed photography hangs on the wall, priced significantly less than at other galleries.

Gourd birdhouses hang from the vaulted ceilings, drawing the eye upwards. But glance down for a second, and in a small bowl, almost hidden by aprons, are delicate matchbooks, covered in designs and accented with buttons.

“Oh, you found my matchbooks,” Gytha says, a broad smile on her face, as we place a pile of things we discovered near the register. “Those were so fun to make.” She rings us up, carefully wraps our purchases in a bag, and thanks us as we head out.

That’s what makes Lakeside Arts and Gifts so unique. It’s not a big-box store; nothing’s mass-produced. In fact, you’re purchasing work done by your neighbors, and the artist who created it may be the one who rings you up. It’s hard to find that small-town kindness and friendliness in a city.

Lakeside Arts and Gifts is located at:

6195 E. Hwy 20 Lucerne, CA 95458

(707) 995-1461.

Open 11-4 Friday through Sunday

lakesideart.org

December 18, 2020

HELEN.02.2017.00018 2 e1551985515508 scaled

LEAD ARTICLES

Lucid Dreaming: Artist Helen Kate Mcallister

by Trudy Wakefield November 26, 2020

written by Trudy Wakefield

Have you ever had a dream that moved you? Not the one where you end up going to work in your undies. I mean the kind of dream that, even years later, you remember vividly. Artist Helen Kate McAllister (or HK) lives her life in those dreams, creating the art of the subconscious.

Her artwork is unique. At first, it’s all colors that strike the eye: bright blues, purples, reds, and yellows. Then the images come into focus: there’s a raven, a horse, a bear, a human face. It’s as though my conscious mind does not fully understand, yet I still somehow know what it means.

When I went to write this profile, I felt stymied. How can I accurately describe an experience I’m still unsure about that lingers at the edges of my mind? Re-reading my notes reminds me of looking at a dream journal: disjointed, often confusing, always hinting at something else. So I wrote it as I experienced it.

Meet Helen Kate McAllister.

~~~

I’m in the kitchen at Helen Kate’s home in Hidden Valley Lake. Sunbleached prayer flags flutter along the porch, framing the mountains of the Mayacamas range. HK pours hot water over the tea bag sitting in my cup, covering it with an intricately designed ceramic bowl. A string of cutout birds swings from the rafters, flitting towards the windows filling the front of her house. Perfectly tuned windchimes resonate in the background.

~~~

EXCERPT FROM NOTES TAKEN INTERVIEWING HELEN KATE MCALLISTER – 2.1.19

I was born to be a dream person

Each painting takes two days

This is so ugly, I say sometimes. I should rip it apart

Give it time, the painting tells me

I tingle when it is done

~~~

“I work in acrylic.” Helen Kate pauses. “Would you like to see some of my more recent work?”

“Absolutely,” I reply. She gets off the kitchen stool, walks to the living room, and pulls out one painting after another, like the movement of the ocean against a beach.

“Look at this one,” she says, setting it on the couch.

Shapes, swaying movement, bright colors fill the canvas. But before I can focus, she takes out another painting, which crashes like a wave over me.

“This one’s a bit more abstract.” She grabs another piece. “And this one has a horse in it.”

I look quickly, trying to take in as much as possible. But the wave recedes, and another painting takes its place.

“Horses show up in a lot of my work.” She pauses, then stacks a few more on top of each other. “See, here’s another horse.” I’m inundated, sopped wet by the waves of her art.

Helen Kate quickly pulls out another painting. “And there’s this one.”

~~~

“Is that your studio?” I look to the loft.

“Yes, it is.” Her eyes move upwards with mine.

“I’ve always loved lofts,” I smile. “Can we go up and see it?”

“Sure,” she replies, and we climb the steep wooden stairs. Small ceramic bowls and cups sit under the railing on each step. Framed pieces of artwork walk up the wall behind the staircase.

We arrive at the top. On the left, directly under the peaked wooden rafters, an easel stands with a painting resting on it, radiating bright colors in the cloud-darkened room. Paints and brushes line the shelves. A laptop sits on a small table.

“This is where I do my work,” she tells me.

~~~

A text appears on my phone. It’s Helen Kate. “I painted a new painting called ‘Raven Greets the Sun’ she writes. “But I cannot get a glare-free photo. I will send it when the sun next appears.”

A few days later I see the painting. In it, Raven, the creator/trickster of native myth, stands on a purpleblue blade of light. He’s in mid-stretch, one blueblack eye looking at us. His right wing flies upward while the left slides out of the painting, sweeping the sun into existence. Bright yellow edges his wingtips like dabs of sunshine. It’s as though Raven knows that without him, the sun would not rise. So he revels in it, an act both of creation and appreciation of the sun’s radiance.

Raven Greets the Sun. Image Courtesy Helen Kate McAllister.

Even now, in my mind I see new images, what might be a waterfall in the background, the wind sweeping raven’s purpleyellow feathers sideways.

~~~

A quote on a slightly battered 3X5 notecard is taped to the top of the easel. I look closer. “Hillman says,” it begins, “We cannot perceive with sense perception the depths that are not extended in the sense world.”

“Tell me about this quote,” I ask Helen Kate.

She closes her eyes for a second, thinking. “Imagination is key to perception. It’s creative; it’s what makes meaning. When we allow our imagination to explore, we can see the deeper elements in our world.”

She pauses for another second, then speaks. “Every image is an angel.”

~~~

Books with titles like Dark Eros and Archetypes and the Collective Unconscious fill the bookshelves surrounding the small table. It’s midwinter, and chill air pushes against the large windows.

“I studied under James Hillman,” HK tells me. “Thomas Moore, who wrote Care of the Soul, was my dissertation advisor.”

She sips on her tea. “I worked in Boston as a psychologist before I came to Lake County. Here I worked with at-risk teens for twelve years. Then, when I retired in 2011, I started painting.”

“How do you apply your work to your paintings?” I ask curiously.

“You see, the cosmos is so big.” She makes a sweep upward with her hand. “And here’s us.” She moves her arm downward. “Little people on little dirt.” Helen Kate smiles, then her forehead furrows slightly. “I worry about nature and what we’re doing to the earth, and a lot of my paintings address that concern. In the words of a Lakota chief, ‘Nature is the source, not a resource.’”

She pauses, looking thoughtful.

“My art comes from my feelings of the importance of the feminine side of life, which Jung and Hillman call ‘soul’. Our culture favors the masculine. I’m not speaking in terms of gender.”

She takes another moment to think.

“I’m committed to the images of imagination which we see clearly in dreams.”

~~~

EXCERPT FROM NOTES TAKEN INTERVIEWING HELEN KATE MCALLISTER – 2.1.19

Eclipse wolf moon

Desert Coyote

Purple everywhere – paint gave face of the wolf

Drew Wolf, the paint was there

~~~

I’m with Helen Kate at the Middletown Art Center. It’s the first time we’ve met. I had passed her on the street earlier and we exchanged greetings, but neither of us knew.

I don’t make the connection until we both stand in the gallery, looking curiously at each other.

“Helen Kate?” I ask.

“David?”

Soon we’re at a counter, her flash drive plugged into my laptop, looking at myriads of scanned artwork. Horses, women, snakes, bears, and egrets fill the screen. I’m trying to figure out which pieces to share in the article and flip between them, indecisive.

“That’s a beautiful tattoo,” she says, noticing the large black print on my right arm.

“It’s a raven,” I tell her.

“The raven is my spirit animal,” she replies. “And the horse. And the bear.”

Helen Kate McAllister has shown her work at the Middletown Art Center. You can reach her via email at hkmcallister3@gmail.com.

This article first appeared in The Bloom on March 7, 2019.

November 26, 2020

LEAD ARTICLES

TAKING FLIGHT: ARTIST EMILY SCHIEBAL

by Trudy Wakefield December 13, 2019

written by Trudy Wakefield

Emily Schiebal’s redbrown hair falls straight against her green floral print blouse. Rain pounds on the single-wide trailer converted into an art studio. We sit at the kitchen table, Emily sipping on some hot chocolate while I take a taste of water. A beekeeper’s suit hangs on a wooden mannequin next to an old upright piano. She’s nervous. “I’m used to hiding behind my husband,” she tells me. “He’s such a prolific artist. It’s easier to hide behind him.”

“I get it,” I reply. “Completely.”

She smiles, and her face brightens. “But I’ll try to talk about me,” she says, then dives in.

Emily and her husband Quinn came to Lake County two years ago. Pushed out by the increasing cost of housing in Healdsburg, they ended up on two acres just outside of Middletown. “We didn’t really decide to move here as much as surrender to it,” she says as she takes another sip of hot chocolate. “We love it up here. I feel like we joined the winning team.”

Since then, they have begun to transform it into an artists’ haven. Art pieces stud the acerage; sculptures stand under the trees near the seasonal creek. Quinn’s artwork sits stacked in corners. It feels like the property itself has become a studio, two acres dedicated to the creative process.

Emily began started creating art in 2011, and works in plaster and concrete primarily. “I began by creating totem pieces,” she tells me, her hands close in, molding a piece. “But then I the totem began to open up.” Her arms reach upward and outward, moving into a soaring motion. “Like that. I was trying to get the movement of a flower blooming, or the upward motion of life.” She pauses. “That piece didn’t turn out. I was going to send it to the dump, but Quinn rescued it. I’m glad.”

“Where is it?” I ask.

“It’s holding open the chicken coop door.” She smiles. “At least it’s serving a useful purpose.”

I laugh.

“Well, that was the first of those type of pieces. Then I began the Nike piece. I was so inspired by the upward motion, like it was taking flight. That moved into the Valkyries, and pieces like that.” She pauses, almost worried she’s talking too much. I try a different direction.

“So what are you up to now?” I ask.

Her eyes light up. “I’m obsessed with bees,” she says. I just started beekeeping, and I can’t get enough of it. I go to the library and check out all the beekeeping books. I look online.” She pauses, thinking. “I’ve got these masonry bees I ordered in the fridge. I can’t wait to put them out.”

“In the fridge?”

“They’re hibernating now. Do you want to see?” She looks at me questioningly, not sure how I’ll respond.

“Absolutely!”

She hops out of her chair, takes two or three large steps to the kitchen refrigerator, and opens the door. Inside are several tubes.

“They keep them in reeds,” she says as she hands me a bunch.

“That’s amazing! So, they’re just hanging out in there?”

“Until Spring. I created a piece I call a pollinator pole for the Sculpture Walk. It’s about seven feet tall and has holes for the pollinator bees. Most people think bees are for honey, but the really important thing they do is pollinate everything.” I hand her back the tubes of sleeping bees, which she places in the fridge door.

“I completed the metal base for it at one of Middletown Art Center’s workshops they had at Woodland College. Do you want to go see?” She pauses, reevaluating her words. The rain thrums down on the trailer. “You probably don’t want to go outside, do you?”

“Doesn’t bother me,” I said. “Let’s go.”

We step outside into the wind and chill rain. Emily shows me the base, then the mesh she used to build the pollinator pole. “But there’s more stuff. We just set up a greenhouse. I’m really getting into gardening.”

We walk over to the large, plastic-lined greenhouse and step inside. Several trays filled with tiny plants popping out of the dirt line the benches. “Would you like an artichoke start?” she asks. I gladly accept, then set it down to write some notes. After a few minutes of looking, we move out of the greenhouse.

“Don’t forget your artichoke,” Emily smiles as she hands it to me. I set it on a chair to grab when I leave.

We move out onto the acreage, Emily showing me her pieces placed around the property. It’s cold; there’s no doubt of that, but every time she speaks of her art, her eyes light up and she talks faster, caught up in the moment.

“It’s the process,” She tells me as we look at a piece in a corner of one of the sheds, “It’s not about what it says or looks like.” She touches the piece, feeling the work of making it once again in her mind. “It’s really all about the process. That’s my happy place.”

We move to the chicken coop. The smell of hay and chickens fills the air. “There it is,” she says, wedging a chunk of shaped concrete back into place against the coop door.

“Is that your first piece?” I ask, curiously looking at the doorstop/work of art.

“You can see what I was going for with it. I’m glad it didn’t go to the dump.”

“That isn’t so bad,” I say. I can see how it served as a transitional piece that moved her from totems to soaring pieces. It swoops and opens like a tulip. Before I can look at it too long, she moves me back outside to see a tall piece standing near the roadway.

“Is this somewhat of the idea that you are looking for with your pollinator pole?” I ask, intrigued by the thin-shaped piece climbing upward.

“Something like that,” she replies. The temperature is rapidly dropping. I can feel the front moving down Mt. Saint Helena and through the trees. Snow is in the air. I smell the damp, clean smell of winter days and cool weather, and see the grass just beginning to stick through the oak leaves. That’s how Emily’s art works, too. It’s full of the desire that all life carries: to stretch and grow like an artichoke seed pushes through the dirt and skyward. Her pieces are full of earth and depth, sitting like totems, half-buried in the ground. But like the bloom of the flower or the stretch of a bird as it takes flight, they move upwards, higher, stretching into the wind to sniff something new and beautiful.

Slowly, looking at some of the other pieces she made with her husband, we meander back to the single-wide studio.

“Thank you so much for your time, Emily,” I tell her as we reach the studio. I make sure I have my notebook and coat with me, then shake her hand.

As I start to walk to the car, Emily stops me. “Don’t forget your artichoke,” she says, smiling, handing me the start.

“Thanks!” I say. “That’s twice you’ve remembered it for me. I’ll be glad when we get to harvest some this summer.”

Then I step back outside into the wind and sideways blowing rain, and head home.

To see more of Emily Schiebal’s work, take a look at her websites: www.emilyscheibal.com or www.quinterrastudio.com

This article first appeared in The Bloom on February 7, 2019.

December 13, 2019

LEAD ARTICLES

EARTH, FIRE, AND SOUL – ARTIST LISA KAPLAN

by Jonah Wakefield June 21, 2019

written by Jonah Wakefield

The Middletown Art Center’s reach stretches beyond the art hanging on its walls. In the past four years of its existence, it has served as a resource, events, and art center. It’s been a place for those affected by the fires to come, talk with others, work through their stresses and fears and heal. It’s the hub of the Middletown community and a lifeline to many. “I don’t know what I would have done without it after the fires,” people say, their eyes tearing up.

Much of that success is due to the work of Lisa Kaplan and the MAC’s growing team of volunteers. In the four years since the Middletown Art Center’s (MAC) creation, Lisa has worked tirelessly on its behalf. It’s not uncommon to receive emails from her at one or two in the morning, then see her working the next day sunup to sundown. It’s a herculean effort, and one that has begun to show fruit.

In the past two months, Lisa and the MAC Team have not just opened two art exhibits at the MAC; she has also received a N ational Endowment for the Arts grant, collaborated with the Lake County Land Trust to open an art installation on Rabbit Hill, and worked with the Lake County Public Services Department to re-open the EcoArts Sculpture Walk at Trailside Park. Oh yeah, and she just finished teaching two college-level classes for Woodland Community College.

I took some time to meet with Lisa Kaplan at her home in the Hidden Valley Ranchos. Newly rebuilt, it stood like artwork on the ridgeline.

“It’s beautiful,” I exclaimed as I stepped through the door and took off my shoes in the concrete-floored entryway.

She pointed to a small section of the rough light red-brown walls that had been replaced with glass, showing the packed straw behind. “We rebuilt out of straw bale covered in a mix of concrete and earth called “PISE (Pneumatically Impacted Stabilized Earth), which is a mixture of earth, cement, and sand. When we rebuilt, we tried to make everything as fire-resistant as possible.” I looked at the earth-toned concrete floors crossing the wide living room. Large glass doors stood below the windows that ran up to the twenty-foot ceiling.

“This is amazing,” I said, and began to set my stuff down.

“No, come on,” Lisa urged me further into her house. “Take a look.”

We walked up the half-flight of cork-floored stairs to the master bedroom. As I crested the last step, I saw two walls of windows sweeping across the newly rebuilt home, mountain peaks framed in each one. Cobb, Harbin, Boggs, all ran across the panes of glass. Nearly four years ago, the Valley Fire roiled and seethed down those mountains and burned her home, studio and artwork. Lisa and her family moved into their home last July after nearly three years of displacement. This past May her studio was finally completed, just in time for her to create “Are We Safe” for the reopening of the EcoArts Sculpture Walk.

After the tour, she poured me a cup of tea and we chatted. I pulled out my recorder, checked my notes, and started asking questions.

BLOOM: How long have you been in Lake County?

LISA KAPLAN (LK): My partner and I moved here in 2001, so we’ve been here eighteen years. We were living in Oakland when our son was born, and soon decided we needed a place of our own. We found a place in the Ranchos and went with that.

BLOOM: Tell me a little bit about your art and your artistic style.

LK: During the past twelve years, I have been sculpting and painting with the many colors of earth harvested from the valleys and mountains of Lake County. Before the Valley Fire, I primarily made life-sized sculptural figures from cob–a mix of earth clay and straw sometimes known as adobe. The work deals mainly with socio-political and environmental issues

In the period after the Valley Fire, I did more 2-D work, as I did not have a proper studio. Most of those pieces incorporate earth, charcoal, and ash. I am thrilled to have my studio back, to return to sculpting life-size figures and painting, and to get into a regular, sustained work process. My goal is to raise awareness, evoke an experience, and elicit a visceral response in viewers through my artwork, in hopes of triggering a shift or change in their perspectives. The materials I choose are an intrinsic part of the message. Earth or mud is a primordial medium that has been used by peoples and cultures throughout time and around the globe to make things of both beauty and utility. And let’s not forget children’s mud pies! Full of composting organic stuff and various time signatures and smells, mud immediately taps into our collective unconscious, and to our relationship and interconnectedness to one another and all living things in this diverse and marvelous natural world.

BLOOM: How did you end up running the Middletown Art Center (MAC)?

LK: The MAC has been around only since March of 2015. We opened a little bit less than six months before the Valley Fire, which was a defining moment for MAC. Before that, the arts in the south county were focused on the EcoArts Sculpture Walk, a seasonal exhibit we had in Trailside Park for thirteen years, which burned in the fire. In 2012, I took over leadership of EcoArts, from founder Karen Turcotte at her request to keep this vital local arts asset going.

BLOOM: So Why the MAC?

LK: From an artist’s perspective, which is what I am, making one piece for a show a year is not enough. What about the rest of the year? EcoArts also focused on sculpture, and we needed a place for 2D art, indoor art, mixed media, and performance art. Having lived here fourteen years at the time, it was clear to myself and several artists connected to EcoArts and beyond, that we needed a space where we could teach, learn, exhibit, create, hold cultural events and share work. I was doing summer camps, teaching after school, and teaching adults on weekends in my studio. Mud is my medium, and it’s very messy. Every time I was going to teach, I had to clean up. I was spending three hours taking my studio apart and another three putting it back together. So the best thing I could do for myself was to create a space where I, and others, could teach and exhibit, which became the MAC.

BLOOM: You ended up in a great location.

LK: That building is a historical building. It was called the Main St. Pavilion, and in its past life was a kind of community center. It was the town gymnasium, and they had basketball games, fundraisers and auctions there. I have been told there were also silent movies. We have transformed a former community space, that had many other identities in the interim into a community space once again, only this time it is through the arts and culture.

BLOOM: The MAC has played a large role in Middletown since the Valley Fire.

LK: Immediately after the fire, we had free classes for two months so people could process their trauma. Folks could use our wi-fi, we had clothes and other items for people who had lost everything, and we provided space for community meetings. There were about sixty MAC members at the time of the Valley Fire. Half of them lost their home, studios, or place of work. Between the MAC and EcoArts, there were ten board members. Nine of us lost our homes. That’s a huge impact.

“We Are Refugees, And The Birds Still Sing” before and after the Valley Fire

A lot of people have told me that if it weren’t for the MAC, they wouldn’t be here. If it weren’t for the MAC, I don’t know if I, would still be here. It has become a cultural center where things are happening, and people come together and have a strong sense of community, even though many friends and neighbors have moved away. And it brings us together and grows the arts community in Lake County.

MAC has grown in response to the community, but also out of a need to make Middletown a viable place. Especially when you commit to rebuilding, you want to commit to a place that seems sustainable and has a pulse. With our mostly volunteer staff, we support a new thematic group exhibit every six to ten weeks that features Lake County artists. We host musical performances, poetry readings, dances, film screenings, open mic, art and wine pairings, and other cultural events. Each of these brings different people and their friends. Over the past two years with support from the California Arts Council’s Local Impact grants, individual’s and local organization and business donations we were able to offer affordable classes every weekend through our RESTORE project, and before that, the Resilience project. And, we offer school field trips, homeschool, and after-school classes. Plus, I started teaching accredited art classes for Woodland Community College Lake County Campus at MAC last Spring Semester and am scheduled to teach in the fall and again. I love being able to offer the community affordable access to the arts!

All in all, we have provided a space to exhibit, perform, sell artwork, or teach for over 80 visual artists, 120 musicians, and 35 poets. And that’s just since the Valley Fire.

BLOOM: You add that up, and it’s a lot of stuff.

LK: It’s a lot. All of our events are essentially fundraisers that help pay our rent and utilities. Membership, donations, and money left over after paying the teachers all go towards that. A portion of art sales also supports our ongoing costs. Grants go to programs and projects. It’s a ton of work, but it comes from a need to make Middletown viable. Part of my own healing since the fire has been being really busy making this happen and being part of community recovery and economic development. It is a way to participate in mending the world, in making the world a little bit better right here in our “backyard.” Bringing the arts into community life motivates and drives me, and gives me a deep sense of purpose.

We are witnessing all kinds of intense stuff happening, whether its political, or environmental, whether its the fires and other disasters, the fear of fires, whatever it is. And what can we do? We can be creative and put all this energy into balancing the destructive forces that we see around us. That’s a healthy thing, that’s an empowering thing, that’s a vital thing. That’s why we do this. We’re taking purposeful creative action.

BLOOM: That makes perfect sense. We daily are bombarded by the hard parts of the world. Fighting it with beauty is powerful.

LK: With beauty and creativity. Re-framing things into beauty helps others find the beauty, too. That’s the way to continue. You can look at these hills and say, “Oh my God! Look at these burnt trees!” Or you can look at them and say, “Wow! Look at the contrast of these scraggly trees and the resilient green coming up. Look at all of the different colors of earth and how the landscape keeps changing!” It’s a whole different experience. It’s much more optimistic, actually.

Which brings us to the reopening of the EcoArts Sculpture Walk at Trailside. What a wonderful moment and milestone it is for us to reopen that Lake County gem at the Trailside Park, which was so harmed by the Valley Fire. But I will tell you; the park is coming back in such a vibrant way! And the art installed this year is channeling the energy of all the young blue oak shrubs, manzanitas, grasses, and wildflowers. It’s quite magnificent, especially from our fire-impacted community’s perspective. And that is why we called this years’ exhibit LOCUS, a Sense of Place. Because our sense of place, of home, of Middletown, is coming back! This whole experience of resilience, form nature to our inner selves, to our neighbors and community is very powerful.

BLOOM: Tell me about what you see for the future of the MAC.

LK: It’s not just about the MAC. It’s about Middletown and how Middletown will develop. It’s about Lake County being a place where cultural creatives come. The MAC believes in weaving the arts into the fabric of our community as we rebuild, recover, and learn to live with the possibility of fire. The arts are enriching, meaningful, and pleasurable. I hope to see a thriving and growing creative community and visitor-supported art scene, and perhaps a maker space affiliated with the MAC where people can use shared tools and machines to make things.

Also, we don’t know what kind of world our kids are going to be living in the coming decades. The parameters are always changing. But the arts refine creative problem-solving skills. It’s a journey of both self-discovery, seeing and connecting with the world and people, and finding constructive creative solutions. The arts fire up all kinds of neurons and support self-esteem, self-confidence, and academic achievement. When you practice being creative, you learn what your voice sounds, looks, and feels like. That’s why we want the arts to be part of children’s lives as they grow up.

We need our youth to want to live in the County as well. To possibly go out and learn, in schools or from life and work experience, and to return to contribute their new knowledge and skills. There are so many ways to work remotely now, and many jobs that do not negatively impact the environment. We need our young adults to come back and to preserve our mostly pristine and bio-diverse local environment.

BLOOM: Here’s my last question for you: How can people help the MAC become all of those things you envision?

LK: First of all, we know there are a lot of talented people here, and some may be retired or have extra time. If you have experience in non-profits, businesses, fundraising, marketing, grant writing, or just have some time and want to help – we need you. We have a highly visible garden and building to maintain too. We’ve grown more than our current volunteer staff can handle, and we would appreciate more volunteers.

There are also probably local artists out there who don’t know about us yet. Come see the gallery or check us out online. Find out what our next shows are on our website, and consider submitting work. Participate in classes, which are appropriate for all levels of experience and skills. Join us as we collaborate on phase two of the Rabbit Hill art trail. Visit the EcoArts sculpture walk at Trailside Park and consider participating in 2020, calls for work will go out in January.

Support us by coming to dances, Art Talks, Spoken Word and musical performances or open mic. And, of course, appreciate and consider buying the artwork we show. When you buy art at the MAC, you support local artists, our local economy and our organization.

Donate money because you feel like supporting a great local asset and a growing local economy. Become a MAC member and provide ongoing support; benefit from discounts on select artwork and classes, a complimentary glass of wine at art and wine events, or low-cost studio time ($10 for four hours when we are open and there are no other events scheduled) and discounted space rental fees. There are so many ways to support our burgeoning local art scene, community organization and by extension, Lake County’s economic and community development!

I shut off my recorder, grabbed my notebook, and thanked her for her time. Then I turned my car down the winding driveway, past the massive views with the blackened trees against the green, then headed across those burned mountains towards home.

To learn more about the Middletown Art Center, visit their website at middletownartcenter.org, or visit during one of their many events and classes. It’s easy to find at the corner of Hwy 175 and Hwy 29. (Here’s a hint. It’s at one of the two stoplights in town.)

June 21, 2019

COLUMNS

FIRE, EARTH, AND MUD: LISA KAPLAN AND THE MIDDLETOWN ART CENTER

by Trudy Wakefield February 6, 2019

written by Trudy Wakefield

I met with Lisa Kaplan at her home in the Hidden Valley ranchos. Newly rebuilt, it stood like a piece of her art on the ridgeline.

“It’s so beautiful,” I exclaimed as I stepped through the door and took off my shoes in the concrete-floored entryway.

She pointed to a small section of the rough light red-brown walls that had been replaced with glass, showing the packed straw behind. “We rebuilt out of straw bale covered in a mix of concrete and earth called PISE (Pneumatically Impacted Stabilized Earth), which is a mixture of earth, cement and water. When we rebuilt we tried to make everything as fire-resistant as possible.” I looked at the earth-toned concrete floors crossing the wide living room. Large glass doors stood below the windows that ran up to the twenty-foot ceiling.

“This is truly amazing,” I effused. Content with what I had seen, I began to set my stuff down.

“No, come on,” Lisa urged me further into her house. “Take a look.”

We walked up the half-flight of cork-floored stairs that let to the master bedroom. As I crested the last step I saw the two walls of windows that swept across the newly rebuilt home. Mountain peaks framed themselves in each one. Cobb, Harbin, Boggs, all ran across the panes of glass. Three years ago the Valley Fire roiled and seethed down those mountains and burned her home. It’s taken three years for her family to rebuild, and she is still working on rebuilding her studio. And in those past three years she has not only rebuilt her home, but also created a dynamic, thriving art scene in Middletown.

After the tour, she poured me a cup of tea, and once we had chatted a bit, we got down to business. I pulled out my recorder, checked my notes, and started asking questions.

BLOOM: How long have you been in Lake County?

LISA KAPLAN (LK): My partner and I moved here in 2001, so we’ve been here seventeen and a half years. We were living in Oakland when our son was born, and soon decided we needed a place of our own. We found a place in the Ranchos and went with that.

BLOOM: Tell me a little bit about your art and your artistic style.

LK: During the past 10 years I have been sculpting and painting with the many colors of earth harvested from the valleys and mountains of Lake County. Before the Valley Fire, I primarily made life-sized sculptural figures from cob–a mix of earth clay and straw sometimes known as adobe. The work is deals primarily with socio-political and environmental issues.

Since the Valley Fire, I have been doing more 2-D work, as I don’t have a proper studio. Most pieces incorporate earth, charcoal and ash. My goal is to raise awareness, evoke an experience and elicit a visceral response in viewers, in hopes of triggering a shift or change in their perspectives. The materials I choose are an intrinsic part of the message. Earth or mud is a primordial medium that has been used by peoples and cultures throughout time and around the globe to make things of both beauty and utility. And let’s not forget children’s mud pies. Full of composting organic stuff, of various time signatures and smells, mud immediately taps into our collective consciousness, to our relationship, our interconnectedness to one another and all living things in this diverse and marvelous natural world.

*We Are Refugees, And The Birds Still Sing, by Lisa Kaplan. Picture taken before the Valley Fire.*

*We Are Refugees, And The Birds Still Sing. Picture taken after the Valley Fire.*

BLOOM: How did you end up running the Middletown Art Center (MAC)?

LK: The MAC has been around only since March of 2015. We opened a little bit less than six months before the Valley Fire, which was a defining moment for MAC. Prior to that, the arts in the south county were focused on EcoArts of Lake County, a seasonal sculpture walk we had in Trailside Park for 13 years, which burned in the fire. In 2012, I took over leadership of EcoArts, from founder Karen Turcotte at her request to keep this marvelous local arts asset going.

BLOOM: So Why the MAC?

LK: From the artist’s perspective, which is what I am, making one piece for a show a year is not enough. What about the rest of the year? EcoArts also focused on sculpture, and we needed a place for 2D art, indoor art, mixed media, and performance art. Having lived here 14 years at the time, it was clear to myself and several artists connected to EcoArts and beyond, that we needed a space where we could teach, learn, exhibit, create, hold cultural events and share work. I was doing summer camps, teaching after school, and teaching adults on weekends in my studio. Mud is my medium, and it’s very messy. Every time I was going to teach, I had to clean up. I was spending three hours taking my studio apart and another 3 putting it back together. So the best thing I could do for myself was to create a space where I and others could teach and exhibit, which became the MAC.

BLOOM: You ended up in a great location.

LK: That building is a historical building. It was called the Main St. Pavilion, and in its past life was a kind of community center. It was the town gymnasium, and they had basket ball games, fundraisers and auctions there. I have been told there were also silent movies. We have transformed a former community space, that had many other identities in the interim into a community space once again, only this time it is through the arts and culture.

BLOOM: The MAC has played a huge role in Middletown since the Valley Fire.

LK: Immediately after the fire we had free classes for two months so people could process their trauma. Folks could use our wi-fi, we had clothes and other items for people who had lost everything, and we provided space for community meetings. There were about sixty MAC members at the time of the Valley Fire. Half of them lost their home, studios or place of work. Between the MAC and EcoArts there were ten board members. Nine of us lost our homes. That’s a huge impact.

MAC has grown in response to the community, but also out of a need to make Middletown a viable place to be in. Especially when you commit to rebuilding, you want to commit to a place that seems sustainable and has a pulse. With our volunteers we can support a new thematic group exhibits every 6-8 weeks that features Lake County artists. We host musical performances, poetry readings, dances, film screenings, open mic, art and wine pairings, and other cultural events. Each of these bring different people and their friends. With support from a California Arts Council Local Impact grant and individual and local organization and business donations we can offer affordable classes every weekend through our RESTORE project. And we offer school field trips, homeschool and after school classes.

We have provided a space to exhibit, perform, sell art work or teach for at least 80 visual artists, 120 musicians, and 35 poets. And that’s just since the Valley Fire.

BLOOM: You add that up, and it’s a lot of stuff.

LK: It’s a lot. All of our events are essentially fundraisers that help pay our rent and utilities. Membership, donations, and money left over after paying the teachers all go towards that. A portion of art sales also supports our ongoing costs. Grants go to programs and projects. It’s a ton of work, but it comes from a need to make Middletown viable. Part of my own healing since the fire has been being really busy making this happen and being part of community recovery and economic development. It is a way to participate in mending the world, in making the world a little bit better right here in our “backyard”. Bringing the arts into community life motivates and drives me, and gives me a deep sense of purpose.

We are witnessing all kinds of intense stuff happening, whether its political, or environmental, whether its the fires and other disasters, the fear of fires, whatever it is… and what can we do? We can be creative, and put all this energy into balancing the destructive forces that we see around us. That’s a healthy thing, that’s an empowering thing, that’s a vital thing. That’s why we do this. We’re taking purposeful creative action

BLOOM: That makes perfect sense. We daily are bombarded by the hard parts of the world. Fighting it with beauty is wonderful.

LK: With beauty and with creativity. Re-framing things into beauty helps others find the beauty, too. That’s the way to continue. Fighting destruction with creativity feels good. Creativity is essentially a positive charge. It’s empowering. You don’t feel helpless. You don’t feel like you are victim to your circumstances. You’re doing your art to make the world a better place. That’s part of how I got through my own fire and rebuilding experience. You can look at these hills and say, “Oh my God! Look at these burnt trees!” Or you can look at them and say, “Wow! Look at the contrast of these scraggly trees and the resilient green coming up. Look at all of the different colors of earth and how the landscape keeps changing!” It’s a whole different experience. It’s much more optimistic, actually.

BLOOM: Tell me about what you see for the future of the MAC.

The other thing that is really important is for kids to grow up with art being part of their lives. The MAC offers visiting artists in schools and field trip opportunities. During the field trips, students spend time in the gallery looking at work, and learning words to describe and appreciate what they see, and then work on art projects in the studio. It’s a great experience! We talk about art and design, and we talk about careers in the arts and applied arts, which is really important. Whether you design interfaces for computers, cell phones or the web or work in the animation or film industry, whether you are a graphic designer, an architect, an industrial designer, ceramicist, jeweler, photographer, or work in the fashion design industry–all of these fields have their base in the principles of art and design. It’s important for kids to grow up knowing that it is possible to love being creative and engaging with artmaking and aesthetics and apply those skills and talents to something that can be a profession.

Also, we don’t know what kind of world our kids are going to be living in the coming decades. The parameters are always changing. But the arts refine creative problem solving skills. It’s a journey of both self-discovery and seeing and connecting with the world, people and a creative problem to solve. The arts fire up all kinds of neurons and support self-esteem, self-confidence, and academic achievement. When you practice being creative you learn what your own personal voice sounds, looks and feels like. That’s why we want the arts to be part of children’s lives as they grow up.

BLOOM: Here’s my last question for you: How can people help the MAC become all of those things you envision?

LK: First of all, we know there are a lot talented people here and some may be retired or have extra time. If you have experience in non-profits, businesses, fundraising, marketing, grant writing, or just have some time and want to help – we need you. We have a highly visible garden and building to maintain too. We’ve grown more than our current volunteer staff can handle, and we would really appreciate more volunteers.

There are also probably local artists out there who don’t know about us yet. Come see the gallery or check us out online. Find out what our next shows are on our website, and consider submitting work. Participate in RESTORE and other classes, which are appropriate for all levels of experience and skills. Join us as we collaborate on making a new art trail on Rabbit Hill, and revitalize the EcoArts sculpture walk at Trailside Park.

Support us by coming to dances, Art Talks, Spoken Word and musical performances or open mic. And, of course come appreciate and consider buying the artwork we show. When you buy art at the MAC, you support both local artists and our organization.

Donate money because you feel like supporting a great local asset and a growing local economy. Become a MAC member and provide ongoing support; benefit from discounts on select art work and classes, a complimentary glass of wine at art and wine events, or low cost studio time ($10 for four hours on Friday and Sunday when there are no other events scheduled). There are so many ways to support our burgeoning local art scene and community organization.

And that’s it. I shut of my recorder, grabbed my notebook, and thanked her for her time. Then I turned my car down the winding driveway, past the massive views with the blackened trees against the green, then headed across those burned mountains towards home.

The Middletown Art Center is located at: 21456 Hwy 175, Middletown, CA 95461.

To see more of Lisa’s art, visit her website at lisakaplanart.com.

February 6, 2019