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.