Welcome to EcoArts of Lake County      a 501(c)3 non-profit arts organization dedicated to bringing visual art opportunities to artists, residents and visitors in Lake County, California.    (707) 928-0323

A NEW YEAR FOR NEW VISIONS

LATEST NEWS!  EcoArts: Lake County Sculpture Walk submission applications are now available.  Applications are due March 15th and accepted artists install during the third week of May. Applications can be found on this website at the bottom of the Sculpture Walk section.

The 'Wine Country Saddle Trees of Middletown, CA'  travels to the Gualala Arts Center and is exhibited through the month of February.  On February 6th, there is an artist reception from 5:00 - 7:00 p.m. Should you find yourself on the Mendocino/Sonoma/Napa Coast ... come check out this great body of work!  www.Gualalaarts.org

EcoArts premiered the exhibit in Middletown on Saturday, December 5th as a benefit for the Wiloth Equine Therapy Center ... specializing in rehabilitation of physically and mentally challenged adults and children through horsemanship!  Our exhibit was sponsored by the Rotary Club of Middletown and wouldn't be possible without them!  Special thanks to Langtry Estates for wine and the landlord (Norman Alumbaugh) of our venue!

 A year long in creation, the Wine Country Saddle Trees of Middletown, CA is going on the road!  We will be at the Gualala Center for the Arts in February and the Mendocino Arts Center in June ... other bookings in California will be announced.

What is a saddle tree?  A saddle tree is the 'armature' or foundation of an equestrian saddle.  It is the seat and horn form that is padded, leathered, tooled and decorated to become a working sadde.  We didn't want saddles, but instead asked our artists to reinterpret this venerable form!

Curator’s Statement

One great pleasure of living in rural Northern California is the view of horses grazing on the golden landscape.  The beauty and strength of the horse is undeniable and man’s attraction to the usefulness of this hardy animal was inevitable.  Many cultures adorned their horses with jewels and elaborate tack making them a showcase of wealth and status.  Assyrian warriors in the seventh century BCE went on campaigns seated atop decorative saddle cloths.  A frozen Scythian tomb from the 5th Century BCE revealed a saddle intricately decorated with animal motifs made from leather, felt, hair and gold.  Asian horsemen created a felt saddle with a wooden frame about 200 BCE  This primitive saddle tree kept a rider's weight off the horse's sensitive vertebrae, preserving the animal's well-being and prolonging its usefulness.  Modern saddle makers have carried the tradition of adornment with elaborate show saddles incorporating hand worked leather and precious metals.

The Wine Country Saddle Trees of Middletown, CA provides a unique reinterpretation of a classic form.  By using the ‘framework’ or ‘armature’ of a saddle, this exhibit of saddle trees draws on the sensibilities of modern artistic expression in a nod to the equestrian heritage of Northern California.  Reinterpreting the useful and practical is a longstanding artistic tradition and we asked the participating artists to take this venerable saddle form and transcend its original function.  

The exhibit explores themes and concepts that are closely linked to the artist’s experiences.  The viewer will be struck by the widely varied interpretations in these pieces.  Beauty, history, fantasy and personal struggle are some of the themes captured within the formal concerns of color, shape, and texture. The effect is an intriguing synergy of expression and purpose.

Thank you to the artists who rose to the challenge of working with such a unique form.

Karen Turcotte

Curator

 

OTHER NEWS:

The 7th annual EcoArts: Lake County Sculpture Walk was a tremendous success.  Over 2,000 visitors enjoyed the 23 works 'in dialog with nature' at the Middletown County Trailside Park.

 If you are an artist who would like to join the exhibit for the 8th annual, 2010 exhibit, submission information will be available on January 1st and we close submissions on March 15th.  

Wow, our opening Reception on Sunday June 7 was a blast!  With over 400 people coming out to see the newest exhibit, the parking lot overflowed!  The 23 works that comprise our 7th annual sculpture walk were all well received and folks sought out our artists to let them know!  Then they made art, drummed with the drum circle and could catch a horse ride courtesy of Wiloth Equine Center!

We had red parasols for people to stroll the trail and stay out of the sun.  After touring the exhibit, people were invited to pick out a picture frame and create their own piece of art to frame ... you'll see some of our younger artists show off their work

Here are some pics from this year's Sculpture Walk Reception

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

  

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

   

coyote film festival will resume screening incredible film and equally incredible filmmakers in March, 2010.  

  Click on Coyote Film Festival Toggle for more information!

 

coyote film festival 2008!  

Our last film screening of the year ... and it's a KID's FEST!  Whether you have kids, grandkids, friends who are kids or you are a kid at heart, come see some wonderful animation and short films this coming Saturday!

  Two Screenings, Saturday, Nov 15, 2008 at 2:00 p.m. and 6:30 p.m.  Films appropriate for kids 5-14

 

Wow, during our October Fright Fest, we saw the acclaimed Subject Two and met director, Philip Chidel!  This was a really good story and Philip was gracious with his time!  Plus the fantastic animation 'Hope Springs Eternal' was a great hit and an audience member won a copy!  Yeah!

  The Reviews are in!

"... highly assured... impressively staged..." - Screen Daily

"...clever plot twists and decoys keep both the story and the science intriguing..." - Daily Variety

"... unnerving..." - 3.5 stars! - Film Threat

The Story:  High atop the world in his remote mountain cabin, Dr. Franklin Vick is engaged in highly unethical medical research.

His field of expertise: resurrection.

His test subject: Adam Schmidt — a troubled medical student who volunteers to be killed again and again in the name of science.

Together, the doctor and his new assistant work in snowbound isolation, perfecting their death tactics before unleashing their discovery to the world. But there's a problem: Death has its side effects…

Subject Two is a haunting psychological thriller produced by Cardiac Pictures and Chabo Films, and directed by Philip Chidel from his own original screenplay. The film stars Christian Oliver and Dean Stapleton. After premiering as a Midnight Movie at the 2006 Sundance Film Festival, Subject Two won the Audience Award at the Silver Lake Film Festival and was named Best Feature at the London International Festival of Science Fiction & Fantasy Film.   

  PARENTAL DISCRETION ADVISED  actually, you may want to live the kids home for this one

7:30 p.m., October 25th $10.00 at door

Calpine Geothermal Visitor's Center

15500 Central Park Road

Middletown, CA  

 

  In September, Sherman’s Way, was here!  and it was great! 

And so are director, Craig Saavedra, and co-producer and actor, Michael Shulman, who were on hand for an audience Q&A… Yeah-Yeah!

We had three Screenings Only!  Friday Night, September 19 at 8:00 p.m. (SOLD OUT) WHAT A GREAT TIME HAD BY ALL!  Saturday Matinee, September 20 at 4:00 p.m. and last screening, Saturday Night, September 20 at  8:00 p.m. 

$10.00 at door and $5.00-16 and under (w/adult)  We start film on time!  Be sure to arrive at least 20 minutes before screening or better yet, enjoy the picnic areas at Calpine Geothermal Visitors Center or grab a meal at the wonderful restaurants in and around Middletown!  Calpine is located at 15500 Central Park Road, Middletown!

See you at the Movies!