MIDDLETOWN, Calif. — For the first time since the COVID-19 pandemic, an EcoArts Sculpture Walk is open to the public at the Middletown Trailside Nature Preserve.

The sculptures, 15 in all, are fashioned from natural materials, which, in some cases, were gathered from the park itself. The pieces are scattered along meandering paths within a space that is resiliently recovering from, but still reflects, damage from the 2015 Valley fire.

The EcoArts Sculpture Walk was initially the brainchild of contributing artist Karen Turcotte and her husband, John Williams, and was inspired by the work of British environmental artist Andy Goldsworthy.

The first sculpture walk opened in 2003, and new walks were installed yearly until the Valley fire destroyed the 2015 installation. The walk was briefly resurrected in 2019, and now, after a hiatus of four years, has returned to the park.

The works are intended to engage the observer in a dialog with nature. Some are designed to enhance the existing environment by attracting beneficial fauna such as birds or native bees.

There have been 15 such exhibits at Trailside Park, and the current one, as well as numerous past installations, have been managed by the Middletown Art Center and its executive director, Lisa Kaplan.

Said Kaplan, “There is so much to say about this awesome project, from what we have learned about the imperative for a reciprocal relationship with nature and each other, to local natural history from descendants of the original peoples of this place, to our collective recovery post-Valley fire, which is also reflected in the park’s growth and resilience.”

She added, “The purpose of this project is to raise awareness about social justice and ecological issues, to provide access to all, for collaboration in co-creating artwork, and to provide a place to experience wonder and facilitate learning for visitors.”

Many of the works are collaborations between artists or with members of the community at large.

Emily Scheibel, for example, was assisted by Lower Lake High School students in her creation of “Anulus Unitatus” (or “Rings of Creation”).

“From Earth to Earth,” Kaplan’s piece, was created and installed with help from the youth of Jack’s Lavender Farm, an organization which “cultivates opportunities” for Lake County teens.

Cancer patients and their caregivers contributed to the installation of Turcotte’s piece, “Obsidian Bowl,” which, in part, is representative of dealing with, or coming through, illness. Turcotte herself has survived lung cancer.

Reciprocity was funded by the California Arts Council, with funding administered and supported regionally by the Upstate California Creative Corps.

Numbers of local agencies, organizations and individuals contributed support to the project, including Lake County Public Services, Lake County Parks, Trails and Recreation, District 1 Supervisor Moke Simon, the Sierra Club Lake Group, attorney Dennis Fordham and Barbara Clark of the Lake County Arts Council.

Middletown Trailside Nature Preserve is open from dawn until dusk and is located at 21436 Dry Creek Cutoff, off Highway 175. The exhibit can be found by entering the park on the south side of the parking lot.

The Middletown Art Center, in addition to their coordination of the EcoArts Sculpture Walk, offers art and writing classes, hosts exhibitions and cultural events, and is a locus for Lake County artists.

To learn more about this valuable Lake County resource and to consider a membership, please visit their Web site at www.middletownartcenter.org.

Esther Oertel is a freelance correspondent for Lake County News.