Water Basket honors and acknowledges the cultural heritage of the original people of this land in a contemporary artistic context. 360° murals inspired by Pomo Basketry will be painted on two large water tanks at the highest point in Middletown. The tanks are visible for 1-2 miles in all directions and from above. Native and non-Native community members and artists were invited to engage in the process and power of creating public art, cultural education and awareness building. Videos from 3 workshops are posted below. Our Call for Proposals, which was due Jan 31, 2024 resulted in 25 proposals!
Public Input: Mockups and maquettes of selected proposals are currently on display at the Callayomi CountyWater District office M-F 9-3 and at MAC Sat and Sun 10:30-5. Residents of the South lake county Fire Protection and Middletown Unified School Districts may vote for 2 designs: one for the larger tank and one for the smaller one through May4. any of the 6 designs can be modified to fit the larger or smaller tank. You may only vote once.
Public Input: Mockups and maquettes of selected proposals are currently on display at the Callayomi CountyWater District office M-F 9-3 and at MAC Sat and Sun 10:30-5. Residents of the South lake county Fire Protection and Middletown Unified School Districts may vote for 2 designs: one for the larger tank and one for the smaller one through May4. any of the 6 designs can be modified to fit the larger or smaller tank. You may only vote once.
Following public input, votes will be counted and final selections will be approved by Callayomi Water District and the Middletown Rancheria. Professional muralists will paint the selected design on the tank.
Questions? Contact info@middletownartcenter.org or call 707-355-4465
Questions? Contact info@middletownartcenter.org or call 707-355-4465
Artistic elements sought:
• Pomo-inspired geometric, symbolic or graphic designs
• Elements that reflect the area’s history, people, and ecology may be integrated including animals and plants native to local ecosystems.
• Strong positive/negative space relationships
• Traditional Pomo colors red, orange, yellow, brown, black, straw/ochre; minimal additional hues. The background color of the smaller tank will be painted a kind of yellowish beige (resembling dried grasses). Artist may have input on the background color. The larger tank is currently a light neutral green tint (like seagrass).
• Dynamic composition
• Continuity – top to sides and around
• Easily decipherable from afar and above
• Calls attention to the hill and local ecology
• Pomo-inspired geometric, symbolic or graphic designs
• Elements that reflect the area’s history, people, and ecology may be integrated including animals and plants native to local ecosystems.
• Strong positive/negative space relationships
• Traditional Pomo colors red, orange, yellow, brown, black, straw/ochre; minimal additional hues. The background color of the smaller tank will be painted a kind of yellowish beige (resembling dried grasses). Artist may have input on the background color. The larger tank is currently a light neutral green tint (like seagrass).
• Dynamic composition
• Continuity – top to sides and around
• Easily decipherable from afar and above
• Calls attention to the hill and local ecology
View documentation of the presentation portion of each of the Water Basket workshops. In each workshop, Pomo Culture Bearers/Artists share about Pomo cultural heritage and the rich legacy of Pomo basketry renowned worldwide and unique to this region. Each workshop also provides support for Native and Non Native people in bringing their vision for the tanks forward. Have a look!
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A panel discussion and workshops on basketry patterns, and design led by Pomo cultural artists opened the project in September 2023.
All events are free to the public. CLICK TO READ our press release.
All events are free to the public. CLICK TO READ our press release.
What do you imagine?
Images: Pomo Basket from the Lake County Courthouse Museum, photo by Corine Pearce
Water tanks on Rabbit Hill from the east (Hwy 29) looking west; from the west looking east,
Sample Designs: Eric Wilder (left) Wanda Quitiquit (right) adapted with permission
Water tanks on Rabbit Hill from the east (Hwy 29) looking west; from the west looking east,
Sample Designs: Eric Wilder (left) Wanda Quitiquit (right) adapted with permission
This project is supported in part by an award from the National Endowment for the Arts.
To find out more about how National Endowment for the Arts grants impact individuals and communities, visit www.arts.gov.
To find out more about how National Endowment for the Arts grants impact individuals and communities, visit www.arts.gov.