Lake County Libraries

​DRYLAND, an award-winning documentary film by Richard Wilhelm and Sue Arbuthnot, former PLAYA residents, will be presented FREE at the historic Alger Theater in Lakeview, on July 15. Filmed over a decade and set in the American West, Dryland traces a young man’s quest for victory in a rambunctious contest, while battling to save a threatened way of life. The Lind Combine Demolition Derby pits steel and wit against rural decline—fueled by ingenuity, heart…and axle grease.
 
The Friends of the Library, Lake County Chamber of Commerce, Oregon Film, and PLAYA will begin the evening by welcoming the public to a free reception to meet the filmmakers in the courtyard of the main library from 5:30-6:30. The film will begin at 7:00 PM, and will be followed by a panel discussion with the artists and local community members Levi Old and Will Cahill, exploring some of 

the challenges facing small town agriculture and land use.
The Dryland screening is part of Art, Science and Community Collaboration, which continues on with PLAY Presentts on Saturday, July 16th. You can catch a free ride on the Chamber bus from the Main Library to the afternoon of open studios, readings and performances at the Summer Lake facility. PLAYA Presents is from 4:00 to 6:00 pm. The bus will leave the library at 3:00 pm and return about 7:00 pm. Call 541-947-6019 to sign up.
 
PLAYA (pronounced ply-uh) the name for a dry lakebed and the organization in Summer Lake, is a non-profit facility whose mission is to support innovative thinking in the arts and sciences and other fields of creative inquiry through its residency program. This week PLAYA begins its third annual month long thematic Art and Ecology Residency. Participating residents include climate scientist Jason Box (Iceland), poets Charles Hood (CA), Charles Goodrich (OR), Scott Starbuck (CA) and Karen McPherson (OR), visual artists Dan Mayer (AZ), Shelly White (AZ), Carolyn Law (WA) and Joan Truckenbrod (OR) and special guests Dennis Jenkins, Ellen Waterston, Richard Wilhelm & Sue Arbuthnot.
 
These artists and scientists are given the gift of time to focus on their work, immerse in the high desert landscape of Lake County and find inspiration through shared activities and field trips. While the residents are not required to collaborate on projects, many times they influence one another by sheer proximity and/or creative dialogue. Carolyn Law, a returning artist has been working closely with Lake County Resource Initiatives and Lake County Library on a project for over a year to engage the community in collaborative discussion about climate change.
In addition to their residency program, PLAYA welcomes the local community by hosting a range of activities, exhibitions and workshops. PLAYA received funding from the National Endowment for the Arts, Oregon Cultural Trust and the Oregon Arts Commission to support this and other residencies in Summer Lake.  For more information, visit www.playasummerlake.org or 541-943-3983.