MIDDLETOWN, Calif. – Spend an evening at the Middletown Art Center with artist and master foundryman Rolf Kriken, this Friday, March 16, at 6:30 p.m.

Four of Kriken’s bronze sculptures are included in MAC’s current exhibit, “Obsession” which is on view until March 24.

Kriken will reveal the powerful personal and political messages behind the creation of his work, from his years of military service, and speak about his own artwork and the process of creating bronze sculptures at his Nordhammer Art Foundry in Kelseyville.

The evening will also feature musician Rafael Contreras on violin and fiddle, and award winning Six Sigma wines.

Kriken’s life-sized bronze sculptures contain fine details in parts of faces, text from various sources, and portions of military equipment, from helmets to rifles.

The messages from these mixtures of source material are all about one thing: Kriken’s process of dealing with memories of his time in the U.S. Army during the Vietnam War.

“My work is for those who have been killed, and to help me find some finality and closure with what happened,” explained Kriken. “I am trying to raise awareness about how we aren’t learning from our history. I just keep trying to expose the craziness and also honor those who have served – I care about our fellow soldiers who have served.”

In 1987, Kriken was commissioned to create several sculptures for the California Vietnam Veterans Memorial in Sacramento. The memorial contains four full-size, three-dimensional bronze reliefs and a single statue.

His memorial pieces display a wide range of scenes and emotions – a nurse tending to a wounded soldier, a combat scene, a quiet depiction of two soldiers walking together, and at the heart of the memorial, a seated soldier reading a letter from home.

The combination of realism and abstraction in Kriken’s work communicates a powerful emotional statement that both energize his dedication to the work, while bringing up his own strong emotions.

“Sometimes I have to put my pieces away, they are too strong. I have to cover them up and get back to them maybe six months later,” he said.

Rafael Contreras, currently a ninth grader at Konocti Education Center, has been playing violin since the age of 5. He is currently the concertmaster for the Lake County Symphony Association Youth Orchestra, and a member of the District 10 Old Time Fiddle Association.

He is an avid reader dedicated to his academic studies as well as music, and the vice president of the Cobb Mountain 4-H Club.

The event is $5 for the public, no host wine bar on site. Current MAC members enter free and receive a complimentary glass of wine.

“Obsession,” the current exhibit on view at MAC, is one of the most vibrant MAC has curated yet. It highlights the motivations, obsessions and curiosities behind our Lake County artists’ works. This is a great opportunity to see exciting local artworks, meet some of the artists and engage with our local arts scene. Memberships will be available at MAC during the event.

Learn more about Middletown Art Center and becoming a member at www.middletownartcenter.org or call 707-809-8118.

MAC is located at 21456 State Highway 175 at the junction of Highway 29 in Middletown.