Tradition and Technology Meet at Redlands’ 14th Annual Festival of Arts
Photo by David James Heiss
Displays at the Youth Art Expo, as part of the 2026 Redlands Festival of Arts.
By David James Heiss
Redlands News Collective
REDLANDS, Calif. — When members of the Redlands Festival of Arts Committee approached Ash Silver early Saturday afternoon to tell her that her collection of sculptures and high-relief art at Booth 48 had won first place in the 3D art category, her “heart skipped a beat.”
It was an affirmation of hours spent honing her craft.
“I put a lot of sweat into making this,” she said, singling out an orb sculpture constructed primarily of concrete, which she referred to as a fanas sphere.
Photos by David James Heiss
Above, Ash Silver is notified by the Festival of Arts Committee that her exhibition won first place in the 3D category. Below, Silver with examples of her fanas spheres.
In invoking her Gaelic heritage, Silver said “fanas” translates to “space.” She also draws inspiration from kintsugi, a Japanese art process of using gold and lacquer to repair broken objects like pottery and glass.
“I don’t know if you’ve ever worked with concrete, but it can be dangerous,” she said, explaining that she wears protective headgear and other equipment. Her environment in a non-climate-controlled Culver City studio can also be hot, and the materials and final products are heavy.
Imagine reverse-peeling an apple: for her fanas spheres, she hand-presses a layer of concrete, lets it dry, then adds another. The process can take a couple of weeks to complete for a single sculpture that seemed larger than a softball.
She tops off her sculptures with peridot crystals and small branches. To her, the finished pieces are a natural balance of man-made and natural art, paired with reclaimed wood mounts. Samples of her work can be seen at From The Ash Studio.
She credits her husband, Michael Silver, who joined her at the show Sunday, for building her studio and shelves.
“It’s nice to be recognized. I’ve been wanting to win an award,” Silver said.
There was a broad assortment of media to check out at the 14th annual Festival of Arts, held between the A.K. Smiley Public Library and the Lincoln Memorial Shrine, which was open to allow visitors to see the shrine’s collection of Norman Rockwell paintings.
The Art in the Park program on the outskirts of the Redlands Bowl hosted additional art vendors. Altogether, the event highlighted the works of more than 100 artists and performers.
Brad Strahle, a woodworker with Rusty Nail Heritage Woodworks in Crestline, was selling CNC-carved panels and signs.
Photo by David James Heiss
Brad Strahle with an unframed CNC teak carving.
Products such as his 250th American anniversary piece, which bands together five panels of teak, took three days of carving, 24 hours a day. The 15-by-15-inch finished product was being sold for $500, unframed. From his booth, he also sold cribbage boards, marble-inlaid cutting boards, tic-tac-toe games and custom signs.
“I get my ideas just by talking to people,” he said. “We tinker with things and see what works. Lots of ideas come from conversations.” He regularly promotes his products at art events in the Palm Springs area. Information can be found at Custom Signs | RUSTY Nail Heritage Woodworks.
Nanette Porras was manning a booth for her husband, David Porras, a Yucaipa pottery maker who was out of the area conducting an art demonstration elsewhere Saturday.
His products, including an assortment of mugs, go through a couple of firings, a process that can take three to six weeks. Nanette Porras joked, “He’ll tell you it took 53 years” of experience and production.
Photo by David James Heiss
Samples of craft wares from Porras Pottery.
Their porcelain and stoneware products go through a bisque and glaze process and are microwave-safe. Samples can be seen at Wood Fire Mugs – David Porras Pottery. Nanette adds her own artistic touch through embellishments, while David handles the pottery-making.
Richard Curtner, of Cathedral City, first-place winner in the 2D art category, patiently explained to visitors the stories behind his word-collage pieces. His works are pieced together entirely from words and phrases cut out from traditional print media, such as newspapers and magazines, to create crisp imagery.
Photo by David James Heiss
2D art winner Richard Curtner. Below, a sample of his work.
Though magazines and newspapers are getting harder to come by, Curtner assured visitors that he has enough to last his lifetime. A single image can take Curtner nearly 50 hours to create.
“That doesn’t include the time it takes searching for the right words,” he said, noting that he applies the text to his works with acid-free glue. Examples of his work can be seen at curtnerart.com.
Andy Patalano, a University of Redlands alumnus who traveled from Marina del Rey to participate in his second year at the festival, displayed his airbrushed and textured materials, stencils, and layered, raised media, many of which are fluorescent or iridescent.
Photo by David James Heiss
Art pieces from Andy Patalano.
Some of his pieces can take a long time to craft, since layers must be tended to piecemeal. Samples of his work can be found on Instagram Instagram.
Rodonna Van Pelt, an illustrator and 3D media artist from Riverside, displayed whimsical standouts that incorporate paint on canvas, textile fabrics, wood pieces, gold leaf, Plexiglas and T-shirt paint.
“I go through seasons of art, but I almost always gravitate back to the ocean,” as well as bees and fairies, when seeking inspiration. She was also selling copies of her children’s book, “How Do You Tame a Dandelion?”
Photo by David James Heiss
Creations by illustrator-artist Rodonna Van Pelt.
She said she could not claim to be proudest of just one single piece. “They’re all my babies,” she said. Her work can be followed at rodonna.net.
Ben and Crista Wylie, of Calimesa, attended with their children: son Kypton, 13, and daughter Ciara, 8.
Ciara had a papier-mâché piece themed to “The Wild Robot” on display at the festival’s Youth Art Expo.
“I enjoyed the chalk art event happening along the sidewalks of Fourth Street,” Kypton said. “That was pretty cool. And some of the wood art was cool.”
Photo by David James Heiss
Redlands High School teacher Sean Regalado works on his chalk art piece, “Ruby Red,” with his daughter seated in front of him, RHS student Quinn Regalado.
Ron Rader, a retired retail manager and civil servant from Beaumont, returned to Redlands for his annual trip to check out the festival.
Photo by David James Heiss
Matthew Enriquez, of San Bernardino, with some of his pencil and charcoal portraits, at the Art in the Park event along the outskirts of the Redlands Bowl.
“I come out every year. I always look forward to the crafts,” Rader said. “The woodwork is fantastic.”
Rader, a connoisseur of good food, added, “I always enjoy the assortment of food trucks that complement the event.”
Roger Heath, participating in the Art in the Park program from St. George, Utah, a former San Bernardino resident who has participated in a dozen of the Festival of Arts events through the years, was displaying his ornate — many Redlands-themed birdhouses — many of them housing “extras” inside, like miniature toilets or Bigfoot dolls.
“I used to work in a cabinet shop, where they would throw away lots of beautiful leftover wood,” he said. “I wanted to make something that could utilize all the moldings and trims,” hence the elaborate birdhouses that could accommodate the most discerning avian guests.
Cindi and Mike Malsed of Riverside displayed an array of miniatures at the Art in the Park event.
Cindi said that she does the ceramics, and her husband makes the 3D prints. Some of their work can be found at Instagram.
Photo by David James Heiss
Cindi Malsed with some of her creations.
2026 Festival of Arts Winners
2D Category
First Place: Richard Curtner
Second Place: Stephen Schubert
Third Place: Elaine Hughes
Honorable Mention: Adeola Davies-Aiyeloja
3D Category
First Place: Ash Silver
Second Place: Sena Chik
Third Place: Ramon and Rosa Velasquez
Honorable Mention: K.C. Klug
Best in Show
Ming-Chu Oye