Photo by David James Heiss
Some of the Redlands Re-Shade entries waiting to be judged.
By David James Heiss
Redlands News Collective
REDLANDS — At least a couple of times a year, the 260 umbrellas along what has become known as Umbrella Alley must be replaced to maintain their iconic look.
According to city spokesman Carl Baker, they are replaced every three to four months at a cost of nearly $3,000.
As of late, many of them do not end up in a trash heap or sent to Umbrella Heaven.
Thanks to the Redlands Visitor Center, at least 100 of them — those still in decent shape — are upcycled for display after being handed off to kids who give them a second life as works of art.
Umbrellas can be sponsored or purchased for $20, and children between 8 and 14 years old brighten them up, making them perhaps more interesting than the ones hanging above pedestrians passing through Umbrella Alley.
The funds go toward the Redlands Visitor Center’s planned youth initiative, Redlands Art to Market, in which teen entrepreneurs will create Redlands-themed artwork and sell it through the visitor center.
Photo by David James Heiss
Judge Laurie Martin opens submissions.
“They’ll learn aspects of entrepreneurship: how to file a fictitious business statement, how to do marketing,” said David O’Hara, a member of the Redlands Optimist Club, which co-sponsored the Redlands Re-Shade project that handles the recycling of the alley’s umbrellas. “The umbrellas have to be replaced every six months or so. They fade, they rip, they start to look terrible.”
Back in October, the Redlands Visitor Center invited children to acquire retired umbrellas and decorate them as part of a contest co-hosted by the Optimist Club, Redlands financial planner David Maupin, the Rochford Foundation, Emerson Fine Jewelry, and Cyclery USA. The entries judged outside the shop on Sunday will be hung from Cyclery USA’s ceiling.
Optimist member Brian Pry, tasked with hanging the umbrellas from the rafters of the bicycle shop, joked, “The rafters were all retrofitted and tested to be sure they could handle the extra load.”
Photo by David James Heiss
Bryan Pry takes on the task of hanging nearly 60 umbrellas along the rafters of Cyclery USA.
Participants competed to redesign umbrellas based on the themes of “All About Redlands,” “Bicycles,” and “Where I Like to Play.” There were two winners in each category.
The Redlands Visitor Center selected 100 umbrellas to distribute for redesign, and roughly 60 participants brought back their finished results for judging midday on Nov. 8.
The Nowak family saw a promotion about the Redlands Re-Shade event at the Redlands Visitor Center, and two of their children opted to participate. (Their 6 year-old son, Tyler, was not old enough to participate).
Emily, 12, redesigned her umbrella as an orange tree, bordered by oranges cut in half.
Wyatt, 9, was one of the winners in the category “Where I Like to Play.” He took his blue umbrella and incorporated elements of Umbrella Alley, where he enjoys hanging out. He even included Christine Curry’s mural of angel wings, commemorative of late resident Hanna Ahlers.
Photo by Jeanie Nowak
Emily and Wyatt Nowak, with their completed umbrellas.
A view from above depicts a stream of blue sky over Umbrella Alley, populated with cocktail umbrellas ordered through Amazon.
The winners received $100 gift cards to spend at Cyclery USA, and an honorable mention gift card was also awarded for $50. Every participant received a $10 gift card to the store.
Anneli Pendley, a transitional kindergarten teacher for the Redlands Unified School District, along with Redlands Visitor Center manager and artist Sylvia Alva, and local artist Laurie Martin, judged the entries.
As Pendley sorted through umbrellas set up on the ground of Cyclery USA’s parking lot to be judged, she said, “I’ll be looking for creativity, and expressions related to the themes; their use of color and texture.”
Photo by Brian Spears
Umbrella Alley, the source of young artists’ inspiration.
Alva also looked for adherence to theme.
“It’ll come down to age level and composition, and how well they controlled their painting, and if they really followed the themes,” Alva said, acknowledging with a nod toward the rows of entries that her decisions were not going to be simple.
As the judges walked around the umbrellas on display, young artists awaiting their decisions sampled Hawaiian shaved ice from The Frosty Orange. Each entrant was given a T-shirt promoting the program, courtesy of Jam Sportswear.
All of the umbrellas entered over the weekend will be hung from the rafters of Cyclery USA for roughly a year, according to store manager Heather Breyer.
“We’ll have to see how they work with our fans,” Breyer said. “We’ve got some talented kids out there. We’re happy to participate and be part of the community, having these umbrellas in our store. We’re looking forward to more events like this.”
Cyclery USA is located at 21 W. Stuart Ave. in Redlands. The shop is open Monday through Saturday from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m., and Sunday from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m.
Photo by Redlands Optimist Club President Doug Jorritsma
The winners of the inaugural Redlands Re-Shade contest, from left: Delialah Raya, Wyatt Nowak, Owen Ard, Juliett Aguirre, Alice Minor, Sutton Fischer, and Anabel Grimley.
Contest Winners
Bicycles: Owen Art and Delialah Raya
Where I Like to Play: Sutton Fischer and Wyatt Nowak
All About Redlands: Alice Minor and Anabel Grimley Honorable Mention: Juliette Aguirre