Redlands 125th Anniversary Community Sculpture Project Comes to Life

The Redlands quasquicentennial commemoration may have come to an end, but the spirit which it engendered continues. The year-long 125th anniversary celebration included several outlets for the people of the community to gather together and unite in one celebratory voice. One such platform was the 125th anniversary Community Sculpture Project. During the month of June the sculpture arising from that project will be on display at the Smiley Library in downtown Redlands. The public is invited to a special unveiling ceremony for the sculpture, which will take place in the reference wing of the library at 4 p.m. on Friday, June 5. “The Smiley Library was honored to participate in the many aspects of the anniversary celebration,” stated Library Director Don McCue. “We hope our patrons enjoy viewing the community sculpture which arose from that celebration." Open to all ages and talents, the Community Sculpture Project took place last November. Facilitated by local small business Art Renew operated by Melanie Papp, the project highlighted the diversity of Redlands residents and the town’s iconic landmarks. Excitement filled the Mission Gables House Courtyard last November when Redlanders gathered to paint the single tiles that would ultimately comprise one of the panels on the community sculpture. Local artists created a cube comprised of 5 panels depicting the Redlands 125th Anniversary logo, the Redlands Bowl, the Lincoln Memorial Shrine, the University of Redlands and the Smiley Library. "The power of art in the context of community is immense and immeasurable," stated Ms. Papp. “Excitement is a natural response when participating in communal project that ends in something beautiful. It flows not only from this communal aspect but also from the anticipation that their contribution would be seen in the community in which they live. The Smiley Library is the perfect venue to fulfill this goal." Ms. Papp’s overall goal for Art Renew is to build a platform in which artists can use their gifts to create positive change in our world and develop community through on-line campaigns and volunteer projects such as the Community Sculpture. “We look forward to the opportunity on June 5 to share the Project with the public and especially to honor the artists who created it.”