VOP: Civic Improvement

Civic improvement is alive and well in Redlands and a group of University of Redlands students, alumni, and young community volunteers are not waiting for “someone else” to do it but are out on the streets working hard to improve and beautify the walking and bike trail in east Redlands. The trail runs from Wabash to Grove and consists of a paved roadway for bikes and a walking and running roadway made of compacted decomposed granite. In a project developed by the University Alumni office and the office of Community Service Learning, a long section of block wall is being painted in an art form known as “Orange Crate Labels." This colorful art already adorns some of the downtown buildings and freeway under passes. The artist, Landon Duarte, and a group of volunteers projected Duarte’s art on the block walls at night, and then outlined them. During the day, they went back to fill in the outlines with living color. Whitney Martinez, who helped organize the event, said that it was “paint by numbers on a colossal scale." Martinez also said that the endeavor is a work in progress and no finish date has been projected. The project is open to anyone who wants to see Redlands become even better and more unique than it already is.