Redding woke up to a new mural on Wednesday morning, June 26th, thanks to a collaboration between Redding Arts and a pair of local artists. The mural was created for The Makery, a new business on Pine Street hosting workshops, events and collaborative workspaces for local artists.
Photo by @japhethmast
Redding Arts was founded in recent years by Tyler Linahan and David McHarness to improve the city’s culture and art scene. After last year’s fires, they began working on a mural for the Cascade Theatre that would commemorate Redding’s resiliency. As that project nears completion this fall, they’ve been pairing artists with local businesses to paint additional murals across the city. (Hooray!)
The mural was painted by local abstract artists, Dawn Verhey and Cami Zea, and is being documented by photographers Japheth Mast and Seth McGaha. “When Redding Arts came and suggested these two artists, I just loved their aesthetic and what they had to offer” said The Makery’s founder Elizabeth Wright.
“We wanted to communicate an emotion, and not necessarily a subject.”
One of The Makery’s main goals is to educate the community on art and DIY crafts through workshops and events.
Photo by @japhethmast
Vibrant cities across the world, small or large, all have one thing in common: public art! Repurposing old, blank walls into beautiful displays gives the average pedestrian a piece of beauty to admire and appreciate while walking from place to place. Some have said even decreases crime in the area itself.
In an article from WIBW, a news agency from Kansas, they refer to crime statistics before and after the murals went up:
Lieutenant Joe Perry said the police department collected crime stats before and after that mural went up. In the 6 months before the mural went up, 19 crimes were reported in a 1/4 mile radius around the mural location, 7 of which were graffiti. In the 6 months after the mural went up, 16 crimes were reported in a 1/4 mile radius around the mural location, 1 of which was graffiti.
Photo by @japhethmast
Redding Arts goal isn’t to make a profit, it’s to make a difference. CultreRedding is proud to partner with them in their goal of creating vibrant spaces that beautify our downtown streets. To learn more and follow along with their projects, follow their social pages - @ReddingArts Instagram Page, ReddingArts Facebook Page
Follow the people who made this happen!
The Makery @themakeryredding
Cami Zea @zeaink
Dawn Verhey @theartofdawn
Photos by @japhethmast
ReddingArts @reddingarts
Video Production by @sethmcgahaphoto