ARTLANDS REACH
RESIDENCY & ENVIRONMENTAL ARTS COMMUNITY HUB
REACH is an environmentally focused artist in residency program that is currently in development which will provide programming in both Redlands, CA and in the Morongo Basin area of the California high desert. There will be a community garden, and native plant space developed in a public park in Redlands, CA which will be the home of our Inland Empire-based residency and programming. Our Morongo Basin residency and programming will be hosted at the Big Morongo Canyon Preserve in Morongo Valley, CA.
Championed by artist Danielle Guidici Wallis since 2020, the project has been recommended by both the Cultural Arts Commission and Parks and Recreation Commission for the City of Redlands. The Redlands City Council has approved for the project to move forward with its planning stages. In 2024, Danielle partnered with The Artlands and the project received an Arts in Local Parks planning grant from Parks California to complete the planning stages of the project. We have teamed up with several community partners including the University of Redlands, Big Morongo Canyon Preserve, the Redlands Conservancy, Inland Empire Resource Conservation District (IERCD), Inlandia Institute, among others to be announced.
We are now seeking feedback from our community on what they would like to see in the project as well as community members that would like to be involved with the project going forward.
Proposed Location 1 | Sylvan Park, Redlands, CA
The following is a list of potential uses of the proposed space:
Free, accessible, environmentally focused arts programming
Provide paid opportunities for local artists from all disciplines/mediums
Increase awareness of local environmental issues and encourage sustainable practices through free public workshops (composting, irrigation, plant propagation, etc)
Create opportunities for cultural exchange and dialogue– place to find common ground!
Honor and celebrate the cultural heritage of the Serrano and Cahuilla people, the original and ongoing stewards of the land.
Artists garden of plants that can be used for dyes, weaving, and other creative endeavors
Community vegetable garden beds to expand upon existing city program provide horticulture activities
Native plant garden
Proposed Location 2 | Big Morongo Canyon Preserve, Morongo Valley, CA
“Plantas” mural by Al Marcano to raise awareness and engage the community about REACH, located at Viva La Boba in downtown Redlands.
