Eclectic Offerings
Cascade Curations in Downtown Redding…
Hours before Nashville-based touring artist Molly Tuttle performed on the Cascade Theatre stage, she stopped in at a downtown boutique. An upscaled pair of jeans, festooned with music notes and other patches, captured her eye and she bought them.
That July transaction typifies what Cascade Curations is about and what owners Mikey and Jenny Wylie love about their year-old venture.
The jeans had been fashioned by Calie Pearson, the manager at The Beadman in Redding, and represents the couple’s commitment to featuring hyperlocal “neighborhood” art. That a prominent Grammy- nominated musician took a fancy to their store and its eclectic offerings only sweetened the deal.
Cascade Curations represents “a little bit of everything we love,” says Jenny, whose love of fashion design can be seen in the new and repurposed apparel on display as well as the custom and vintage shirts.
Music, from lessons and instruments to vintage vinyl, is a big part of Cascade Curations. Between the two proprietors, lessons are offered on piano, drums, guitar, ukelele, violin, viola and cello. A variety of used instruments and equipment, ranging from accordions and trumpets to amplifiers and speakers, are available for sale or trade.
Mikey says it was Redding’s music scene, or lack of one, that motivated him to go into business. The Redding resident says he was startled when, within months of each other in 2022, two longstanding music stores closed in Redding (Herreid Music and Mike’s Music & Sound).
“I thought this town needs that culture, and then I heard this spot was opening up and I thought, ‘I love that place,’” Mikey says of the former home of Bogbean Books & Music in downtown’s Foundry Square.
Music lessons are offered to prospective musicians of any age. Mikey, who played in his high school jazz band and later performed with Indiana University’s prestigious Soul Revue, does the bulk of the teaching. He also provides DJ services and teaches music and video production.
There’s also plenty of art to enjoy at Cascade Curations, with works from two dozen local artists adorning the walls. Prints range in price from $5 to $2,200. Handmade jewelry is also featured, including pieces by local jewelers like Vanessa Scholfield, who helped design the Wintu-themed mural on the north side of the Cascade Theatre.
“With more and more (retail) going online, we wanted to counter that and be a marketplace,” Mikey says of the vibe he and his wife are trying to create.
Pearson, who sells her creations at Cascade Curations, fell in love with the store after stopping in to look for a ukelele. “It’s a good store to have around. They’re so friendly and they’ve been a huge help. I wasn’t selling anything before and it’s really cool that people want my stuff.”•
Cascade Curations • 1740 California St., Redding (530) 225-4855 • www.cascadecurations.com
