Go. See. Art.
Explore Redding’s Cultural District At Your Pace…
A handful of art galleries, a walk by the river and plenty of reasons to get sidetracked. Build your own artful day through Redding’s Cultural District.
You have friends in town. They’ve been visiting for a few days, everyone has spent enough quality time with the couch and eventually somebody asks the question you knew was coming: “So, what should we do today?”
Here’s an idea: go look at some art.
No hiking boots, no cooler to pack and no complicated itinerary that requires everyone to be in the car at precisely 8 am. This is a slow day. Grab your phone, see what’s open and put together your own art round through the Redding Cultural District. One of the nice things about living in the North State is that you can actually do that.
The Redding Cultural District includes Downtown Redding, Turtle Bay and the parks along the Sacramento River. Along the way are galleries, museums, public art, historic buildings, restaurants, coffee shops and plenty of opportunities to get pleasantly sidetracked. There’s no required starting point and certainly no requirement that you see everything.
DONALDSON FINE ART CENTER
At 1232 Center St. is Donaldson Fine Art Center, a contemporary gallery and creative space connected with artist Amy Donaldson.
The center also offers workshops and other creative activities, so check the schedule while you’re planning your day. By now you’ve probably noticed that these places are all a little different, which is part of the fun. You aren’t walking into the same gallery six times with a different sign over the door.
ARTWORKS
Head over to 1518 Market St. is something completely new. ArtWorks opened this fall as an artist collaborative, adding another gallery and another group of artists to Downtown Redding.
There’s something fun about walking into a brand-new gallery, particularly one created by artists working together. See who’s showing, meet somebody making art locally and take a look around. You can also enjoy the satisfaction of knowing that another gallery is just 20 steps away.
TURTLE BAY
Then there’s Turtle Bay Exploration Park at 844 Sundial Bridge Drive. We often think of Turtle Bay as one of Redding’s signature visitor attractions, but art is part of the experience there, too. Its museum combines art with history, science and culture through permanent exhibitions and changing shows.
Then walk outside and you’re standing next to one of Redding’s most recognizable pieces of art and architecture, the Sundial Bridge.
Take a walk across the bridge, wander through the gardens or simply enjoy being alongside the Sacramento River. At this point, you may have forgotten that you originally left the house to visit galleries, which is actually a pretty good indication that the slow day is working.
THE ART HUNGER
The Art Hunger Gallery at 1504 Market St. is a good place to see what artists in the North State are creating right now. The artist-driven gallery features rotating exhibitions and has shown hundreds of artists over the years, ranging from established names to people whose work you may be discovering for the first time.
It’s also an approachable place to look at art. You don’t need to know the difference between Impressionism and Expressionism to walk through the door. Look around, find something that grabs you and decide for yourself what you like. Nobody gives you a test afterward.
SHASTA COUNTY ARTS COUNCIL
You can go up Market Street to Old City Hall Arts Center at 1313 Market St., home of the Shasta County Arts Council.
Old City Hall has been a Downtown landmark for more than a century, so take a minute to look at the building, too. Today, its gallery features a wide range of work by local and regional artists. This is also where the “slow” part of the day can really kick in. Wander around Downtown, look at the architecture, find some public art, stop for coffee or walk into a shop that catches your eye. There is no prize for completing the gallery round in record time.
NORTH VALLEY ART LEAGUE
From Downtown, make your way toward Caldwell Park and Carter House Gallery at 48 Quartz Hill Road, home of North Valley Art League. Founded in 1979, the organization has grown into a community of more than 250 artists, with member shows, juried competitions and plenty of work to discover.
The setting gives you another reason not to hurry. Carter House Gallery sits in Caldwell Park near the Sacramento River, so after looking at art inside, wander outside and take a walk along the river. Getting distracted is completely acceptable.
MAKE THE DAY YOUR OWN
The important thing is that this isn’t a six-stop challenge.
Visit two galleries or visit all six. Stop for lunch, have coffee, walk along the river, find a mural, browse a store or decide somewhere along the way that sitting down for a glass of wine sounds better than looking at another painting.
The galleries have changing exhibitions, events and schedules, so use your phone to see what’s open and what’s showing before you head out. Then put together an itinerary — or don’t put together much of one at all.
That’s the beauty of a slow day. You started with friends sitting around the house asking what there is to do in Redding. A few hours later, you’ve seen some art, explored the Cultural District, walked along the Sacramento River and probably found a couple of places you want to come back to. The couch will still be there when you get home. •
Article Written by:
John Truitt writes about Redding’s civic life, downtown momentum and the brave souls who attend planning meetings voluntarily. Active with Viva Downtown, he follows local leadership, historic preservation and community vitality wherever they gather — usually near coffee, clipboards and at least one spirited debate about parking.
