Umbrella sky to land on Auburn Art Park

In an effort to make the Auburn Art Park cooler and more attractive to visit and use, the Auburn Arts Commission and Downtown Business Association have joined together to provide the resources for a seasonal shade structure, with an artsy draw. Inspired by the colorful umbrella-shaded walkways of Agueda, Portugal, the Arts Commission designed a structure that could be housed on the corner of High and Lewis streets, across from Central Square. "We looked around at solutions and landed on a town in Portugal that was famous for its art installations," said April Maynard, chair of the Arts Commission. "The umbrellas are colorful and translucent and the sun comes through it. It brightens the space." The original plan for the Art Park, which opened in 2016, was a place where people could gather and host small music and entertainment events as part of a hub of activity downtown. By spring 2017, it was clear the lack of trees and the sun beating down on the concrete made the space unusable all day, Maynard said. The Arts Commission did a study at the park in July 2017 and found temperatures by the benches and stage were far too hot for visitors – some temperatures measured above 130 degrees on a 91-degree day. The Arts Commission began work on finding a solution that would fit in one of the city's main art hubs. "It is just beautiful the translucence and variation of the umbrellas," Maynard said. "Having that in Auburn and making that space usable year-round is fantastic." The plan is for the umbrellas to be seasonal through the warm months, with the steel structure decorated with string lights or other seasonably appropriate décor the rest of the year. "It is going to be a feature," Maynard said. "It will attract people to Auburn." Though the shade structure was officially approved by the city council in 2018, complications with contractors led to the project doubling in cost, which led to the Downtown Business Association stepping in to advance the remaining funds needed for the project in June. To recoup some of the Downtown Business Association costs, the group is offering the public a chance to support the shade installation by funding an umbrella sponsorship. Sponsorships will cost $100 for one umbrella and will earn a resident or business their name on a plaque in Art Park. For more information, visit downtownauburnca.com/umbrella-sponsorship. Contractors and the project architect are meeting this week and work on the structure will begin soon, Maynard said. She expects the umbrella sky to be installed before the warm summer months leave Auburn this year.