Batesville’s Umbrella Sky Project
Residents and visitors to Batesville have undoubtedly noticed the colorful display of umbrellas in the skies above Sesquicentennial Park in downtown Batesville. Part of the Umbrella Sky Project, the vibrant display has its origins in the small Portuguese village of Águeda, Portugal. The display began as a quest to attract customers to the village’s downtown area. Each year the Ágitagueda Art Festival displayed public art on a store filled street in the town. The problem was, the art works on display kept disappearing. Local artist Patricia Cunha began pondering an idea that would put the art out of reach and thwart would be thieves. She drew her inspiration from a fantasy-like scene from the popular movie starring Dick Van Dyke and Julie Andrews called Mary Poppins. Continue reading Batesville’s Umbrella Sky Project