I think I was hooked the instant I saw an article about the Umbrella Sky Project coming to Batesville, IN. Actually, the project had already arrived and the article (I believe it was this one.) contained several photos of the colorful canopy. I was immediately reminded of a photo I had taken of a much smaller arrangement of umbrellas in a store in Natchitoches, LA. I told myself I would attend at the earliest opportunity, and I did. That opportunity came Monday.

There were some slight similarities between that Natchitoches photo and some of Monday’s photos, but the scale of the installation and the use of solid color umbrellas meant there were even more differences. The physical scale of the installation is impressive but the scale of its reach is probably more so. The concept originated in Agueda, Portugal, in 2011, and there have been installations in places such as Paris, France, and Stockholm, Sweden, as well as at Dollywood in Tennessee.

Magic, shows, musical performances, and other events have taken place under or near the Umbrella Sky in Batesville and more are scheduled throughout the installation’s stay which ends November 9. I halfheartedly tried to time my visit to catch some event but ended up driving there more or less on the spur of the moment. Of course, I might return.

This last picture is actually the very first one I took when I approached the installation. I had no intention of using it and only decided to do so halfway through writing this article. It’s titled Children of Peace and described on a pedestal-mounted plaque. As I tossed the words “umbrella” and “parasol” around fishing for a title for this post, the word “shelter” tumbled in and that led to the title of the Rolling Stone’s song from 1969. I liked the sound of the title but the lyrics just did not seem to fit that colorful “sky”. Then I remembered this sculpture with its hope of spinning “in a brighter direction”, and heard some of that same hope in the song’s ending lyrics.

I tell you love, sister
It’s just a kiss away
Kiss away, kiss away