Riverside Art Museum & The Cheech>Exhibitions>Riverside Art Museum (Julia Morgan Building)

Uncovering Ancient Mexico: The Mystery of Tlatilco

@ Riverside Art Museum

Exhibition: February 3 – December 30, 2018

Opening Reception: Friday, February 2, 2018, 6 p.m. – 8 p.m.

Many treasures reside deep in the storage facilities of the Riverside Metropolitan Museum (RMM). One of these treasures is a collection of ceramic figurines and other artifacts from an ancient civilization just outside of what is now Mexico City. These artifacts come from Tlatilco (Tla-teel-ko), one of the earliest complex societies of Central Mexico that flourished about 3,000 years ago. These treasures will be featured in a collaborative exhibition of the RMM’s artifacts hosted at the Riverside Art Museum (RAM) – a first between these two Riverside museums.

Join us on an adventure through time as we explore the mysteries of the Tlatilco culture and find out how archaeologists piece together clues from the past. Through bilingual labels (Spanish and English), photographs, drawings, and hands-on features, learn about the Tlatilco treasures and see other objects on loan from the Smithsonian Institution’s National Museum of the American Indian and the Los Angeles County Museum of Art. Come explore at RAM and discover the incredible story of Tlatilco.

Exhibition-Related Programming:

Opening Reception: Friday, February 2, 2018, 6 p.m. – 8 p.m. 

The Rise of Civilization in Mesoamerica Conference: Saturday, February 3, 2018, 9 a.m. – 5 p.m. | Free

Taking place at the Riverside Public Library, this conference is free and open to the public with registration beginning at 8:30 a.m. The conference is offered by UCR, the Center for Ideas and Society, and Catharina Santasilia.

Gallery Talk and Tour: Saturday, February 10, 2018, 1 p.m. | Free for RAM museum members; included with paid general admission.

Join Associate Curator/Intern Catherina E. Santasilia for a talk and tour of Uncovering Ancient Mexico.

Inlandia Writing Workshop: Sunday, September 30, 2 p.m. – 4 p.m. | Free for members; included with paid general admission

The Inlandia Institute will facilitate writing workshops using our current exhibitions as inspiration. Join us on September 30 for a workshop centered on this exhibition as a writing prompt.

RMM Pop-up Activities for Kids:

The Riverside Metropolitan Museum (RMM) will hold pop-up activities for kids on the following dates:

  • Sunday, September 2, 11 a.m. – 2 p.m., next to the Pretty Lady sculpture at Fairmount Park;
  • Thursday, October 4, 6 p.m. – 9 p.m., on the front steps of the RMM;
  • Sunday, October 7, 1 p.m. – 4 p.m., at RAM;
  • Saturday, November 3, at the Dia de los Muertos Festival, Downtown Riverside; and
  • Saturday, November 10, at the Riverside Mariachi Festival, Riverside Municipal Auditorium.

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