2026
US BANK Artist in Residence: Lana Licata Manzo
Open Studio and Exhibition
Powell and DeVean Galleries 5/2/2026 – 8/30/2026
Lana Licata Manzo will be Riverside Art Museum’s 2026 Artist in Residence. Born in Placentia, CA and now residing in Riverside, Manzo’s work combines fine art with craft-based mediums, including basketmaking, weaving, textiles, beading, and embroidery.
She will be working in the galleries in April and May, sharing her process with RAM visitors and presenting the joy of making engaging sculpture and installation.
An exhibition of her works will open in the Powel and DuVean galleries in June.
“This residency is going to allow me to explore working at a larger scale while putting on a vibrant, interactive, and fun final show. With this opportunity to connect to our community, I hope to share my love and joy of making art. As a mother, I find it more important than ever to provide my daughter with a connection to the community, what better way for us than through art.” Lana Licata Manzo
Generous support provided by US Bank
2015 – 2025
Our first artist-in-residence program in the Eastside neighborhood, located at 4307 Park Avenue provided an affordable rental opportunity for an income-qualified artist. We proudly presented community artist Juan Navarro as artist-in-residence at The Branch. RAM worked closely with Navarro on various community art projects. Navarro has demonstrated excellent skills in activating partners and the public in his work, a keen understanding of his role in the community, and the ability to engage and communicate with residents. The Branch provided an opportunity for the artist to live within the community, engage with their neighbors, and lead art programming with the goal to engage, inspire, and build community through the arts. The goals of this program were to cultivate individual skills, foster social interactions, and promote neighborhood development.
Initiatives included Juan Navarro’s murals and art-making events in the Eastside as our artist-in-residence. For example, RAM commissioned Navarro to produce a community-driven mural that reflected the relationship between medical professionals and community members as they work together to create a healthier Eastside community. The mural concept was directly influenced by Eastside residents from development to completion. Click here to learn more.
Juan also worked with community members at Lincoln Park. He created an outdoor art gallery along the park’s walkways. With the help of the City of Riverside Parks and Recreation department and the Riverside Art Museum, Navarro built and installed a wooden four by eight foot frame for art installations. “This project will allow us to feature local artists, allow families to experience art in the outdoors, and improve our community’s visual landscape,” says Navarro. His passion for social practice art has allowed him to visualize ways our local community members can share their individual culture and creative visions within their local neighborhood.
SEE THE MURAL . . . AND OTHERS!
Take a ride through Eastside Riverside to see the murals completed by our artist-in-residence, Juan Navarro! Click here to download a pdf of the mural tour.
About Juan Navarro: Juan Navarro is an emerging social-practice artist. The founder of a co-working art studio known as Eastside Arthouse, Navarro has an Associate’s degree in Human Behavioral Studies from RCC. He has created mural work for brands such as Riverside Community Health Foundation, Sandals Church, Romeo Power, and Verizon. In his recent Artist-in-Residence partnership with the Riverside Art Museum, he was recently awarded an emerging leader grant through U.S. Bank that supports emerging leaders and community-led solutions to address economic disparities in his neighborhood. He enjoys being part of community-building projects that involve local Riverside residents working together to improve the landscape of their community. He believes that murals add to the quality of life, promote walkability, celebrate diversity, unify neighborhoods, and give a cultural voice to the residents who participate in creating them and experience them.