Join artist, writer, and scholar Richard Allen May in conversation with artist Charles Bibbs highlighting the principles and views on art making and entrepreneurship. They will be tracing back Bibbs unique routes into artist independence.
Art 2000 is a non-profit visual art association founded by Bibbs encouraging artists and art patrons alike to further engage in the arts. Artists are invited to learn skills that lead towards becoming financially independent and making art more affordable. Through Bibbs encouraging journey artists will hear about principles that nurtured a period of collectors
Due to limited capacity, RSVP here
First Sundays is a series of free programs featuring activities for all-ages at various downtown Riverside locations.
Every first Sunday from 1 p.m. to 4 p.m.
Riverside Art Museum (Julia Morgan Building) and The Cheech Marin Center for Chicano Art & Culture are free and open to the public from 12 p.m. – 5 p.m. No tickets are necessary.
Complete list of participating organizations, here.
If you are interested in sponsoring free First Sundays activities, please contact Valerie Found at [email protected]
Pictured: Charles Bibbs™ The Gift 4. Courtesy of the artist.
Riverside County, CA. The Riverside County Office of Economic Development proudly declares March 2024 as the Inaugural Riverside County Arts & Culture Month!
This month-long celebration is set to illuminate the diverse and vibrant arts and cultural landscape across the county, extending an invitation to cities and organizations to unite in a coalition dedicated to art, education, and enrichment.
A Collaborative Effort for Arts & Culture
Riverside County Arts & Culture Month is proudly presented by The Riverside County Office of Economic Development in partnership with The Riverside Arts Council, California Desert Arts Council, Corona Art Association, Murrieta Arts Council, and the Temecula Valley Art League. This collaborative initiative aims to bring together communities and celebrate the diverse arts and cultural experiences that make Riverside County a distinctive and enriching community.
Embark on the Journey with the “Exploration Pass”
Take part in the festivities by obtaining a commemorative “Exploration Pass” available at any Riverside County Library System branch and designated locations. Each cultural destination is a unique treasure waiting to be discovered, and as you explore your chosen destination, your pass will be stamped, creating a lasting memento of the experience. Certain locations will also host special events on specific days, offering attendees the chance to engage in enjoyable activities. It’s important to note that the Exploration Pass is not a free entry ticket to participating locations; instead, it serves as a cherished keepsake designed for year-round use.
Visit Riverside Art Museum (Julia Morgan Building) and The Cheech Marin Center for Chicano Art & Culture to pick up your Exploration Pass and to get your pass stamped!
More information including participating locations and a list of special events on their website
Artist Panel Discussion: Charles A. Bibbs, Kathleen A. Wilson, and Kenneth Gatewood
Moderated by Richard Allen May
February 18, 2024 at 2pm
Renowned artist Charles will be in discussion with longtime friends and artists Kathleen A. Wilson and Kenneth Gatewood. Contemporary black art from artists who are innovating new ways of being entrepreneurial artists.
Artist, Writer, and Professor Richard Allen May will moderate and navigate the discussions from the historical context into present day.
Location: Riverside Art Museum (Julia Morgan Building), Members Gallery
Event is free. Please RSVP, capacity is limited.
Thank you for supporting Riverside Art Museum exhibition Sacred Spaces: The Work and Collection of Charles Bibbs™
Pictured: Charles Bibbs™. The Keeper. Courtesy of the artist.
We invite you to join us at a reception in celebration of the artist and exhibition: Rico Gatson: Icons.
An interdisciplinary, Brooklyn-based artist, Gatson grew up in Riverside, California.
His work is bold and graphic with art historical references to Russian Constructivism and Op art, while in his wholly unique style highlighting the complexities of Black life and impact on American popular culture.
Event is free. Please RSVP, capacity is limited.
Celebrate the Lunar New Year, Running the Dragon, with Inlandia!
- Please note the correct time for storytelling & puppets is from 2:00 p.m. – 4:00 p.m.
Artist Ginger Galloway works in media, including painting and collage. She is also an accomplished poet! She will be at the Riverside Art Museum teaching while working on a storyboard.
UCR Gluck Fellow Jovana Isevski will be in the classroom creating art with visitors based off self-portraits and self-expression.
- Location/Time: Arts Education Classroom (upstairs) from 1:00 p.m. – 4:00 p.m.
“The mission of the Gluck Fellows Program of the Arts at the University of California, Riverside is to create the opportunity for the broader community to benefit from the creative, performative, and the expository talents of the graduate and undergraduate students of the Departments of Art, Creative Writing for the Performing Arts, Dance, History of Art, Music, Theatre, Film and Digital Production, and UCR Arts”.
Gluck Contemporary Dance Ensemble will be performing Ladies First at 1:30 p.m. and 3:00 p.m.
Ladies First, a hip hop piece celebrating and honoring the ladies of hip hop through the generations. Through a series of key artists and dances, this performance will take you on a journey of growing up in Hip Hop culture. Directed and Choreographed by Brandon J Aiken
Audience members will learn about dance, choreography, contemporary dance, hip hop dance, and the opportunity to pursue dance as a career. Audience members will watch a 15-minute choreographed dance and then have the opportunity to ask questions to the dancers about the piece, their artistic experiences, and much more. Audience members will also engage in interactive activities such as dance, play, and movement games. This piece is family friendly and school appropriate.
Audience members will recognize how dance is a viable source of embodied knowledge to access ways we understand our cultural, historical, and personal experiences. The audience will create alongside the performers and will evaluate their enjoyment of dance by sharing their experiences, thoughts, and reactions to the piece.
Kevin Wong is a Queer Asian-American artist from San Francisco, California with a background in experimental, contemporary, hip hop, modern, pedestrian, and Chinese dance. He has danced with STEAMROLLER, Project M, and the Flying Angels Chinese Dance Company, and produced several works with his childhood best friend Matthew Wong. His work researches ideas of intimacy, desires, and memories through improvisation scores, experimental choreographic approaches, and reactive conversations. His goal is to develop an analytical and bodily practice that cultivates a safe space for generating a deeper understanding of the self.
Brianna Bootle-Litman is a dance major, her pronouns are she/her/hers and this is her first year in the Gluck Contemporary Dance Ensemble.
Evelyn Casique is a first-year dance major. She is a self-taught dancer in hip-hop and street jazz, she has been dancing since the age of eight and is excited to be a Gluck Fellow.
Karine Cuevas (she/her) is a fourth year Public Policy and Dance double major at UC Riverside. Her research focuses are within Arts-Education, specifically bringing street-dance to public schools in her home city of Los Angeles, as a form of community building and identity exploration. She began dancing Ballet at the age of 5 through EverybodyDanceLA, a non-profit dance program. She later was introduced to Versa-Style Dance Company in 2016 and was trained in Hip Hop, Popping, House and more, through VS Next Generation and the VS Legacy performance group.
Christine Dao is a 4th year dance major and math minor, newcoming Gluck Fellow.
Samantha Leung (she/her) is a fourth year undergrad Theatre, Film, and Digital production major concentrating in Acting and Directing at UCR. She is minoring in Dance hence her interest in joining the Gluck Dance Ensemble. Her love for performing arts began to germinate in high school and prosper in college. Samantha has been dancing for as long as she can remember. From taking ballet to support her 10+ years of figure skating background, participating in high school dance shows, to learning hip hop in university, Samantha also has experience in jazz, lyrical, beginning Hula, beginning Chinese Dragon Dance, and even beginning traditional Korean dance techniques. This is Samantha’s first time participating in the Gluck Dance Ensemble and she feels very fortunate to work with such a talented and passionate group.
Mahek Jindani is a 2nd year Dance major at UCR and it is her first time participating as a Gluck Fellow. She goes by she/her pronouns.
Tia Smith is a transfer student at UCR, her style ranges from ballet, jazz, modern, and Egyptian style belly dancing.
Admission to Riverside Art Museum and The Cheech Marin Center for Chicano Art & Culture is free between 12 p.m. to 5 p.m. No reservations or reserved tickets needed to access both locations and exhibitions. All activities are free.
Presenting Sponsor:
Art Project will be based on Sacred Spaces: The Work and Collection of Charles Bibbs™ using ink and watercolor.
- Location: Education Classrooms (upstairs)
Gads’Zukes is a Riverside based band of music-loving professionals who cover some of the best rock songs ever written. With the Ukelele as a foundation, the 8-person group blends acoustic and electric elements to recreate Beatles, Rolling Stones, and other great artists from the 60’s, 70’s, 80’s and even 90’s.
The music just keeps coming as Gads’Zukes aims to please the music lovers of Riverside with hours of raucous music.
- Location: Atrium (downstairs)
Courtesy of the artist: Charles Bibbs™ The Keeper
Admission to Riverside Art Museum and The Cheech Marin Center for Chicano Art & Culture is free between 6 p.m. to 9 p.m. No reservations or reserved tickets needed to access both locations and exhibitions. All activities are free.
In honor of Rosa Park’s birthday and during Transit Equity Day, Riverside Art Museum (Julia Morgan Building) and The Cheech Marin Center for Chicano Art & Culture have FREE admission to both locations on Sunday, February 4th from 12 p.m. – 5 p.m.
On Sunday, February 4, 2024 we’re inviting everyone to Take A Seat – Any Seat and ride Metrolink for free. That’s because it’s Transit Equity Day, which is celebrated on the birthday of civil rights pioneer Rosa Parks.
Metrolink is committed to providing safe, accessible and affordable transportation for everyone. Simply arrive at the station and board any Metrolink train operating that day (no ticket required). LA Metro, OCTA, Riverside Transit Agency and San Bernardino County public transportation providers (including OmniTrans, MBTA, Mountain Transit and Victor Valley Transit) are also offering free rides on Transit Equity Day.
Please note: Transit systems in other counties may require a fare. Amtrak’s Pacific Surfliner trains will require a fare.
Transit Equity Day is a national day of action to commemorate the birthday of Rosa Parks by declaring that public transit is a civil right. In 1955, Ms. Parks, an iconic civil rights leader, refused to give up her seat on a bus in Montgomery, Alabama in protest and to demand an end to segregation on transit systems.
Have questions about Transit Equity Day?
To reach the Riverside Art Museum and The Cheech, take the Metrolink Riverside Line, 91 Perris Valley or Inland Empire-Orange County Line trains to the Riverside-Downtown station and walk .05 miles (about 10 minutes) to the museums. Visit metrolinktrains.com for schedules and a map of the system.
Riverside Art Museum art instructors will be guiding an all-ages, Rico Gatson : Icons inspired arts activity
Admission to Riverside Art Museum and The Cheech Marin Center for Chicano Art & Culture is free between 6 p.m. to 9 p.m. No reservations or reserved tickets needed to access both locations and exhibitions.
Help Riverside Art Museum keep up the momentum of engaging, inspiring and building community through the arts! Donate today and have your donation matched!
2023 – an exceptional year! Riverside Art Museum celebrates The Cheech being open its first full year. Thanks to the 130,000 people, including 10,000 students on tours, who visited The Cheech and RAM’s Julia Morgan building to see our critically acclaimed exhibitions. Between both sites, 20 exhibitions featuring the works of over 250 diverse artists educated, inspired, and helped us to understand our humanity in these complex times. Fifty-four programs – including free events like the Pura Pachanga, artist talks, panels, and symposia – created opportunities for connection and community. And, we worked to be in national dialogue through our partnership with the Smithsonian’s National Museum of the American Latino to tour Collidoscope: de la Torre Brothers Retro-Perspective, starting in Corpus Christi, Texas, then on to El Paso, and opening soon at the Philbrook Museum of Art in Oklahoma! In addition, our team of teaching artists taught nearly 5,000 art lessons in Inland Empire-based schools as well as on-site art classes and workshops, bringing the wonder of creating to nearly 30,000 students. RAM’s The 52 Project encouraged folks that it’s never too late to focus on your art practice, and the Art Alliance’s Riverside Art Market welcomed 5,000 visitors and 100 artisan vendors.
Riverside Art Museum did this unprecedented work in partnership, so thanks to those partners for their commitment to uplifting artistic voices that connect us all. We are also grateful to our many partners including, but not limited to, the City of Riverside, Riverside Unified School District, Val Verde Unified School District, local institutions of higher learning faculty, staff and students like UC Riverside’s Chicano Student Programs, Cosmé Cordova and Division 9 Gallery, Cultura con Llantas, Mexicali Biennial, Unidos For La Causa, Inc., Riverside Latino Network, The Garcia Center for the Arts, Eastside Arthouse, Inlandia Institute, Cellar Door Bookstore, Rainbow Pride Youth Alliance, American Federation of Arts, National Museum of the American Latino, and LACMA. A BIG thank you to Cheech Marin who dreamed that all of this was possible, whose relentless advocacy for Chicano art has changed American art forever, and who always has a little fun doing it!
We are very grateful for a $100,000 matching gift from the Wingate Foundation to launch our inaugural Acquisitions Fund to ensure that we are actively working to collect and preserve work by diverse artists. Over the past year and a half, Riverside Art Museum has added over 150 works by nearly 90 artists; a majority of whom are new to the permanent collections. Spanning from 1920 to 2023, all of these works augment the museum’s joint holdings and amplify the commitment to equitably diversify acquisitions and to collect from innovative points of view.
This was a year of unexpected recognition! The Cheech was nominated by USA Today Readers’ Choice 2024 for “Best New Museum!” The Riverside Art Museum received the Institute of Museum and Library Services’ highest honor – one of only four museums in 2023 – for “dynamic programming and services that exceed expected levels of service….through their community outreach, these institutions bring about change that touches the lives of individuals and helps communities thrive.” Our partners were honored, too. The City of Riverside received the Helen Putnam Award for Economic Development Through the Arts for “The Cheech” from the League of California Cities.Our architectural firm Page & Turnbull was a winner in the 2023 Modernism in America Awards, receiving a Civic/Institutional Design Citation of Merit from DocomomoUS for the firm’s preservation of the mid-century building to make it the home of The Cheech.
The museum also received an extraordinary amount of news coverage this year by local, regional and national press, from PBS NewsHour, CBS Mornings and KVCR TV, to Inland Empire Magazine and Artillery Magazine, to The Press-Enterprise, The New York Times, and Los Angeles Times. Almost 850 stories were shared to audiences about our exhibitions, the artists featured in our collections, and our work in the community.
And, you chose us! By becoming a member, buying a ticket, taking a class, following us on social media, shopping in our stores, voting for us as Best New Museum, or attending a unique fundraising event like the Pachuco Ball, Music from Below, and Artoberfest, you are part of our movement to reinvent museums, center artist voices, and continually seek innovative and creative ways to embrace our shared humanity. While we are fortunate to have partners investing in our success, it is individuals like you who are the backbone of philanthropic giving for nonprofits like ours. Nationwide, individual gifts make up over 70% of donations. And we need you today. We have a tight budget gap to close, and we hope you will give today. The first $2,000 in donations received now through December 31st will be matched dollar for dollar (by a donation from RAM Trustee Adam Guzkowski), essentially doubling your impact! We ask that you make your tax-deductible donation today to help us reach our year-end giving goals and to take advantage of Adam’s matching gift. If you can’t make a monetary gift today, we would love the gift of your presence at one of our upcoming events in the New Year!
We have much to look forward to as we focus on more free access days (Free Summer Sundays coming up in 2024 thanks to Art Bridges’ Access for All program) and opening much anticipated exhibitions likeJudithe Hernández | Beyond Myself, Somewhere, I Wait for My Arrival, welcoming homeRico Gatson on February 16, 2024 to celebrate his “Icons”exhibition, and learning more about Charles Bibbs. We also will share more about the historic preservation study of our Julia Morgan building (made possible by the E. Rhodes and Leona B. Carpenter Foundation) and will be bringing on a Director of Interpretation through the Leadership in Art Museums (LAM) initiative made possible by the Walton Foundation, Ford Foundation, Mellon Foundation, and Pilot House Philanthropy.
Thank you for believing in our mission. We look forward to welcoming you in 2024!
Drew Oberjuerge, Executive Director, Riverside Art Museum
In partnership with Cultura Con Llantas, join us as we celebrate Dia de los Reyes Magos!
1 p.m. – 5 p.m. at the Riverside Art Museum.
Enjoy music and Ballet Folklorico, along with tamales, pan dulce, xocolate Mexicano y slices of Rosca de Reyes as part of this all-ages, free celebration.
Admission to Riverside Art Museum and The Cheech Marin Center for Chicano Art & Culture is free between 12 p.m. to 5 p.m. No reservations or reserved tickets needed to access both locations and exhibitions
Thank you for supporting First Sundays and the Riverside Art Museum exhibition Sacred Spaces: The Work and Collection of Charles Bibbs™
DECEMBER 7, 2023
Riverside ArtsWalk is the first Thursday of every month from 6 p.m. to 9 p.m.
No reservations or reserved tickets needed to access both locations. Admission is free.
Please join our drum circle on the lawn in front of Riverside Art Museum (Julia Morgan Building) from 6-9 p.m. during ArtsWalk. Free and open to the public. All ages are welcome. No experience necessary.
Drumming will begin at 6:30 p.m. and go until we have created peaceful rhythms and altered public vibrations. Drums will be available on a limited basis. You are encouraged to bring your own drums and percussion instruments. Led by Woody Díaz @drumdj413
Riverside ArtsWalk is hosted by the Riverside Arts Council and sponsored by the City of Riverside and Riverside Downtown Partnership. Find an ArtsWalk map – here.
Join our vibrant community in celebrating the diversity of arts and culture in Riverside and the Inland Empire.
DECEMBER 7, 2023
Riverside ArtsWalk is the first Thursday of every month from 6 p.m. to 9 p.m.
No reservations or reserved tickets needed to access both locations. Admission is free.
Join our vibrant community in celebrating the diversity of arts and culture in Riverside and the Inland Empire.
Riverside ArtsWalk is hosted by the Riverside Arts Council and sponsored by the City of Riverside and Riverside Downtown Partnership. Find an ArtsWalk map – here.
Please join Inlandia Institute and Blacklandia at Riverside Art Museum for an immersive, one-of-kind literary and visual treat.
On Saturday, November 11, from 3:00-4:30 PM, the storytellers of the Blacklandia anthology These Black Bodies Are … will read their work in a gallery at RAM surrounded by the art of internationally-acclaimed artist Charles Bibbs, whose painting, Shared Knowledge, is featured on the cover of the anthology.
These Black Bodies Are … is a collection of stories, poems, and essays by Black writers from the Inland Empire and beyond, and was officially launched on Juneteenth of this year.
Copies of These Black Bodies Are … will be available for sale and signing at the event. Light refreshments will be served.
This is a free community event and all are welcome. Attendees of this event will have free access to the Riverside Art Museum (Julie Morgan Building) on November 11th. RSVP here.
Sacred Spaces: The Work and Collection of Charles Bibbs™
Charles Bibbs’s landmark exhibition, filling three galleries of the Riverside Art Museum, presents a range of works from Bibbs’s personal art collection as well as the artist’s own original paintings and drawings. Through Sacred Spaces, Bibbs shares his life-long love of contemporary art and the creative values that guide his own work. This deep acknowledgement of the link between one’s own experience and a piece of art, and how that can be reflected and expanded on in one’s own home, is a living pathway that Bibbs aims to spotlight in this carefully curated installation of his works.
The exhibition will run from November 3, 2023 – March 10, 2024. More information here
A seasonal series of free, family programs featuring activities for all-ages at various downtown locations: the Museum of Riverside, Mission Inn Museum, The Cheech, Riverside Art Museum, Riverside Public Library, and UCR ARTS.
DECEMBER 3, 2023
12 p.m. to 5 p.m. No reservations or reserved tickets needed to access both locations and exhibitions
All-ages activities from 1 p.m. to 4 p.m.
Join us for a Las Posadas celebration!
@The Cheech
12:00 – 12:20 Grupo Axolotl
12:20 – 12:30 History and importance of Las Posadas
12:30 – 12:45 Song instruction
12:45 – 1:00 Procession from The Cheech to Riverside Art Museum (Julia Morgan Building)
@Riverside Art Museum (Julia Morgan Building)
1:00 – 1:20 Grupo Axolotl performs
2:00 – 2:20 Folklorico Perris HS
3:00 – 3:20 Folklorico Rubidoux HS
4:00 – 5:00 David Borquez
Thank you for supporting First Sundays and the exhibition Sacred Spaces: The Work and Collection of Charles Bibbs™
First Sunday of each month from October 1, 2023 – May 4, 2024 is FREE
A seasonal series of free, family programs featuring activities for all-ages at various downtown locations: the Museum of Riverside, Mission Inn Museum, The Cheech, Riverside Art Museum, Riverside Public Library, and UCR ARTS.
NOVEMBER 5, 2023
12 p.m. to 5 p.m. No reservations or reserved tickets needed to access both locations.
All-ages activities from 1 p.m. to 4 p.m.
@ The Cheech: The Cheech and Cellar Door Bookstore welcome Ernesto Cisneros!
Please join us and author Ernesto Cisneros at The Cheech on Sunday, November 5th at 1:00 p.m. Cisneros will be reading excerpts from Efren Divided and Falling Short.
Ernesto Cisneros is the nationally acclaimed author of EFRÉN DIVIDED. He was born and raised in Santa Ana, California, where he still teaches. As an author, he believes in providing today’s youth with an honest depiction of characters with whom they can identify.
EFRÉN DIVIDED is the winner of the 2020 Poppy Award in MG, 2 International Latino Book Awards, as well as the prestigious 2021 Pura Belpré Medal and an SCBWI Crystal Kite Award in 2021.
Art activity with UC Riverside Gluck Fellow, Athena Sesma
@ The Riverside Art Museum (Julia Morgan Building) Cultures of Environmentalism: Read Aloud
(1 p.m. – 2 p.m.) & Basket Making with Lorene Sisquoc (2 p.m. – 4 p.m.)
For this closing day public program in association with the pop-up exhibition of Climates of Inequality, families are invited to join Lorene Sisquoc (Mountain Cahuilla/Fort Sill Apache), Curator/Cultural Tradition Leader at Sherman Indian H.S. Museum, to learn about and make baskets, and discover how California Native American cultural and land preservation are connected; all ages welcome.
Featuring a bilingual reading of Carole Lindstorm and Michaela Goade’s We Are Water Protectors (2021 Caldecott Medal Winner)
English-Language reading by Riverside Artist/Author Tim Musso from his Chasing the Sun (2023), for ages 3-8.
Free, open to the public – RSVP here.
First Sunday of each month from October 1, 2023 – May 4, 2024 is free
NOVEMBER 2, 2023
Riverside ArtsWalk is the first Thursday of every month from 6 p.m. to 9 p.m.
No reservations or reserved tickets needed to access both locations. Admission is free.
Join our vibrant community in celebrating the diversity of arts and culture in Riverside and the Inland Empire.
@ Riverside Art Museum (Julia Morgan Building) –
As part of the Climates of Inequality pop-up exhibition, join local social practice artists, documentarians, and activists Tamara Cedré, Noé Montes, and Anthony Victoria in a discussion on community-based practices in art and activism. Program begins at 6:00 p.m.
Due to limited room capacity, please RSVP here.
@ The Cheech –
In collaboration with The Garcia Center for the Arts a Dia de Los Muertos tapete will be created to experience in front of The Cheech.
Opening reception for exhibition Indigenous Futurism in the Altura Community Gallery. Remarks from curators and artists will begin at 7:30 p.m.
Refreshments and catering provided by Zacatecas Catering.
Music by DJ Quilo
Riverside ArtsWalk is hosted by the Riverside Arts Council and sponsored by the City of Riverside and Riverside Downtown Partnership. Find a map of the ArtsWalk – here.
Are you a high school, college, or university-level teacher interested in bringing regional issues of environmental justice into your classrooms? We have limited spaces available to workshop strategies together, to build upon each other’s work in deliberate ways that can best provide pathways for our students to engage in environmental justice work at all levels.
Registration required; space is limited. Includes same-day museum admission at Riverside Art Museum. Register here
Caption: Opening of Climates of Inequality with student and community collaborators, October 2019, Rutgers University-Newark. Photo: Shelley Kusnetz
Local social practice artists, documentarians, and activists Tamara Cedré, Noé Montes, and Anthony Victoria talk about the challenges of representing the slow violence of the supply chain, which digs deep into historical forces of colonialism, extraction, and exploitation of the land and people. With over a billion square feet of warehouses blanketing the I.E. and a vast infrastructure—freeways, railroads, and intermodal rail yards—carrying goods to market, how can the arts help humanize the issues and convey the magnitude of the impacts we feel today in Riverside and San Bernardino, where residents experience among the highest rates of air pollution and asthma in the state?
Free, open to the public – RSVP here.
Please note Riverside Artswalk is the first Thursday of each month; admission is free at the Riverside Art Museum and The Cheech.
Photo of Anthony Victoria taken by Noé Montes
Join us for a lively dialogue with environmental justice organizers from the Inland Empire, who consider how their communities mobilize storytelling for change, to save their lives and those of generations to follow. Spanish/English translation available.
Free, open to the public, and includes same-day museum admission at Riverside Art Museum.
Please RSVP here
Caption: Warehouses dominate Inland Southern California and encroach upon homes and open space, as pictured here at the home of Tommy and Anna Rocha, Bloomington, 2017. Photo: Courtesy of Anthony Victoria, @frontlineobserver
OCTOBER 5, 2023
Riverside ArtsWalk is the first Thursday of every month from 6 p.m. to 9 p.m.
No reservations or reserved tickets needed to access both locations. Admission is free.
Join our vibrant community in celebrating the diversity of arts and culture in Riverside and the Inland Empire.
@ The Cheech – Penrose recording artists Vicky Tafoya (@lashesandlungs) and Matt Beld (@mattbeld77) will be performing an acoustic set from 7 p.m. – 7:45 p.m.
Join Willis Salomon (@willisthegorila) for an interactive installation “Growing Art Riverside” from 6 p.m. – 9 p.m.
All-ages jumbo games on the outdoor patio
@ Riverside Art Museum (Julia Morgan Building) – Jesse from Succs 2 Be You will be sharing his expertise on propagation and free plantitas (while supplies last).
Gadz’Ukes. 6 p.m. – 9 p.m. Join us on the front lawn as a Riverside-based band of music-loving professionals who cover some of the best rock songs ever written play at RAM. With the ukulele as the foundation, the eight-person group blends acoustic and electric elements to recreate music from the Beatles, Rolling Stones, and other great artiest from the 60s, 70s, 80s and even 90s. The music just keeps coming as Gads’Zukes aims to please the music lovers of Riverside with hours of raucous music.
Riverside ArtsWalk is hosted by the Riverside Arts Council and sponsored by the City of Riverside and Riverside Downtown Partnership. Find a map of the ArtsWalk – here.
A seasonal series of free, family programs featuring activities for all-ages at various downtown locations: the Museum of Riverside, Mission Inn Museum, The Cheech, Riverside Art Museum, Riverside Public Library, and UCR ARTS.
OCTOBER 1, 2023
12 p.m. to 5 p.m. No reservations or reserved tickets needed to access both locations.
All-ages activities from 1 p.m. to 4 p.m.
@ The Cheech: Cellar Door Bookstore and The Cheech welcome Mónica Mancillas! Story time with author Monica Moncillas 12pm – 2pm and button making workshop with UCR Gluck fellow Athena Sesma.
Lawn games from 12-5pm
@ The Riverside Art Museum: “Make and Take” art activity.
First Sunday of each month from October 1, 2023 – May 4, 2024 is free
October Sponsored by Wescom
On Sunday, September 24, please join Inlandia Institute and Riverside Art Museum as we celebrate the launch of local author Evan Turk’s latest book for children, To See Clearly: A Portrait of David Hockney. The author-illustrator of a dozen books for kids, Evan Turk will inspire you with his visual and storytelling talents. Enjoy an illustration demo and reading – and stay for the book signing and conversation. Books will be available for purchase.
This free, family-friendly event starts at 2:00 PM at Riverside Art Museum, 3425 Mission Inn Avenue in Riverside. Refreshments will be served.
More About the Book:
From award-winning creator Evan Turk, a stirring biography of world-famous artist David Hockney that celebrates seeing beauty everywhere “It’s the very process of looking at something that makes it beautiful.” —David Hockney
Growing up under the gray skies of England during World War II, David Hockney used art to brighten his world. He discovered that the more he looked and drew, the more he could see beyond the surface to find beauty, possibility, and new perspectives. In the most ordinary things, whether a splash of water, a changing landscape, or the face of a friend, David always found something to love, uniquely capturing the vibrancy and life of his subjects.
Lyrically written and breathtakingly illustrated by award-winning creator Evan Turk, To See Clearly tells the inspiring story of a groundbreaking artist who has shown the world a new way to see.
Evan Turk is an award-winning illustrator, author, and animator living in Riverside, California with his husband, Chris, and two cats, Pica and Bert. His work has been featured in The New York Times, Wall Street Journal, Washington Post, Chicago Tribune, and NPR. He has exhibited work at the Society of Illustrators, ArtsWestchester, Mystic Seaport Museumin Connecticut, and Petit Palais Museum of Fine Artin Paris. A graduate of Parsons: The New School for Design, his illustration and animation have been shown all over the world. He grew up in Colorado and loves nature and being outdoors. He continues his studies with Dalvero Academy, a private illustration school in New York City. Evan loves to travel all over the world and learn about other people and places through drawing and the interactions that come from it.
No registration needed for this event.
Join us on the first Thursday of every month from 6 p.m. to 9 p.m. for the Riverside ArtsWalk, a vibrant community event that celebrates the diversity of arts and culture in Riverside and the Inland Empire.
We offer free admission at both Riverside Art Museum (Julia Morgan Building) and The Cheech Marin Center for Chicano Art & Culture as part of the ArtsWalk, which includes many downtown arts destinations.
Riverside Artswalk is hosted by the Riverside Arts Council and sponsored by the City of Riverside and Riverside Downtown Partnership. More information and Artswalk map available here.
Riverside ArtsWalk is supported in part by:
Photo credit: Puma Photography
Join poet Juan Delgado and photographer Thomas McGovern as they walk visitors through their exhibition while discussing their 10-year creative collaborations.
Major themes of their work include culture and communities of inland California, swapmeets, murals and local signage.
September 23: 1 pm – 3 pm. Free and open to the public. No registration required.
Artist talk will take place at Riverside Art Museum on the 2nd floor in the Powell and DeVean galleries.
Pura Pachanga at The Cheech
Sunday, June 18, 2023 @ 12:00 PM to 7:00 PM
Celebrating the first anniversary of The Cheech, Altura Credit Union and The Cheech Marin Center for Chicano Art & Culture of the Riverside Art Museum presents Pura Pachanga, a free, family-friendly outdoor festival for the community featuring art and music. More than 30 artisans and about a dozen food vendors will share their wares, along Mission Inn Avenue between The Cheech and RAM (from Lime St. to Orange St.). Artist demonstrations will take place at The Cheech on its outdoor Zocalo.
On stage, enjoy dance performances by Orgullo Mestizo Ballet Folklórico, Tradición Alegre Ballet Folklórico, and Ballet Folklórico de Riverside and music by Inland Empire musical sensations QUITAPENAS, El Santo Golpe, MILPA, Deladeso, and deejay music throughout the day by the female duo Las Chicas Tristes.
Artisan vendors include CJs Angels, a family of artists – Jose, Annette, and Theresa Armas – who create original fine art and handcrafted art based on Mexican traditions. Man One and Pablo Damas are among the artists who will paint live outside of The Cheech. Food vendors include Tacollynn, which specializes in tacos de canasta, also known as “basket tacos” or tacos sudados. Common in Mexico City, but originating in Tlaxcala, this popular Mexican street food consists of tortillas bathed in oil and filled with various stew fillings (papas, chicharrón, frijoles, adobo), then steamed.
Pura Pachanga is sponsored by Altura Credit Union with support from Bank of America, Itzen Bishop Financial and U.S. Bank. The event is co-produced by artist, curator, and community partner Cosmé Cordova.
ENTERTAINMENT SCHEDULE
5:30 PM to 7:00 PM – QUITAPENAS
4:00 PM to 5:00 PM – El Santo Golpe
3:15 PM to 3:45 PM – Orgullo Mestizo Ballet Folklórico
2:00 PM to 3:00 PM — MILPA
1:15 PM to 1:45 PM – Deladeso
12:40 PM to 1:10 PM – Tradición Alegre Ballet Folklórico
12:00 PM to 12:30 PM – Ballet Folklórico de Riverside (Aztec blessing)
Deejay music between band sets – Las Chicas Tristes
TICKETS & INFORMATION: Festival admission is FREE. Reservations can be made online for FREE admission to The Cheech and RAM (limited supply). No additional tickets will be available the day of the event, reservations are required to enter the museums. For museum news and event updates, follow @thecheechcenter and @riversideartmuseum on social media and join the museum mailing list by clicking the button below:
QUITAPENAS is one word – all caps, four syllables – all claps, which gives you a taste of the group’s rhythmic contagion. This tropical Afro-Latin combo was born under the warm California sun. They borrow aesthetics from the radical 60s, 70s and 80s. Each song echoes a remix of history and invites one to engage in the liberating evenings of Angola, Peru, Colombia, Brazil and beyond. The name means “to remove worries.” Everybody has a “pena” and the mission of QUITAPENAS is simple: to make you dance and leave you without a worry.
El Santo Golpe translates best to “The Mighty Hit” – that feeling when one experiences a powerful sense of joy, an unexpected punch of happiness when connecting with a song, a rhythm, movement, art, and an experience that brings peacefulness and alegria! This artist collective was created to introduce an original take to the fun world of “Afro-Latin” music, as they borrow influences of rhythms, sounds, traditions, and Folklore from the Afro Latin Diaspora around the world.
MILPA is a collective of multi-instrumentalist, composers, poets, and cultural artist from the Inland Empire (San Bernardino/Riverside) the band explores the world of folkloric rhythms from Jarocho to Conga, Caribe to Angola, Pacífico beats, and tropic rodas. Milpa’s diverse energy has remained rooted to Afro-Indigenous music, poetry, dance, and community since 2009.
Deladeso is the art persona created by Richie Velazquez. Based out of Riverside California, he has been developing his Digital Death and Grime art aesthetic since 2012. As the originator of grime art, he pays homage to those that have molded himself into the “Spookek” that he is today!
Las Chicas Tristes consists of Latinx deejays Brittney Carranza (Benny) and Leticia Calderón (Leti) who are “bound by sound.”
Blacklandia Events Series and the Riverside Art Museum Present June Edmonds and the Legacy of American Abstract Painting with art historian Richard Allen May III and curator Lisa Henry
Saturdays in September 10, 17, 24, and October 1
- 4:00-5:30 PM – September, 10, 27, 24 via Zoom
- 2:30-4:00 PM – October 1 an optional in-person meeting at Riverside Art Museum.
Free and open to the public. Register at this link.
This workshop will be team-taught by art historian Richard May III and curator Lisa Henry.
Coinciding with the Riverside Art Museum’s exhibition of Abstract painter June Edmonds, this four-part workshop will survey the hidden history of American Abstract art. Focusing on the vibrant work of LA based artist June Edmonds, the workshop will give participants a background on American abstract painters with a special focus on women and artists of color like Edmonds who have pursued a path of abstraction with an emphasis on color, pattern and texture to create works of stunning power.
Each week, both instructors will present brief lectures on specific topics related to abstract art, followed by engaged discussion regarding art appreciation, interpretation and personal identity. Each class will use the works of June Edmonds as a prism for a wider consideration of contemporary abstract painting. A reading list will also be posted for participants that want to delve further into the field.
Richard Allen May III is a scholar, educator, cultural critic, and artist dedicated to the history and contributions of African American artists. He was selected as an editor and had his foreword included in the May 2020 book, AFRICOBRA: Experimental Art Toward a School of Thought by Wadsworth Jarrell and published by Duke University Press. May has presented his research on African American art at the San Jose State Art History Symposium, the New Critical Perspectives on African American Art History at the David C. Driskell Center in Maryland and the College Art Association’s annual conference in 2010 held in Chicago. Since 2021, he has taught survey courses in art history the Bowie State University, an HBCU (Historically Black College, University) in Maryland. Additionally, as a lecturer for the African American Studies Department for California State University, Fullerton, Cal State San Bernardino and Art Center, he incorporates the study of African American artists in his instruction to students. May has contributed art exhibition reviews, curator profiles, artist interviews and book reviews for Los Angeles-based magazine, Artillery for over six years. Lisa Henry is an independent curator and educator working in Southern California. She is the curator of Riverside Art Museum’s upcoming exhibition featuring June Edmonds. She has also organized Brenna Youngblood: Lavender Rainbow and Sheila Pree Bright: #1960Now at RAM. She has also curated shows at California African American Museum, The UCLA Hammer Museum and The MAC Center for Art and Architecture in Los Angeles.
Image: June Edmonds, Two Lillies of Ojai, oil on canvas, courtesy of Katherine Ng and Becky Villasenor
Saturday, August 20, 6 p.m.–12 a.m.
Mr. Blue and Cultura con Llantas have done it! The Pachuco Ball is back and happening at the Lake Perris Fairgrounds on Saturday, August 20, 6 p.m.–midnight, so get ready to dress up to get down!
Tickets will be $50/person. Join us for music by BB Wolf and guest performer Trio Sol De Amores! We’ll have a buffet-style dinner laid out from 6 p.m.–8 p.m., a no-host bar, a fun raffle for some cool prizes, plus we’ll be bringing back our button-making station and we’ll have some fantastic printed totes and shirts you can buy (so bring some cash)!
Online ticket sales are closed but you can still buy tickets at the door!
Sponsorships are available with great benefits. View the sponsorship form here. For more info, contact Valerie Found at [email protected].
FAQs:
Here are some answers to some commonly asked questions about the Pachuco Ball!
Q: Do we need to dress up?
A: If you’ve got a zoot suit, do you really need a better excuse to wear it than to go to a Pachuco Ball? But if you don’t, you can still hang with us. Just come dressed to dance and have a great time!
Q: Do we have to pay for parking?
A: No. We got you covered.
Q: Is there a secure parking area if I bring my lowrider or classic car?
A: Indeed. There will be a secure and designated area for your sweet ride. For more info, contact Anita Gonzales: 951-255-1342, Rene “Pecas” Camargo: 951-443-7626, or Mr Blue: 951-204-6613.
Q: It’s August. In Lake Perris. Is the event happening inside? Is there A/C?
A: We wouldn’t leave you out in the heat. Yes, the Pachuco Ball is indoors inside Harrison Hall, WITH A/C! The only way you’re going to break a sweat is if you dance . . . and you better dance.
Q: What’s included in the $50?
A: Admission to the Pachuco Ball, where you’ll dance the night away to awesome musical talent. Parking. Amazing classic rides to swoon over. Buffet-style dinner from 6–8 p.m. only.
Q: Will there be a bar?
A: Yes, there’s a no-host bar!
Q: Will tickets be sold at the door?
A: Yes! …if we haven’t sold out yet…
Saturday, August 6, 7 p.m.–9 p.m.
Please join us for the closing reception of What Would You Say?, the artist receptions for Naida Osline’s Chasing Clouds and Karen Kitchel’s Garden/ Plot, and, in partnership with the National Museum of the American Latino, a reception celebrating Collidoscope. RSVP required and capacity is limited. Please RSVP here.
First Sundays is a series of free programs featuring activities for all-ages at various downtown Riverside locations.
Every first Sunday from 1 p.m. to 4 p.m.
Riverside Art Museum (Julia Morgan Building) and The Cheech Marin Center for Chicano Art & Culture are free and open to the public from 12 p.m. – 5 p.m. No tickets are necessary.
Presenting Sponsor – First Sundays (March, April, May) and Judithe Hernández | Beyond Myself, Somewhere, I Wait for My Arrival
In partnership with Riverside Arts Council. List of participating organizations, here.
If you are interested in sponsoring free First Sundays activities, please contact Valerie Found at [email protected]
Photo credit: Puma Photography