The City of Riverside and the Riverside Arts Council are looking for six Riverside-based artists to participate in an Artist in Residency (AIR) program. The AIR program, part of Riverside’s commitment to public art, will result in new murals in neighborhoods across the city. Riverside has done an excellent job curating current and prior mural projects, resulting in significant aesthetic upgrades to public spaces and making Riverside a destination for art watchers.
Unlike some recent mural projects, the application process does not request design proposals. Selected artists will work closely with the Riversiders over an 18-month period to study the history of each community and create designs that best represent them. The artists will be responsible for at least one mural and four community input events.
Councilmember Clarissa Cervantes spoke on the importance of community involvement in the project. “Community feedback and resident participation will be a critical piece to this pilot project. In the Eastside community, we had great feedback and results from the mural projects because our artist-in-residence, Juan Navarro, worked with the local residents, community leaders, and small business owners. When community-driven murals go up, we see that they are respected and not tagged with graffiti. Residents then feel safer with the meaningful beautification.”
Cervantes is excited about the expansion of sponsored mural projects to include more neighborhoods across Riverside. “Each neighborhood across Riverside is special and unique, so this will be an important piece for the artists selected to undertake. We have murals in the city that feature local residents in the community, symbols like butterflies that represent migration, or kids playing in the park that speak to safety and place-making. Residents really show a lot of pride and ownership in the artwork when they can say to others they were part of the mural-making process. Whether it’s helping to paint the mural or giving input.”
The artists will receive up to $25,000 for their efforts and additional money for production costs. This program is administered by the Riverside Arts Council and funded by the American Rescue Plan Act.
The People's History Conference is returning for its second year at CSUSB, aiming to enhance the resolution and perspectives of the Inland Empire's historical record.
