Riverside Art Museum is an

art museum An art museum or art gallery is a building or space for the display of art, usually from the museum's own Collection (artwork), collection. It might be in public or private ownership and may be accessible to all or have restrictions in place. A ...

in the historic Mission Inn District of

Riverside, California Riverside is a city in and the county seat of Riverside County, California, United States, in the Inland Empire metropolitan area. It is named for its location beside the Santa Ana River. It is the most populous city in the Inland Empire an ...

. The museum is a

non-profit organization A nonprofit organization (NPO) or non-profit organisation, also known as a non-business entity, not-for-profit organization, or nonprofit institution, is a legal entity organized and operated for a collective, public or social benefit, in co ...

which focuses on addressing social issues and offers art classes as well as other events in order to inspire and build community. The building was originally design by

Julia Morgan Julia Morgan (January 20, 1872 – February 2, 1957) was an American architect and engineer. She designed more than 700 buildings in California during a long and prolific career.Erica Reder"Julia Morgan was a local in ''The New Fillmore'', 1 Febr ...

to serve the

Young Women's Christian Association The Young Women's Christian Association (YWCA) is a nonprofit organization with a focus on empowerment, leadership, and rights of women, young women, and girls in more than 100 countries. The World office is currently based in Geneva, Swi ...

(YWCA) in 1929. YWCAs provided important spaces for women to a part of the urban environment. The Riverside YWCA was purchased by the Riverside Art Association in 1967. The Riverside Art Association wanted to expand their collection and include more classes to be more accessible for the public. The building was placed on the

National Register of Historic Places The National Register of Historic Places (NRHP) is the United States federal government's official list of districts, sites, buildings, structures and objects deemed worthy of preservation for their historical significance or "great artistic v ...

in 1982.

History

In 1929, the Riverside YWCA selected the corner of 7th (now Mission Inn Avenue) and Lime Streets as the site for its new building. YWCA building projects relied on fundraising and donations so

Frank Miller Frank Miller (born January 27, 1957) is an American comic book writer, penciller and inker, novelist, screenwriter, film director, and producer known for his comic book stories and graphic novels such as his run on Daredevil (Marvel Comics ser ...

convinced the organization to build next to the Mission Inn in exchange for his help in financing the project. The association's directors hired architect Julia Morgan to design the building over the objections of Miller, who wanted an architect who would design the building in the

Mission Revival Style architecture The Mission Revival style was part of an architectural movement, beginning in the late 19th century, for the revival and reinterpretation of American colonial styles. Mission Revival drew inspiration from the late 18th and early 19th century ...

. To Miller's disapproval Morgan designed the building in

Mediterranean Revival Mediterranean Revival is an architectural style introduced in the United States, Canada, and certain other countries in the 19th century. It incorporated references from Spanish Renaissance, Spanish Colonial, Italian Renaissance, French Colonial ...

and

Classical Revival Neoclassical architecture is an architectural style produced by the Neoclassical movement that began in the mid-18th century in Italy and France. It became one of the most prominent architectural styles in the Western world. The prevailing style ...

styles and added a pool. Today, the pool is polled as a major asset to members of the museum. In 1960, the Riverside Art Center began fundraising to purchase the YWCA building, which had recently come onto the market. The size of the Riverside YWCA made it ideal for the Association's new exhibitions and classes. On July 5, 1967, the YWCA officially sold the building to the Riverside Arts Center for $250,000. In 1982, the building was designated a Registered Historic Place and a city historic landmark. In 1992, a three-phase renovation of the building was undertaken with the financial assistance of the City of Riverside and generous donations. The renovations included a climate-control system, a library, a glass roof for the garden atrium, the addition of an office, and more space for exhibitions, storage, and the kitchen.

Architecture

Morgan's design features reinforced concrete, wooden frames, glass doors and a terra-cotta tiled roof to give the building a modern feeling next to the Mission Inn. The building combines elements of

Mediterranean The Mediterranean Sea is a sea connected to the Atlantic Ocean, surrounded by the Mediterranean Basin and almost completely enclosed by land: on the north by Western and Southern Europe and Anatolia, on the south by North Africa, and on the e ...

and

Classical architecture Classical architecture usually denotes architecture which is more or less consciously derived from the principles of Greek and Roman architecture of classical antiquity, or sometimes even more specifically, from the works of the Roman architect V ...

in an "innovative tri-block design". The first floor originally housed a swimming pool, an open-air

atrium Atrium may refer to: Anatomy * Atrium (heart), an anatomical structure of the heart * Atrium, the genital structure next to the genital aperture in the reproductive system of gastropods * Atrium of the ventricular system of the brain * Pulmona ...

, and a

gym A gymnasium, also known as a gym, is an indoor location for athletics. The word is derived from the ancient Greek term " gymnasium". They are commonly found in athletic and fitness centres, and as activity and learning spaces in educational ins ...

nasium. The second floor featured bedrooms, offices, and meeting rooms with a small stage. On the roof was a

badminton Badminton is a racquet sport played using racquets to hit a shuttlecock across a net. Although it may be played with larger teams, the most common forms of the game are "singles" (with one player per side) and "doubles" (with two players pe ...

court. A garden, and an

outdoor fireplace Outdoor(s) may refer to: * Wilderness *Natural environment * Outdoor cooking * Outdoor education *Outdoor equipment *Outdoor fitness *Outdoor literature *Outdoor recreation *Outdoor Channel, an American pay television channel focused on the outdoo ...

were added in the late 1930s as a memorial to Ruth Muir, former Secretary (Executive Director), after she was brutally assaulted and murdered at the age of 48, while vacationing in La Jolla.

Exhibitions

The Riverside Art Museum mounts an average of 20 exhibitions per year, some of which are

travelling exhibition A travelling exhibition, also referred to as a "travelling exhibit" or a "touring exhibition", is a type of exhibition that is presented at more than one venue. Temporary exhibitions can bring together objects that might be dispersed among sever ...

s, of "art that addresses social issues, diverse themes and a range of media techniques". The permanent collection of the Riverside Art Museum consists of approximately 1500 pieces including artists like

Karl Benjamin Karl S. Benjamin (December 29, 1925 – July 26, 2012) was an American painter of vibrant geometric abstractions, who rose to fame in 1959 as one of four Los Angeles-based Abstract Classicists and subsequently produced a critically acclaime ...

Rex Brandt Rexford Elson Brandt (August 12, 1914 – March 21, 2000) was an American artist and educator. Much of his oeuvre consists of paintings inspired by the life and geography of the West Coast of the United States, particularly California. Brandt wor ...

Millard Sheets Millard Owen Sheets (June 24, 1907 – March 31, 1989) was an American artist, teacher, and architectural designer. He was one of the earliest of the California Scene Painting artists and helped define the art movement. Many of his large-scale bu ...

, and

Marc Chagall Marc Chagall; russian: link=no, Марк Заха́рович Шага́л ; be, Марк Захаравіч Шагал . (born Moishe Shagal; 28 March 1985) was a Russian-French artist. An early modernism, modernist, he was associated with se ...

. Some of their permanent collection is available for online viewing like that of

Leonard Baskin Leonard Baskin (August 15, 1922 – June 3, 2000) was an American sculptor, draughtsman and graphic artist, as well as founder of the Gehenna Press (1942–2000). One of America's first fine arts presses, it went on to become "one of the most imp ...

, Doris Rosenthal, and prints from the Sosaku-Hanga. Often the Riverside Art Museum also showcases pieces done by students and the community. Past exhibits have showcased national and international artists and collections, the

American Institute of Architects The American Institute of Architects (AIA) is a professional organization for architects in the United States. Headquartered in Washington, D.C., the AIA offers education, government advocacy, community redevelopment, and public outreach to su ...

/ U.S Green Building Council's 2008 Regional Architectural Design Awards Exhibition, and member exhibits.

Programs

The Riverside Art Museum hosts educational classes and workshops for all ages, community projects, museum tours, and birthday parties.

References

External links

*
Organizational Profile
–

National Center for Charitable Statistics The National Center for Charitable Statistics (NCCS) is a clearing house for information about the nonprofit sector of the U.S. economy. The National Center for Charitable Statistics builds national, state, and regional databases and develops st ...

(

Urban Institute The Urban Institute is a Washington, D.C.–based think tank that carries out economic and social policy research to "open minds, shape decisions, and offer solutions". The institute receives funding from government contracts, foundations and pr ...