Riverside Art Museum

The Riverside Art Museum (RAM) has invited Ann Marie Leimer to serve as guest curator for the exhibition titled ¡Adelante Siempre!: Recent Work by Southern California Chicana Photographers that opens September 11 and runs through November 6, 2010. The exhibition features the work of regional artists Laura Aguilar, Diane Arellano, and Jacalyn López García who locate photographic production and processes at the center of their aesthetic endeavors. The artists investigate issues ranging from the impact of social networking sites on the public imagination, to the relationship of the human form to nature, and to the performative social spaces of country line dancing within contemporary subcultures. Professor Leimer invites the university community to a preview reception on Friday, September 10, 2010, from 7:00-9:00 p.m. at the museum on 3425 Mission Inn Avenue in Riverside, California.

Leimer and the artists will be interviewed by Sikivu Hutchinson for the Women’s Collective program of WBAI, Pacifica Radio, 99.5 FM, New York City on Wednesday, September 8 at 8:30 a.m. PST. In conjunction with the exhibition, Professor Leimer will moderate a panel with the artists on Saturday, October 23 from 1:00-2:30 p.m. at RAM. Students and faculty are particularly welcome to attend the panel presentation, as well as the opening reception.

We have some exciting new photos documenting the installation of RAM’s upcoming show All Around, opening Saturday, August 14th.  The show features internationally renowned Italian painter Marco Casentini, who has recently become a Southern California resident.  In All Around, Casentini’s paintings move off the canvas and become enveloped in an entire installation view, as Marco and assistants have worked to paint the entire Art Alliance gallery as a backdrop for his work.  The painted walls complement his brightly colored geometric compositions and add a new dimension to his singular works.  The gallery already looks fantastic - don’t miss this one!

It was a great turnout at our monthly Arts Walk last night!

Here are a few photos of the Print Jam! Demo Reception, instructed by Jeff Ribaudo, in which participants were able to learn the process of  monoprinting and pronto-plates to create their own prints.

Click below to see all of our photos from the evening.

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Verge is hosting another “Raise the Roof” cocktail party on the rooftop of RAM with live art, and music provided by DJ Gabe Real.  Here’s the line up for August 13th:

8:00 - 9:15 p.m. Browse the Members’ Mini Exhibition and chat with curator Lee Tusman. Also on-hand will be artists Kimberly Wlassak and R. Mike Nichols to guide you through the exhibit.

10:00 p.m. Introduction and brief chat with tonight’s two performing artists: Nickolas Bahula and Rachael Dzikonski.

11:30 p.m. Last Call. (No-host bar supplied by La Bodega.)

* Sign up to be a Verge member with RAM and get in for $10. $15 for Non-Verge Members. Pay at the door. All proceeds benefit RAM. Below are some photos from the featured artists for August and the last “Raise the Roof” event - See you there!

For More Info on VERGE click here: http://www.riversideartmuseum.org/groups/artery1/

In conjunction with our current Sumi Ink Club exhibition, RAM recently hosted a concert featuring: Lucky Dragons (Sumi Ink Club’s alternate performance persona), The Mad Marionettes and Conscious Summary.  We had a great turnout and everyone enjoyed the interactive, light-based musical performance of Lucky Dragons, which took place within the Sumi Ink Club’s collaborative installation at RAM.  Here are some photos of the event featuring Conscious Summary, The Mad Marionettes, and Lucky Dragons.

Click below for more Lucky Dragons photos

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Presented by TARGET Arts & Wonder Free Family Weekends

Saturday, July 17, 2010, from 10:00 a.m. - 3:00 p.m.

This summer, the Riverside Art Museum (RAM) invites you to join us for learning and inspiration at play by taking part in our FREE Art Fun in the Sun event, presented by TARGET Arts & Wonder Free Family Weekends, on Saturday, July 17, 2010 from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m.

The TARGET Arts & Wonder Free Family Weekends is part of the TARGET commitment to arts and education. By opening the doors to art institutions from coast to coast — for FREE — TARGET hopes to foster a lifelong love of learning in children and make the arts more affordable and accessible for families. Since 1946, the company has given five percent of its income to support education, the arts, social services, and volunteerism. Today, that adds up to more than $3 million a week.

Thanks to TARGET, the entire family can visit RAM for FREE on July 17 for our Art Fun in the Sun event to learn how to create dazzling paintings and sculptures, and to be entertained by the sound of great music. Explore our historic building, learn about its original history as a YWCA, and see our current exhibits too!

RAM and TARGET will also have a few surprise activities in store for you too, so tell your friends and come on down! You don’t want to miss this!

Verge is hosting another “Raise the Roof” cocktail party on the rooftop of RAM with live art and silk-screening by Jon “Roach” Brosius and Dan Nguyen, and music provided by DJ Gabe Real.

DATE: Friday, July 9, 2010

TIME:

• 8:00 - 9:15 p.m. Browse the Members’ Mini Exhibition and chat with curator Lee Tusman.
• 10:00 p.m. Introduction and brief chat with artists John and Dan on the Roof.
• 11:00 p.m. Win an exclusive piece valued at $300! Each attendee will receive one raffle ticket to win an exclusive art piece created live throughout the evening, valued at $300! You must be present to win.
• 11:30 p.m. Last Call. No-host bar supplied by La Bodega.

LOCATION: RAM’s Rooftop!

PRICE: Sign up to be a Verge member with RAM and get in for $10. $15 for Non-Verge Members. Pay at the door. All proceeds go to benefit RAM.

Support local artists and RAM!

Riverside-based artists Jon “Roach” Brosius and Dan Nguyen will be creating individual and collaborative mixed media artworks during the party.

Watch the artistic and collaborative process unfold as Jon and Dan layer silk-screen images, draw, and paint special pieces exclusively for Verge guests.

Attendees are invited to watch the art-making as it is happening and chat with the artists.

In addition, you are welcome to purchase original works on paper and custom t-shirts, accessibly priced at $20 and up.

About the artists:

Jon “Roach” Brosius is a Post-Psychedelic, screen-printing artist whose style combines elements of graphic design, collage, and fine art. His mixed media work incorporates colorful backgrounds layered with complimentary shapes and misty atmospheres, accented by bold, black-line drawing reminiscent of nature, and geometric, yet ethereal movement. John has shown at galleries and museums, including the San Bernardino County Art Museum, UCR Sweeney Gallery, and RAM.

Dan Nguyen creates work that investigates sociological and spiritual issues in the urban context. His style combines a gestural color-field reminiscent of the fast-paced and covert nature of street art, coupled with detailed line drawings. Dan has exhibited here in Riverside at the Sweeney Gallery and division 9, as well as internationally in Panama and Costa Rica.

About Verge:

Verge is a group of young professional art enthusiasts supporting RAM.

The mission of Verge is to foster current and future generations to become members of RAM and to be a part of the unique artistic community in Riverside —  The City of Arts and Innovation — as well as the surrounding regions. Throughout the year, Verge supports and engages the arts through a series of meaningful social, educational and philanthropic activities, such as artist studio tours, panel discussions, and cultural excursions.

Verge invites you to be a part of this exciting new affiliate group of RAM’s. Explore and cultivate a new or renewed appreciation for everything that the historical and contemporary art scene in the Inland Empire has to offer with us.

It’s official!

We got word today from the people over at Bestcollegesonline.com that we made it onto their list of “50 Awesome Art Museum Blogs”.

We’re in good company too, sharing the honors with museum blogs from New York’s MoMA, the Art Institute of Chicago, the Hammer Museum of UCLA, and the Asian Art Museum of San Francisco!

RAM + Saturation 2010 =

This past Saturday RAM played host to the Saturation 2010 DIY Arts and Letters Fest. Visitors had a variety of ways to participate: engage in the zine swap, a zine-making workshop with ArtWorks, poetry and prose readings by poets and writers, the opportunity to meet independent publishers, and a screenprinting demonstration creating some Saturation 2010 t-shirts.

All of this took place in the Art Alliance, and the “Public Welcome” exhibit by Sumi Ink Club provided the perfect backdrop.

Zine-making. Notice the Sumi Search page. Visitors played an “eye spy” game to find hidden parts of the Sumi drawing.

ZineWorks

Visitors, zinesters, artists, poets, writers and more

Screenprinting by Brosius Design Group

A completed screenprinted and hand-colored shirt

Susan De’Armond, a member of the Plein Air Artists of Riverside (PAAR), participated in the “Working Properties” plein-air art show co-sponsored by the Redlands Conservancy and the Redlands Art Association. During the May 2 reception for the show, De’Armond was awarded first place for her painting, “View from the Orange Grove”.

Be sure to check out another piece, “Sanctuary”, which has just been accepted by the National Orange Show for their California Juried Art Exhibit taking place from May 27-31.

Congratulations Susan!