Category Archives: Entertainment

Fox Theater Foundation Helps Connect Community with Performing Arts

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(Includes excerpts from the April 5, 2013 story written by Jennifer Dean and Jose Marquezthe as published on PE.com)

The Fox Riverside Theater Foundation was established in late 2008 to support the work of the Fox Performing Arts Center, the landmark theater that was reopened in January 2010. The Fox Cultural Arts Fund was then established with The Community Foundation to provide financial backing to the theater foundation.

“The mission of the foundation is to support the Fox Performing Arts Center and enrich the community by inspiring participation in the life of the Fox through community-focused performances, community outreach and fundraising,” said Cynthia Wright, Fox Riverside Theater Foundation executive director.

The foundation’s mission is important to the region because it helps the entire community — even those with limited resources — have access to the theater.

“The Fox produces some shows that are very affordable, such as the Humphrey Bogart film series last summer and the holiday showing of ‘A Christmas Story,’ ” Wright said. “On the foundation side, we increase access through such programs as Students on Broadway, through which we provide tickets to high school students (primarily) to Broadway shows.”

Riverside high school students pose after watching a performance of Fiddler on the Roof in late March (photo source: Fox Foundation’s Students on Broadway Blog)

The theater foundation also partners with the downtown arts organization, First Sundays, through its Family Fun Days, in which free arts activities for families are available.

“My favorite recent example … was the March 14 presentation of ‘Beauty and the Beast,’ an American Theater Arts for Youth production for elementary schools,” Wright said. “Schools from around the region sent 1,200 elementary school students to the Fox that day and the foundation covered the cost of 500 of those tickets.

“It was a crazy, wonderful day and the teachers couldn’t say enough about what the experience meant for their students.”

By providing connections and exposure to the performing arts as well as to the Fox Theater, a repurposed historic structure, the Foundation enables the community to experience all that Riverside has to offer as a ‘Location of Choice‘ that provides an abundance of opportunities to be amazed, inspired and entertained.

Click here to read the full article as published on PE.com.

For more information on the Fox Foundation, click here.

New Metropolitan Museum Exhibit to ‘Tell Riverside’s Story’

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Much of what makes Riverside such an interesting and beloved city is its deep-rooted culture and rich history. To help bring this community’s past to life and share “our” story, the Riverside Metropolitan Museum has announced a new museum exhibit “Telling Riverside’s Story in 50 Objects”.

50 objectsThe exhibit will be separated into two phases, the first installation will be on display from March 7, 2013 through January 4, 2015 and will cover the pre-history of the region and take us through 1930. The second installation will cover modern Riverside history from 1930 to present.

Inspired by the British Museum’s highly successful exhibit, “A History of the World in 100 Objects,” curators at the Riverside Metropolitan Museum have carefully selected a wide assortment of 50 objects to represent Riverside’s past. Alone, each object may not tell a story, but together they create a context which reveals the history of Riverside along the way. Mammoth molars, stage coach foot warmers, comal cooking stones, chinese medicine bottles, photographs, and more will tell the fascinating story of Riverside from pre-history to 1930. Highlights include: Spring Rancheria, Chinatown, John W. North, early transportation, the citrus boom, Harada family, water, police and fire departments, and more!

For more information and updates, check out the museum’s Facebook page or the exhibit’s official website.

Community Calendar Helps Connect Riverside

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Looking for something to do with your kids? Want to attend a training on marketing your business or planting a water-wise garden? Wondering when the next City meeting is scheduled? Need to find the perfect local entertainment for date night? The Riverside Community Calendar is your go-to source.

Community CalendarHosted by the City of Riverside on both the main government website (www.RiversideCa.gov/calendar) and on ExploreRiverside.com, the calendar is free to submit and post events as long as the function is open to the public, complies with municipal & safety ordinances, and has secured all necessary permits (if applicable; see here for requirements).  Organizations ranging from neighborhood groups, local nonprofits, clubs, business groups, faith-based organizations, government, schools and/or universities, artists and theater groups, and many more can promote their next event in one centrally-located event calendar.

Events are listed by date and on-going, multi-day events are featured in the right sidebar.  As an added convenience, viewers can filter the calendar to their specific interests.

The Community Calendar was developed as both an effort to connect Riversiders to all of the wonderful events and activities happening throughout the city, as well as to provide a tool for local groups and organizations to better ‘tell their story‘.  Posting community events and providing links to the calendar on your website are both encouraged.

To submit events, click here.  If you have questions or need assistance, email us at info@seizingourdestiny.com or contact the City of Riverside Arts & Culture Department at 951.826.2427.

State of the City 2013: “Imagine What We Can Accomplish By Working Together”

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On January 24, 2013, Riverside’s 17th mayor, William “Rusty” Bailey, delivered his first State of the City address to an audience of residents, business owners, fellow educators, current and past elected officials, several of his students, and his family. 

“Through my conversations of the state of our city, I discovered this: the state of our city is responsive and responsible, dynamic and sustainable, inclusive and intelligent. These are the words that I believe best describe and exemplify OUR city.”

Mayor William "Rusty" BaileyThat statement set the tone for the new mayor’s articulations of his commitments and vision for Riverside, and he referenced three themes that he not only integrated into his address and (per Bailey) will continue to refer to throughout his time in office: Gratitude, Leadership Philosophy, and Challenge.

“My philosophy on leadership is simple: lead by example and take care of your troops,” explained Bailey. “Integrity, vision, courage and passion are all characteristics that motivate me daily, and it is my mission that these characteristics will define Riverside’s leadership and for which Riverside will be known throughout the region, the state, our country and the world. If we all share the philosophy of a servant leader, imagine what we can accomplish working together in public and private enterprise.”

As his inaugural address, naturally this is the instance in which the mayor’s expectations of city employees are set.  However, the 6th generation resident added a slightly different and more personal touch for the audience to contemplate.  What would their role be? What are they doing to make their lives and Riverside a better place? What can they do?  Bailey acknowledged that Riverside needed the engagement, support and leadership of our community to make these things happen.

“Better together;” doing things “The Riverside Way”.

“We have our own style here, our swagger…but I call it, The Riverside Way,” to which Mayor Bailey described as

  • Collaborative…we are ‘better together’
  • Welcoming…we make new people feel at ease and at home; old Riverside accepts new Riverside like no other
  • Relational…meaningful conversations build meaningful relationships

“My challenge to you is to believe in the Riverside Way, and to commit yourself and to make yourself available to the Riverside Way in 2013. Available to serve your family, available to serve your neighborhoods, and available to serve YOUR city,” challenged Bailey. “To do this, we build upon the four pillars of our strategic plan, Seizing Our Destiny: Intelligent Growth, Catalyst for Innovation, Location of Choice and Unified City.” (Click here to read Riverside’s definitions for each.)

Bailey’s commitments for 2013 included:

Intelligent Growth

  • Leveraging our relationships with Sister Cities to create economic opportunities for Riverside
  • Making weekly school and business visits
  • Keeping the UCR School of Medicine Creation a top priority
  • Continuation of the Education Roundtable to continue the work of Completion Counts and create new approaches to ensure we are enabling our students to be the best and brightest
  • Organizing a Business Roundtable to create policy and programs that help Riverside businesses create jobs for our community

Catalyst for Innovation

  • Increasing green and sustainable programs and businesses in Riverside
  • Creating an Innovation Center on Main Street Riverside that supports new entrepreneurs and start-up businesses
  • Supporting the creation of the Riverside Entrepreneurial Academy with the four universities and colleges in Riverside to grow our own entrepreneurs

Location of Choice

  • Telling Our Story: “ensuring the Riverside we know and love becomes the Riverside that everyone knows and loves; we are a new side of classic California”
  • Developing a 21st century transportation network, including a streetcar plan to help college students have easier access to our retail centers and entertainment hubs

Unified City

  • Continuing Mayor’s Night Out and Walk with Mayor events
  • Spending time with each of the City Councilmembers in their Wards and with city staff in all departments
  • Continue building bridges and cultivating relationships to deepen our historic roots and promoting the Riverside Way
  • Promoting a healthier lifestyle for all Riversiders
  • Encouraging Riversiders to commit to helping others and the community

Mayor Bailey concluded his inaugural State of the City address with this challenge:

“What is your destiny in Riverside? This is YOUR city. This is YOUR moment. Whatever your destiny is, let’s achieve it together.  After all, THAT is the Riverside Way.”

To watch the full 2013 State of the City address, click here.

Riverside Community College District Renaissance Block Adds More Arts & Culture to Downtown Riverside

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(includes excerpts from the article written by Dayna Straehley and published in the Press-Enterprise on 10/26/12)

The new Center for Social Justice & Civil Liberties;  
photo by PE staff writer Dayna Straehley

RCC’s Culinary Arts Academy, the future Coil School for the Arts and a gallery showcasing local civil rights leaders are featured in a planned Renaissance Block.

The projects, which include a rooftop pavilion where culinary students can cater special events and a midsize performing arts venue, will attract people downtown, said Virginia Blumenthal, a college district trustee who has led committees planning the projects. “I’m very excited about it,” she said.

So far, only the Center for Social Justice and Civil Liberties occupies the block. Funded by Riverside redevelopment pass-through money, the roughly 12,000-square-foot center is housed in a renovated Spanish baroque style bank building and will include displays and videos about Riverside civil rights pioneers and preserved art pieces showcased there. It is open by appointment and times can be scheduled by calling 951-222-8854 or emailing to socialjustice@rccd.edu.

The remaining phases are in the planning stages, with construction scheduled to begin in 2014 after a delay for required state approval of the plans. Completion is anticipated for May 30, 2016, which Riverside City College President Cynthia Azari said would coincide with RCC’s centennial celebration.

The school of the arts has been in the planning stages about 20 years, Riverside Unified School District board member Chuck Beaty said. Beaty served on a planning committee when he was on the City Council. The project has evolved, he said.

A combination of funding Henry W. Coil Jr., of Riverside, dedicated $5 million for programming for the arts school in memory of his parents, Henry W. Coil Sr. and Alice Edna Coil.

In addition to a performance space that seats approximately 450, the 34,700-square-foot arts school will also include classrooms, practice rooms, a choral room, band room, orchestra room, a piano lab, and a state-of-the-art recording studio.

The Culinary Arts Academy will include a demonstration kitchen and street-level dining room, which Blumenthal said gives students practical experience preparing and serving breakfasts and lunches.

By bringing people downtown, the projects will benefit all of Riverside, Blumenthal said.

RCC’s commitment to integrating fine arts, culture and history into the Downtown helps solidify Riverside’s place as a center for creativity and lifelong learning while creating interesting, inviting places and venues for students, residents and visitors.

To read the full Press-Enterprise article that includes additional details on the project, funding and timing, click here.

Additional links:

RCCD Community Excellence projects

RCCD Center for Social Justice & Civil Liberties

RCC Culinary Academy

Riverside Receives Honorable Mention for Best Downtown in California

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California Planning & Development Report (CPDR) recognized Riverside with an honorable mention for “Best Downtown” in their ranking of California’s “Best and Worst Mid-Size City Downtowns”.

Paul Shigley, the report’s author, stated that: “a sense of place and a feeling of vibrancy were critical in our rankings. We also considered land use mixes, public spaces, architecture, pedestrian friendliness, cultural facilities and activities, and other amenities. But we always get back to how a place feels — and how it makes you feel.”

The beautiful historic buildings in Downtown Riverside provide residents and visitors with a connection to the City’s rich heritage while creating a place to enjoy modern day attractions.  From galleries and museums to live entertainment at the Fox Theater and Municipal Auditorium, a wide range of entertainment, shopping and dining opportunities can be found throughout its many engaging places, including Main Street Riverside.

To see the rankings and read the full article from CPDR, click here.

Municipal Auditorium Rededicated To Celebrate Completion of Renovations

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Riverside Municipal Auditorium before the renovations.

The Riverside Municipal Auditorium has long served the City of Riverside as both a premier entertainment venue and a historic gem in the heart of Downtown. To celebrate the Auditorium’s heritage, the City of Riverside hosted a rededication ceremony on Wednesday, September 19, 2012 followed by tours of the newly renovated building.

The Mission/Spanish Revival building located at 3485 Mission Inn Avenue was originally opened on November 12, 1928 and served as a memorial to 87 service members from Riverside County who died in World War I.  On March 31, 1978 the Municipal Auditorium was added to the National Registry of Historic Places .

The Auditorium recently underwent a nearly one year restoration effort, which began in October 2011 and was completed this summer at a final cost of $9.5 million. The retrofit preserved the integrity of the facility with seismic work throughout, including re-roofing, and new electrical, plumbing and communication systems. In addition, the exterior façade and walls were restored. While the Riverside Convention Center undergoes renovations, the Municipal Auditorium will serve as the main venue for major events. (Click here to view images of the renovation project from Stronghold Engineering)

Riverside is proud of its historical heritage and the rededication after the Auditorium’s renovation demonstrates the City’s commitment to preserving our history while also providing unique high-quality entertainment venues in our Downtown. Riverside is a location of choice to live, work and play because it continues to preserve and respectfully develop its historical heritage and spaces into undeniably inviting places that create a cultural oasis for visitors, residents and artists to enjoy year-round.

Read the full September 18, 2012 Press Release from the City of Riverside here.

For more information about the Riverside Municipal Auditorium, visit the Riverside Convention and Visitors Bureau website.

New Mobile App Allows Residents and Visitors to Explore Riverside’s Destinations

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The City of Arts and Innovation is a location of choice for all, offering wide range of destinations to suit anyone’s taste. The Explore Riverside mobile app was developed to provide Riverside residents and visitors with information on restaurants, shopping and entertainment as well as current location directions to get you where you want to go. The mobile app  is now available for free download on the iPhone and Android smartphones.

Download the Explore Riverside mobile app by searching for ”Explore Riverside” in both the iTunes App Store and in the Android Market on your smartphone.

Whether it be a place to stay, shop, dine, or play – Riverside has something for everyone. The new mobile app allows you to explore your options in a matter of minutes to find just what you are looking for.

Fox Foundation’s “Students at Broadway Program” Receives $20,000 Grant

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E. Rhodes and Leona B. Carpenter Foundation awarded a $20,000 grant to the Fox Riverside Theater Foundation. This is the Carpenter Foundation’s second grant to the organization. Frank Vasicek, local representative of the Carpenter Company, presented the $20,000 to the Fox Foundation Board of Directors at a reception following the Friday, July 13, screening of the classic film Casablanca, which kicked off the Fox Performing Arts Center’s Bogart Fridays Film Fest.

The funds will be used to subsidize tickets for the Fox Foundation’s Students at Broadway program, which offers students the opportunity to view a Broadway show and experience a “Cast Chat” after the performance.

Cynthia Wright, Interim Executive Director of the Fox Foundation, said that the friends who support the Students at Broadway program are giving to the core of the Foundation’s mission.

“This Carpenter grant goes straight to the ‘inspire’ element of our mission,” she said. “Kids are exposed to the wonder of live theater – kids who might otherwise not have the opportunity, and we are so grateful for the E. Rhodes and Leona B. Carpenter Foundation’s investment in their dreams.”

The Fox Foundation’s mission is to support the Fox Performing Arts Center and enrich the community by inspiring participation in the life of the Fox through community-focused performances, community outreach, and fundraising.

For more information about the Students at Broadway program or the Fox Riverside Theater Foundation visit their website. 

The Riverside Arts Walk Celebrates its 10th Anniversary!

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Reproduced courtesy of the Press Enterprise:

The Riverside Arts Walk celebrated its 10th anniversary on Thursday, March 1.

“We were delighted when Arts Walk began ten years ago and are even more excited now that Arts Walk has flourished into an arts and culture mainstay,” said Riverside Mayor Ron Loveridge. “As the City of Arts & Innovation, we rely on a combination of arts institutions and infrastructure, arts organizations and galleries, and events — lots of events. Arts Walk has become a not-to-be-missed monthly highlight.”

Arts Walk began in 2002 as a collaboration between the Riverside Community Arts Association, directed by Mark Schooley, and Division 9 Gallery, headed by Cosmé Cordova. The two downtown-based arts leaders worked together to initiate an opening event between their two art galleries. The short stroll between the two shows became the seed that sprouted into the Riverside Arts Walk on First Thursdays.

“It’s amazing how it has grown from just two locations to more than two dozen locations. I’m especially amazed by all the movement and energy it creates in Riverside when the people come together and create a positive sense of synergy on Arts Walk night,” said Cordova.

In the first couple of years, the events were held sporadically.

By September 2003, eight locations were included and attendance had increased to several hundred. Shortly afterward, the Riverside Art Museum, headed by Daniel Foster, formed a partnership with the Riverside Community Arts Association to expand and shape the Riverside Arts Walk.

“I had just arrived in Riverside and Mark Schooley was one of the first people I met in the arts community. We instantly hit it off, and agreed on the spot to expand the Arts Walk into a monthly event that involved all of the cultural institutions and businesses in downtown,” said Foster.

He was founding head of the Riverside Cultural Consortium from 2003 to 2006, which became the central coordinator of the Arts Walk event.

The Arts Walk has continued to grow annually to the current level of over two dozen galleries, museums, studios, businesses, the library and various art sites that now participate with opening receptions, art displays, poetry readings, musical programs and other performances and special events.

“Arts Walk has really played a large role in helping to shape Riverside’s identity as the City of Arts & Innovation,” said Patrick Brien, Executive Director of the Riverside Arts Council. “This is an event that brings people from throughout the region to downtown Riverside each month. They shop here. They dine here. Arts Walk has been and continues to be a tremendous economic driver for this community.”

The 10th Anniversary celebration took place at the Life Arts Center at the corner of University Avenue and Lemon Street.

To view the article on the Press Enterprise, click here.

For more information, visit http://www.RiversideCulturalConsortium.org,

InlandArts.com, or call the Riverside Community Arts Association at 951-682-6737.