Category Archives: Places

Riverside’s Newest Arts Venue, The Box, Opens with Rave Reviews

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(Includes excerpts from the article written by Alicia Robinson, Press-Enterprise, on May 30, 2013)

On Thursday, May 30, Riverside debuted its newest arts venue, The Box, with a performance by Ticket to Ride, a Beatles tribute band, as part of a test run/soft opening.  Situated within the Fox Entertainment Plaza on Market Street, The Box further enriches this ‘Location of Choice‘ with more varied opportunities for entertainment and artistic expression.

(source: RiversideBlackBox.com)

“The Box is a bare, nondescript space with everything painted black, including the concrete block walls and the exposed pipes and ductwork overhead. At [its debut performance], chairs were arranged on three-level risers on three sides of the room with the band in the middle, but the space could be rearranged to suit a dance performance, an art show, or a play. (For a more technical description, visit the venue’s website here.)

Gilbert Bonilla, portraying John Lennon, performs with the Beatles tribute band, Ticket To Ride, at The Box in the Fox Entertainment Plaza on Thursday, May 30, 2013 (Photo by David Bauman; source: PE.com)

Richard and Kathy Low sipped drinks on the open patio in front of The Box before going in.

At his first glimpse of the space, Richard Low said, ‘You’re going to have some happy people tonight. This is great!’”

Tribute bands are scheduled throughout the month of June to test the acoustics and normal “kinks” of any new performance space. In July, Bye Bye Birdie performed by the Riverside Youth Theatre will be on stage from the 12th-21st. For more information about The Box, visit their official website at RiversideBlackBox.com.

To read Robinson’s article as published on PE.com, click here.

LA Times Article Proclaims Downtown Riverside Has “Blossomed Into a Fine Arts and Culture District”

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Recent years of infrastructure improvements, renovations and beautification projects, combined with public and private-sector investment, and topped off with community support, creativity and passion are paying off in Riverside’s historic core. While the community may have always considered the city to be a ‘Location of Choice’, others are now taking notice of the rich cultural and entertainment amenities Riverside has to offer.  The following is an excerpt from the LA Times article dated June 2, 2013 (editor’s note: we assume the June 2 date is in anticipation of inclusion in Sunday’s printed edition).

downtown-riverside-at-dusk“Many people heading to Riverside make a beeline for the Mission Inn and spend the weekend at its spa, restaurants and pool. They barely venture outside, and that’s a shame because, as my husband and I discovered, downtown Riverside has blossomed into a fine arts and culture district. There are many examples of classic California architecture and more than a dozen sites listed on the National Register of Historic Places.” – Irene Lechowitzy, LA Times

To read the full article, “Downtown Riverside is Blossoming, Right Outside Your Hotel”, click here.

Also read, “Riverside: Mission Inn Package at a Discount — and Cupcakes” by Rosemary McClure (May 31, 2013).

University Neighborhood Recognized for Its Love of ‘Place’

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On April 23, 2013, Riverside Neighborhood Partnership (RNP) member, Gurumantra Khalsa, recognized the University Neighborhood Association (UNA) before the Riverside City Council for “Its deep love of ‘place‘”.

As one of Riverside’s twenty six defined neighborhoods, the University Neighborhood is the University of California, Riverside’s eastern connection with Riverside.  The University Neighborhood witnessed the birth of the UCR and was the neighborhood of choice for many of the pioneering faculty and staff.

The “after” photo of UNA’s Median Makeover (2012; source: UNA Facebook page).

Today, the University Neighborhood is home to a diverse collection of neighbors with a long history of coming together to connect, contribute and collaborate on issues or projects that make their neighborhood and Riverside a better community for all. Recent initiatives that have been led by the UNA include median makeovers, National Night Out events, literacy programs and advocating for neighborhood and sustainability policies.

Khalsa prided the UNA for being proactive leaders and collaborators when they identify ways – simple or complex – that can have a positive impact on the area.

For more information, visit the University Neighborhood Association’s Facebook page. To watch the April 23, 2013 City Council presentation, click here (Item #16).

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.

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 Honors King’s Legacy

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(Includes excerpts written by Alicia Robinson, Gail Wesson and Erin Waldner as published on January 21, 2013 on PE.com)

The life and work of Martin Luther King Jr. were commemorated by Inland area residents with a 5K walk, a park clean-up, music, speeches, and other events on Monday, Jan. 21.

In Riverside, the sun shined on walkers as they filed from the Eastside and through downtown for the annual walk.

After a few warm-up exercises at Bordwell Park on Riverside’s Eastside, an estimated 700 to 800 people set off down Martin Luther King Boulevard, stretching out into a ribbon of figures in bright blue T shirts that ended at Riverside City College. They passed the King statue on the Main Street mall, where some stopped to take pictures. The 20th annual Martin Luther King Jr. Walk-a-thon was organized by the Riverside African American Historical Society and the Martin Luther King Visionaries.

Ley Yeager, 65, said it was important for him to be at the walk for “a million reasons. On the day of the (presidential) inauguration, it’s so symbolic.”

Yeager, a retired teacher and school administrator, said in the more than four decades he has lived in Riverside, he has seen increased efforts to embrace the city’s diverse population.

“Riverside at its best is very, very inclusive,” he said.

Brian Moore, 31, was a co-chairman of the event, the theme of which was “Dr. King’s dream … No one left behind.”

Moore said younger generations like his have reaped the benefit of the work of civil rights pioneers like King. Participating in the walk is a way to show appreciation, and also to acknowledge the health challenges of obesity and diabetes that the African-American community in particular faces, he said.

The annual walk is a prime example of Riversiders brought together around common interests and concerns, while celebrating our diverse communities to accelerate the common good for all.

To read the full article as published on PE.com, click here.

For more information about Martin Luther King, Jr. and his legacy of inspiring positive social change through education and active leadership, click here.

 

Recently Published Book Shares the History and Personal Experiences of Riverside’s Sherman Institute (Sherman Indian High School)

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While it is well known that Riverside’s history is rich with social and cultural diversity, the stories and national significance of the Sherman Institute, the flagship among 25 federal off-reservation American Indian boarding schools, might be among the most captivating chronicles of this community from the past century.  Now, a new book co-authored by historians connected to UC Riverside tells the story of the school through images and voices of its students.

As reported by Bettye Miller and published on UCR Today,

photo credit: Sherman Indian Museum

“Sherman Institute enrolled its first students on Sept. 9, 1902, a decade after its predecessor, the Perris Indian School, was founded in an agricultural region south of Riverside. Harwood Hall, Sherman’s first superintendent, lobbied to move the school from rural Perris to the larger community of Riverside, where entrepreneur Frank Miller wanted Indian students to work at his Glenwood Inn, later renamed the Mission Inn.‘The Indian School on Magnolia Avenue: Voices and Images from Sherman Institute,’ recalls those experiences through the voices of Sherman students and photographs from the school’s extensive archives. Published this month by Oregon State University Press, the book is the first collection of writings and images about an off-reservation Indian boarding school.

For much of its history Sherman enrolled children as young as 10, until 1970 when it became a fully accredited high school. Today, Sherman Indian High School is controlled by Native Americans with a curriculum that includes American Indian history, languages and cultures”

The Indian School on Magnolia AvenueClifford E. Trafzer, co-editor of the book and the Rupert Costo Chair in American Indian Affairs at UC Riverside, explained that the book’s approach differs from that of much scholarship about Native Americans in that it embraces oral histories of the students who attended Sherman instead of relying only on written documents,

“It reflects a belief that American Indians have something of value to tell you about their history, that there is value in listening and learning from Indians. That is not a common approach.”

Trafzer added, “We want people to understand about the attempted assimilation of American Indian children by taking them out of their homes and putting them in boarding schools. In spite of that, many children used their education and experiences — sometimes positive, sometimes bitter — to help their tribes understand U.S. government, business and culture.”

The book was produced as part of The First Peoples initiative – a collaboration of four university presses with grant support from the Andrew W. Mellon Foundation. The initiative aims to demonstrate the ways Indigenous traditional and lived experiences contribute to and reframe discourses on the history, culture, identity and rights of Indigenous peoples worldwide.

To read the full article as published on UCR Today, click here.

Copies of the book can be ordered from Amazon or Oregon State University Press;  all proceeds go to the Sherman Indian Museum.

How Can You Make a Difference in Riverside’s Future?

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Riversiders often ask how they can help further the Seizing Our Destiny movement. The answer is simply to get involved – nonprofit, neighborhood, faith-based or civic organizations all have opportunities to help improve quality of life, attract diverse and dynamic people, encourage innovation and work together for the common good.

City Boards and Commissions are a prime example of this as they are the underpinnings of our community – they are how the community navigates the daily and weekly decisions that help make Riverside run smoothly to become the kind of community we all want.

Diversity and inclusion is key to ensuring a collective voice that represents the Riverside community and now the City Charter requires each board or commission to have at least one member from each Council Ward.

These are voluntary positions and to be eligible a citizen must reside in Riverside and be a registered voter. The terms of office are four years and members may serve as many as two consecutive terms.

Application deadline is Friday, December 14th.

Click here to view all of the open positions. Applications may be picked up at the City Clerk’s Office, 7th floor of City Hall, 3900 Main Street or by calling 826-5557.  You may also download the application by selecting:

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