The clocks are set back, and November ArtsWalk feels a bit more like a night out. No need to sit at home and wait for the pollsters to call. The election is over. Put on a hoodie, grab the kids and enjoy Downtown before the Festival of Lights takes over in a few weeks.
I know it’s easy to spend most of your time on Main, but the galleries on Lemon and Ninth offer great art and highlight the grassroots foundation the “City of Arts” is built upon.
Riverside ArtsWalk runs 6 to 9 p.m. Thursday, Nov. 5, in Downtown.
Riverside Community Arts Association Gallery 3860 Lemon St.
- “Celebrate America” and Native American Heritage Month, with a Sherman Indian High School student arts showcase as the feature.
- Opening reception during ArtsWalk.
- The show runs Nov. 4 through 27. Regular gallery hours are Wednesday through Saturday, 11 a.m. to 3 p.m.
The Cheech 3581 Mission Inn Ave.
- Free admission from 6 to 9 p.m.
- Floral mandala magnets, an art-making workshop, from 6 to 9 p.m.
- “Made in Coachella” is on view in the Altura Credit Union Community Gallery through March 21, 2027. The show gathers collaborative work by Coachella Valley artists.
The Julia Morgan Center (Riverside Art Museum) 3425 Mission Inn Ave.
- Free admission from 6 to 9 p.m.
- Local band Kodiak plays live on the rooftop from 6 to 8:30 p.m.
- Mural with artist Willis the Gorilla, a fixture of the local scene, during ArtsWalk. It is a chance to spend some time learning from a working visual artist.
UCR Arts 3834 Main St.
- Ian Dicke and Matt McBane, “Patterns and Drones,” an electronic ambient music performance from 6 to 9 p.m. Free.
- The composers and performers present a new duo project mixing ambient music, improvisation and experimental electronics.
Pain Sugar Gallery 3635 Ninth St.
- Yalda Sepahpour, “Tijuana-Tehran,” 6 to 9 p.m.
- Sepahpour is a painter from Tehran who lives and works in Tijuana. She typically works in oil on canvas between 14 and 19 feet.
- The collection commemorates the Iranian national soccer team's stay in Tijuana during the 2026 World Cup. Her mural “Never Tamed...” was mounted on a truck and driven from Tijuana to Los Angeles to circle the stadium during matches.
- DJ Dropdead, Sherry's Falafel, Riparian Coffee, Faded Records, Riverside Migra Watch and others round out the night.
Artists on Main Main St. between Fifth and Tenth
- Vendor rows run from 6 to 9 p.m.
- Enrique Carrillo is the Riverside Arts Council's November Artist Spotlight. The Inland Empire painter blends dark themes with playful, cartoon-like characters. See his work in person on Artists on Main.
