An attentive Red Shouldered Hawk scours for prey on Arlington Heights Monday morning. The area is populated with the Red Shouldered and Red Tailed hawks. (Noall Knighton) Have a photo that captures the spirit of Riverside? Share it with us and help celebrate the beauty of our community!
Thursday Gazette: December 18, 2025
Hello Riverside, and Happy Thursday! Today is National Bake Cookies Day: the perfect excuse to preheat your oven and fill your kitchen with the smell of butter, sugar, and vanilla.
If baking isn't your thing, support a local bakery instead. And if you haven't tried the Riverside cookie at the Riverside Cookie Shoppe—Riverside history (oranges) meets dark chocolate—you are seriously missing out.
Blue Zones Project Riverside's Erin Edwards on moving naturally, fighting loneliness, and finding purpose this season.
Blue Zones Project Riverside's Community Engagement Lead, Grace Manzo, leads a cooking demonstration of white bean pozole verde at the Arlanza Community Garden in partnership with the Riverside Community Health Foundation and Love Riverside at the Harvest Festival on Nov. 8, 2025. (Courtesy Blue Zones Project Riverside)
Blue Zones Project Riverside's executive director says the holiday season offers natural chances to build longevity habits—if you know where to look.
Why it matters: The Power 9 practices that help people live longer get harder to maintain during holiday chaos, but small tweaks to family traditions can preserve them.
Move naturally—even when routines break: Park farther from Festival of Lights crowds, walk to downtown events, or hike Sycamore Canyon with visiting family.
"Friends at Five" beats "Wine at Five": The longevity benefit comes from daily social connection, not alcohol. If you drink, do it moderately—and get home safely using rideshare or RTA's free New Year's fares.
For the lonely, start with one person: Find groups around shared interests at Back to the Grind's open mics, Janet Goeske Senior Center's knitting circles, or Inlandia's writing workshops. Some Riverside churches host "Blue Christmas" services acknowledging grief.
Between the lines: Executive Director Erin Edwards said a recent cooking demo became "less a demonstration and more an exchange" when attendees shared their own pozole tips—exactly the intergenerational connection Blue Zones promotes.
What's next: Instead of New Year's resolutions, Edwards suggests asking: What do you want to keep, cut, or add? And what's the smallest version you can do in your hardest week?
Riverside Art Museum Seeks Artists for Residency Program
Applications due Jan. 1 for 8-month program supporting emerging and mid-career artists.
Juan Navarro discusses his mural work as Riverside Art Museum's first Artist in Residence. The museum is now accepting applications for its 2026 residency, which runs January through August and includes studio space, materials budget, and a public exhibition. (Courtesy of the Riverside Art Museum)
Riverside Art Museum is accepting applications for its 2026 artist-in-residence program — an eight-month opportunity for emerging and mid-career artists with Inland Empire ties to create new work and mount a solo exhibition.
Why it matters: This is one of the region's most substantial artist support programs, offering $18,000 plus materials, 1,480 square feet of studio space, and a public exhibition opening in May.
What's included:
Studio and exhibition space in museum gallery
Materials and exhibition budget
Public exhibition (May-August 2026)
Artists work onsite 4-8 weeks during exhibition
Who can apply: Individual artists and collaboratives in any medium with Inland Empire connections — including those who grew up, studied, or have meaningful ties to the region.
"We want to provide support to a wide variety of artists," said curator Lisa Henry. "Artists are free to define their ties to the Inland Empire in any way that is meaningful to them."
What's required: Artists must engage the public through open studios, workshops or talks at agreed-upon times. The museum may select one piece for its permanent collection.
What's next: Applications due Jan. 1 including 10 images, artist statement (500 words max), bio, resume and contact info. Winners notified in January 2026.
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