One year after Riverside’s largest fire, part one of this two-part series looks at what happened—and how the city is working to prevent it from happening again.
Artist Alejandro “Mano” Mirande works on a mural at the corner of Lemon Street and University Avenue in Downtown. The Artist in Residency program aims to bring more murals like it to neighborhoods citywide, where public art has become an increasingly prominent feature. (Ken Crawford)
Six local artists have been selected to participate in Riverside's first artist-in-residence program, a pilot initiative that will bring community-centered public art to neighborhoods across the city over the next 18 months.
The selected artists have already demonstrated their abilities through mural work around Riverside, and this program gives many of them the opportunity to take their art to neighborhoods that may not be as familiar with their work.
The program, funded through American Rescue Plan Act money, pairs each artist with specific city wards where they will create at least one mural and conduct community engagement activities through December 2026.
Each artist will receive up to $25,000 and a $5,000 production budget to support their projects. The Riverside Arts Council will manage the program in partnership with the city's Arts and Cultural Affairs Division.
As a requirement of the residency, artists must receive input from their assigned communities about preferred placement and subject matter for the murals. More information about specific community advisory meetings will be provided as they are scheduled.
City officials said the selection process was challenging due to the high quality of applications received. The program aims to strengthen connections between artists and Riverside's diverse neighborhoods through collaborative community engagement.
The program requires artists to engage directly with residents in their assigned areas, ensuring the final works reflect community input and needs. All projects will be permanently installed in public spaces.
Look out for artist spotlights and project previews in future articles as we follow their work across the city.
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