~snip~
BTW, the City of Riverside has an "Art Walk" in downtown Riverside the first Thursday of every month and the former Riverside Mission building is at the hub of the Art walk. The upper floor of the building is rented out to artists and they all have open houses in their studios upstairs while the large rooms on the first floor as well as the basement are also hosting Art Walk events. I attended 2 Art Walks there in the last six months; on the first occasion, I went with Sweetness and Light and two other friends. The Art Walk in Riverside is really an enjoyable event.
Lakey
Lakey and I seriously had fun that time!
Hope to do it again!
Here is another review article by the same author covering Riverside Arts walk:
http://www.highlandernews.org/arts-entertainment/riverside-arts-walk-1.2225246
Riverside Arts Walk
By Fatima Mirza Senior Staff Writer Published: Monday, May 9, 2011
"
Arts Walk
The sun was setting as my friend and I made our way through the streets of Downtown Riverside that were abuzz with excitement. It was the fifth of May; and the Riverside community had gathered for Riverside's monthly ‘Arts Walk'—a celebration of art and music that takes place the first Thursday of every month in downtown Riverside, from 6-9 PM. The Arts Walk is widely known as one of the most entertaining events in the Inland Empire, and that night was no exception: the drab downtown streets were alive with people of all ages and walks of life, coming together to share an appreciation for art, music and culture.
"Cinco de Mayo" was my first time attending the Arts walk, and although I had heard many good things about it in the past, I was unsure of what to expect.
A lover of the arts and all things it inspires, I was hopeful as I navigated through the streets searching for the perfect place to begin the night's adventures. Among the open exhibits was UCR's Sweeney Art Gallery that featured the annual MFA Thesis Show, an exhibit that has been available to the public eye since early April.
One intriguing piece was the Mixed Media installation titled, "My Space, 2011" by David Gilbert. It consisted of items such as rolls of yarn, paintbrushes, paper, plates, ladders, a book cover on the floor that read "goodbye to all that" among many other items. The bright colors and childhood theme elicited a sense of nostalgia, for the different elements of the piece seemed to be something that a child would have made or liked. However, the pieces were arranged in a way that made them look destroyed, and a darker sense emerged. Unfortunately there was no narrative present to give insight into the artist's thoughts, leaving viewers perplexed and reading into it what they desired.
The UCR Culver Center of the Arts, the exhibit "CHE! REDUX" featured a wall of photographs and collages depicting the reappearance of the iconic photograph of Che Guevara in different political settings across the world. The exhibit, which featured the iconic image of Che Guevara that has long since established itself as a symbol of revolution, was especially intriguing in light of the recent revolutionary movements taking place in the Middle East and Northern Africa.
Also at the Culver Center, Luca Forcucci and Michael Kott performed live at the Atrium. The two, who have formed a group called, "2 humans & The Cosmos," performed an interesting yet haunting show. Their music was described as integrating sounds from the Amazon forest, the cello, brainwave interfaces and sounds from abandoned coal mines or urban environments. Although it was an unique approach to the art of music, the sounds that emanated from the duo were eerie and unsettling to say the least.
A few blocks down, festivities were only growing as people gathered around stalls that had been set up in the streets. Local artists set up stalls and blankets on concrete, hoping to sell their creations—bracelets, paintings and more. One table was even selling white Vans that had been decorated with faces of the famous on them. Considering it was Cinco De Mayo, children preformed cultural dances in the streets, restaurants had moved grills outside to serve tacos fresh off the fire, people had the option to create Cinco De Mayo themed pendents from bottle caps.
The Life Arts Center was teeming with people walking in and out of the rooms, not a corner was unlit or unoccupied. One room was full of paintings and drawings created by local community artists. In the auditorium a free concert was held where many gathered to watch. One entire hall was filled with tables selling all kinds of creations: knitted scarves, purses made from bottle caps and homemade candles. Upstairs it was the same, but participants could create magnets and bookmarks. The entire block was filled with an upbeat vibe and it was clear that, more than anything, the Arts Walk served as an opportunity for the community to come together and display their talents.
But the most interesting and entertaining aspect of the night was definitely the GIF poetry workshop led by Nathan Bockelman and Mathew Shain, because it combined poetry, photography, animation and—most importantly—the interaction of the community.
A GIF, which stands for Graphics Interchange Format, consists of different images that are placed one after another in a never-ending loop. Participants were able to chose from stacks of words written on cardboard squares, or write their own, and create a poetic fragment using them. Once they decided on a phrase, they were photographed by Shain and Bockelman, who collaborated with the participants to chose the best way to photograph their poetic fragment. Within minutes, the pictures were uploaded and made into GIF's. There was a giant screen set up displaying the various GIFs created that night, and a table where volunteers were working hard at uploading the photographs to create the animations right away.
By the end of the night, they were all uploaded onto a Tumblr page titled "gifpoetryjamz," allowing participants to see their poetry and admire everyone else's as well. The interactive aspect, the fun of working with the workshop leaders and the combination of different mediums helped make the workshop the best attraction. Everyone from children to the elderly gathered to let their words be known.
That night, Riverside seemed to transform, and an appreciation of the community that creates it emerged. As I walked, a soft golden glow illuminated the streets filled with children running with their families, students admiring artwork, local street vendors showcasing their artwork and selling their jewelry.
It was a diverse celebration definitely worth taking part in, multiple times even, because of the changing exhibits and features guarantees an different experience each time, and there was something there for everyone."
when I read this posting I realized of it...you are right....sorry
There but for the grace of God, goes I. Seriously.
(Sweetness had been known to perform at this coffeehouse!) 
) who keep saying...there's a river there? 
Yes, the Santa Ana River! 