In front of the Riverside Food Lab building (3605 Market St, Riverside, CA) there are a series of planter boxes that have recently been painted. This group of three is brightly colored and show pictures of flowers, cacti, pyramids, against the night sky. The artist was Adam Valentin Villanueva on Instagram @deepspacetraveler.
Wood paneling on one side of the Tikal Bakery (3975 Mission Inn Avenue, Riverside, CA) has been painted with a mesoamerican-appearing mythological serpent man and woman sitting on each side of a raincross, Riverside's symbol. The artists are unidentified but the owner of the bakery told me that her grandchildren were painting the mural. Update: Oct. 10, 2024. Additional progress has been made on the mural so the photos have been updated. Thanks to my brother-in-law Gary, the image on the left has been identified as a colorful version of part of the Yaxchilan lintel 15.
The interior of the Riverside County Courthouse (4100 Main St, Riverside, CA 92501) has a beautiful grand hall, rotunda and an attractive courtroom (Department 1). These are accentuated with stained glass lunettes, an oculus and a tableau of statues. The artists responsible for these are unknown. The Court-house was designed by the architect Franklin Pierce Burnham in the French beaux arts style which was in vogue at the time. Burnham’s design is a combination of the Petit Palais and Grand Palais of Fine Arts in Paris, France, which had been built for the 1900 Paris Exposition. More information about the courthouse can be found on the Courthouse website.
There are two notable free-standing sculptures inside the Riverside County Courthouse (4100 Main St, Riverside, CA 92501). The first is entitled, "The Advocate" and depicts a lawyer practicing law at a lectern. As described on the Courthouse's website, "The statue (left of Dept. 1) is a tribute to the attorney, who, along with the judges and court staff, serves as an integral part of the justice system." The sculptor is unknown. The second is a bust of Justice John G. Gabbert who "became a superior court judge in 1949 and served for 21 years before being appointed to the District Court of Appeal in 1970". The sculptor of the bust was Blair Boswell of Highland, Utah.
The east-facing wall of the Riverside Life Services building (3727 Mccray St, Riverside, CA 92506) has a tasteful floral mural marking the business location. The mural is best seen from a parking lot off of Brockton Ave. The artist is unknown
In front of the Riverside Art Museum (3425 Mission Inn Ave., Riverside) (@riversideartmusuem) is a new sculpture showing a metal cutout of 5 individuals with interlocking arms, somewhat like a group photo. The work is unlabeled and the sculptor is unknown. I especially like the images formed by the shadows on the lawn.
An attractive new sculpture by local artist Frank Heyming has been installed in the UCR Botanic Gardens (1 Botanic Gardens Dr, Riverside, CA). It is entitled "Fine Vine" and is located between the Herbal Garden and the Native American Garden on the upper developed portion of the Botanic Gardens.
Two additional new murals have been painted within the past year or so on the backside of Martin Luther King Jr. High School (9301 Wood Rd, Riverside, CA). One is on the front of an out building and the other is on the back of one of the main school buildings. I believe that the one with the running wolves was funded by one of the recent graduating classes. The murals are unsigned but were likely painted by the artists at Murals for Schools led by lead artist Tom Seibert @muralsforschools.
The new War Dog Memorial Park at 16400 Barton Street in Riverside has two large enclosed areas where dogs can freely play. The fences of each of these enclosures are decorated with silhouettes of different types of dogs. The artists of the silhouettes are unknown. I might mention that surrounding the enclosed play areas are approximately 8-10 tableaus briefly describing the role of dogs in the U.S. conflicts over the past 120 or so years.
An electrical box on Magnolia Ave. near Rosewood Place (just to the south of 5743 Magnolia Ave, Riverside, CA) has recently been painted with lovely floral patterns. The artist was Ekaterina Orlovie @orlovie.
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A bright and striking new mural has appeared on the west-facing side of a new business scheduled to open this month called Madres Brunch at 1805 University Ave. (Riverside, CA). The mural depicts a Marilyn Monroe-like woman amidst desert hills, cacti and fauna. The artist is Los Angeles-based Mario (@resoe_27).
A new mural has appeared on the south side of the building that houses the Eastside Art House (4177 Park Ave, Riverside, CA). The mural incorporates several images, most prominently a Mexican hairless dog called a xoloitzcuintli. This breed is reported to be 3000 years old and is considered to be the ancient Aztec dog of the gods. An ancient representation of the dog is shown on the left. The artist, Juan Navarro @luvmonsterz, described other aspects of the mural on an Instagram post. The symbols on the right are textile patterns from Zacatecas, Mexico, the place where his mother was born. The marigolds symbolize both young and old and represent how culture has been passed down through generations.
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