Tuesday, February 28, 2023

"Grandma's Quilts" Mural on University Ave.

On the wall at the back of the parking lot for the Eastside Health Center on 1970 University Ave., Riverside, there is a bright and creative mural entitled, "Grandma's quilts" that was painted by Juan Navarro (@luvmonsterz).  To the left is the medical part of the mural and to the right is an image of a patchwork quilt.  The two appear to be linked together using DNA that morphs into yarn which is being crocheted together by a medical hand on the left and an elderly hand on the right.  Both sides have quite a variety and are colorful. 







"Love Blooms Here" Art Installation in Mariposa Alley

Mariposa Alley is located between 9th and 10th Streets at about 3662 9th St., Riverside. On the west side of the alley, lies a display of butterflies (made from repurposed cans) in migration.  It was created by artist and owner of Tio's Tacos Martín Sanchez and is entitled, "love blooms here".  Its opening along with a video of its construction can be found on a City of Riverside webpage

Update: While riding my bike on March 25, 2024, I noticed that several of the butterflies had been repainted.  Several of the new ones are shown at the end of the post. The butterflies with folded wings are at each end of the alley.  































Leisa and John Plocher have found their wings and are ready to fly.  

The newly painted butterflies are below.  






Amelia Earhart Middle School Murals and Art

Amelia Earhart Middle School (20202 Aptos St., Riverside) sports several murals illustrating its namesake and its mascot, the hawks, as well as a mosaic and a recognition of academic excellence.  All of the artwork is unsigned.  












Saturday, February 25, 2023

"Riverside Resilience" Mural

On the back of the Box theater on the Fox Entertainment Plaza can be found a large mural by Darren Villegas (@darren.vs.drama) entitled, " Riverside Resilience".  It can be best viewed from 3657 Fairmont Blvd., Riverside.  As described in a Press Enterprise article on the mural, "It’s roughly 25 feet tall and 65 feet long and spans the height of the wall, from 30 feet off the ground up to what would be the fifth floor of the building. Villegas was the sole laborer on the piece, which is 100% spray paint."    




Roberts Pet Adoption Thrift Store

At the back of the Mary S. Roberts Pet Adoption Center/Thrift Store (9462 Magnolia Ave., Riverside) is a light and playful mural with a theme of pets and adoption.  It was conceptualized by Mary Figueroa and painted by @Jenn Detroit.  



Thursday, February 23, 2023

Beatty Elementary School murals

The Patricia Beatty Elementary School (4261 Latham Street, Riverside) has two notable murals - one that features the school name and mascot, and a larger impressive one that is a tribute to Patricia Beatty and her writings.  Patricia Beatty spent much of her adult life in Riverside as a librarian and a writer.  The larger mural featuring an orange with a crown on it is an illustration of the "Queens Own Grove", a children's novel written by Beatty about a young girl growing up among the orange groves during the early days of Riverside.  Flanking the central part of the mural are the titles of the other children's books that Beatty wrote.  The large mural was painted by Murals for Schools led by its artist Tom Seibert @muralsforschools.  





The New Market Convenience Store Murals on Kansas St.

The south and east walls of The New Market Convenience Store at 3691 Kansas Ave., Riverside have been painted with fruits, vegetables, vines and a school theme with a note that "Dreams do come true".  The mural on the west wall exhibits faces, figures, a violin and the words "Tomorrows"and "Aspirations".  The murals were painted by Ron Del Cid (@rondeezyyyy).  A video showing community involvement in painting the murals can be found here.  



































Lake Matthew's Elementary School Murals

A mural featuring the school name and its mascot, the bobcat has been painted on a prominent internal facade at Lake Matthew's Elementary School (12252 Blackburn Road, Riverside).  It was painted by a Murals for Schools team led by its lead artist Tom Seibert (on Instagram @muralsforschools).  At the front of the school are two small murals recognizing some of the school's achievements.




Monday, February 20, 2023

Lincoln High School Murals

At Lincoln High School (4341 Victoria Ave., Riverside) on the RUSD Career Education building located along 14th Street (at about 2775 14th Street), there is a Lincoln mural, a replica of an orange crate label similar to other fruit labels that were common in the 1930s and 40s.  The Lincoln brand of navel oranges marketed using the label was original to the Arlington Heights area of Riverside. The mural was painted by Murals for Schools, led by its lead artist Tom Seibert (@muralsforschools on Instagram).  There is another mural facing Victoria Ave. that shows the school mascot, a panther.  It is signed M+K 2017.






















Arlington Business District Orange Crate Label Prints

The facades of the businesses to the north of Van Buren beginning at about 9496 Magnolia Ave., Riverside display digital prints of a series of orange crate labels, most of which are from the Arlington or Riverside area.  The prints are unsigned and the original artists are not known.  It is my understanding that they were sponsored by Arlington Business Partnership @abpriverside. Photos of most of the prints are shown below.