This colorful mural-like painting is found on the side across from the reference area on the ground floor of Rivera Library at the University of California, Riverside (900 University Ave., Riverside). It is entitled, "Diaspora" and was painted by Stanton McDonald Wright in 1970.
Located near the center of the UC Riverside campus (900 University Ave, Riverside) between the bell tower and the Highlander Union Building is a bronze sculpture of Scotty, the UCR mascot. It is a tradition to sit on the bench and have your picture taken with Scotty. The sculptor was Edward Hlavka and it was funded by the graduating classes of 2002, 2004, 2007 and 2009 and associated students. The sculpture was unveiled in 2013.
In front of the School of Medicine Education Building (92521 Botanic Gardens Dr, Riverside) on the UC Riverside campus is a statue of a girl in a gymnastic pose. It sits atop a monument recognizing donors to the Children's Spine Foundation. The sculptor is unidentified. On the Haider Spine Clinic website, it indicates that the statue is "In appreciation of the volunteer work of the physicians through the Children’s Spine Foundation, University of California Riverside has placed a statue in front of the Science Library honoring Dr. Haider and the supporters of the Children’s Spine Foundation".
UC Riverside has a community garden (R'Garden) that sports several murals on small buildings and storage containers. The site on the north-west corner of Parking Lot 30 (900 Martin Luther King Blvd, Riverside). The artists are unknown.
An interesting sculptural pillar consisting of four decorated ceramic barrels was installed near Olmsted Hall at UC Riverside (900 University Ave, Riverside) in 2020. The installation, entitled, Stages for Flowers, is the work of Los Angeles-based artist Bari Ziperstein (@bariziperstein). As described in an Inside UCR News article, "Ziperstein designed a hand-carved and painted ceramic sculpture with images and patterns inspired by Russian textiles. The white, blue, and orange sculpture is made up of four pieces, each weighing 100 pounds, which was welded to a steel pole in a small lawn area next to Olmsted Hall." As described on Ziperstein's website, the work also features "boldly colorful floral patterns as well as scenes of protest and symbols of unity".
An attractive orange and yellow modular sculpture is attached to the outer and inner walls near the entrance to the Genomics Building at UC Riverside. It was designed by Jim Isermann @jimisermann, a well-known artist and UCR professor who has designed art installations at various locations around the world. The first three photos are from the exterior of the building. The remaining three are from the interior. More information on the sculpture can be found in this UCR Magazine article. It was also used as a backdrop for a beautiful quilt entitled Ladybird made by Elizabeth Eastmond of opquilt.com.
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An intriguing sculpture consisting of two light green orbs and a series of metal hoops resting on cinder blocks was installed on the south side of Olmsted Hall at UC Riverside (900 University Ave, Riverside) in 2021. The installation, entitled, Mystery Achievement, is the work of Anna Sew Hoy (@exclamationnoir), a sculptor and associate professor at UCLA. As described in an Inside UCR News article, “Simple geometries are present throughout the piece, becoming an abstract language of shape and space relationships,” Hoy said. “I invite the viewer’s multiple associations, yet don’t allow a fixed meaning to any piece, so that my work is always about transformation and possibility. The phrase "Mystery Achievement" playfully tugs at the viewer's assumptions on what an achievement is at the site where high-achievers congregate.”
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A cube-shaped sculpture entitled, MIA, has been installed to the east of Watkins Hall on the UC Riverside campus (900 University Ave., Riverside). The sculpture is the work of Brenna Youngblood (@brennayoungblood), a Riverside native and Los Angeles-based artist. As described in an Inside UCR news article, "Called MIA, the sculpture is a 1,700-pound bronze piece in which the three letters of the title sit inside a grid shape that resembles a jungle gym. The sculpture is part of a series by Youngblood that explore language and identity by Youngblood. The letters symbolize multiple meanings beyond the commonly known missing in action".
In front of the Orbach Science Library on the UC Riverside campus (900 University Ave., Riverside) has been installed an abstract sculpture entitled, Totem I. The sculpture is by Los Angeles-based artist Sarah McMenimen. As described in an Inside UCR news article, the sculpture "consists of an abstract figure made of welded aluminum, and thermoplastic in the shapes of seashells".
In the Arthur G. Paul Quadrangle, an interior plaza at Riverside City College (3601 Terracina Dr, Riverside) is found an attractive modern sculpture entitled, "Aspirations". It was sculpted by local artist Frank Heyming and donated to RCC in 2019. An article about the sculpture can be found on the RCC news website. A video of the sculpture can also be found here.
Within the Main Street pedestrian mall in downtown Riverside (3746 University Ave.) is a bronze statue and memorial showing Cesar Chavez leading a group of farmworkers. On the small plaza are plaques describing Chavez' life, his activities in community organization, and his work to improve the lives of farm workers. The statue was made by Ignacio Gomez (@ignaciogomezart) and was completed in 2015. The statue and adjacent small plaza (designed by Ian Davidson Landscape Architecture) are also part of the peace or civil rights walk within the mall. It is one of the memorials featured in a recent video by the City of Riverside.
A mural-like picture featuring a native American grandmother is now exhibited on the street-facing side of the Casa Blanca Branch of the Riverside Public Library (2985 Madison St, Riverside). It was painted by Denise Silva @pearmama, who also painted the Four Grandmothers mural on the Riverside Main Library. The painting is one of four located at branch libraries in Riverside. More information on the murals can be found here.
In 2006, the Art Alliance of the Riverside Art Museum held a public art project and fundraiser called the Giant Orange Artventure. The painted orange shown below was painted as part of this competition and features the head and shoulders of a man surrounded by many Latino names. The painting is entitled, Picked by Hand and was painted by Ed Fuentes. It is currently located in the entranceway of the Casa Blanca branch of the Riverside Public Library at 2985 Madison St, Riverside.
