Those who are looking for a place to host a wedding, party or event, all while enjoying media arts, international art and photography should consider a new place in town; the Culver Art Center.
The Culver Art Center’s grand opening was held Oct. 7 in the Riverside outdoor mall located in Downtown Riverside. It began with various events that incorporated the entire community. These exhibits included dance performances and art exhibitions. The center is located inside a hundred year old building that was once a popular department Store.
The center was developed in conjunction with the California Museum of Photography, gives the public easy access to both buildings.
“There are more opportunities to see more art, with just one short drive instead of driving to three or four different locations, it makes for a more complete and fulfilling experience,” Shane Shukis, the curator of public programs in the Culver Art Center, said.
Not only will people be able to visit the newly remodeled art center, which was reconstructed around the original designs of the department store layout, but they will also be able to rent the Atrium Gallery, which is on the first floor of the building, and features a ceiling with colored lights and sequence lighting. It is the perfect place to rent for a wedding reception.
The center features a built in dance studio and video recording studio that is acoustically isolated from the remainder of the building, as well as art exhibits and film screenings in the newly built-in film studio.
“We’re next door to City Hall, two blocks from some of the finest dining in Riverside as well as the Mission Inn and Marriott Riverside. There is a lot to do nearby while seeing the art,” Shukis said.
The Culver Art Center was designed for the University of California, Riverside community, but is also open to the public.
“The creative faculty of humanity has historically been its most important form of problem solving. Artists are able to tackle difficult issues in ways that envision new possibilities of seeing the world, and inviting society to reevaluate their idea of the ‘real’ and the ‘possible.’
The art center is the gateway for new artists that wish to make their dreams come true while they impact the rest of the world,” Shukis said.
