Urge Palette Arts Supplies shop, located on 9th Street in downtown Riverside, will start a new practice this month by opening up a space to the public for workshops.
They will also host a small gallery in the building space right next door to the shop.
There is a high demand for a space like this among artists, so this gives them the opportunities to host a workshop or teach a class.
The workshops will take place about once a month and the workshops will also highlight videography, lectures and possible readings.
Fritz Aragon and Laura Madia, owners of Urge Palette, plan to hold two classes a month, ranging from portrait painting to printmaking. One of the Urge Palette employees, Miguel Flores, specializes in printmaking and along with another employee, Parvel Acevedo, works at the shop and uses the available space next door for studio time.
“Whenever people come into the shop they say this is exactly what they’ve been looking for, exactly what they need,” Acevedo said when retelling some experiences with new customers.
“The owner is open to new ideas and has been involved in the community since before the shop opened. They used to put on public concerts for the community and own their own record label,” Acevedo said.
The building has a versatile space that will now have opportunities to display art in the gallery that will be open and free to the public.
Aragon and Madia said they value art heavily in all forms and have noticed its strong presence found within the community.
“There’s a lot of really good people and art scenes here in Riverside but it’s often overlooked. But it’s cool for us because it’s a precious secret,” Aragon said. “We’ve always wanted to keep exploring the arts and this is a great place to do that. There is a thriving art community in Riverside, but we wanted to give it our own touch and contribute independently,” Aragon said.
The workshops’ debut premiered on the same night as the Riverside Art Walk. Urge Palette also works in partnership with the community by allowing a free art demonstration put on by employees who work at Urge Palette.
“Everything we do with the workshops we want them to have anything that will have an impact on the community, but specifically the arts community,” Acevedo said.
The Urge Palette Art Supplies shop stands out because, its diversity and willingness to offer more to the community. Employee Acevedo said the new workshops make him think that sales and customer rates might also rise.
Urge Palette’s presence continues to stand out in the community, from their participation in the Art Walk to their demonstration at the most recent Riverside Music and Art Festival and now the additional workshops. With this involvement, owners say they hope to thrive in coming years as a community involved business.
