Art serves as a key way individuals express themselves and on the first Thursday of each month, local artists gathered in downtown Riverside for the Riverside ArtWalk. Since 2002, downtown Riverside has been a hub for creative minds to come together and showcase their art.
For the past 23 years, many artists have hosted booths at the Riverside ArtWalk. Some participated for years while others recently opened their own booths, bringing together different eras of art in one place.
Carrie Massey, owner of Carrie’s Creations and Anointed Pieces, created original works in which no two pieces were the same. Massey attended the Riverside ArtWalk to share her art with the public.
“I take broken things and fix them… so they’re all original pieces. Nothing’s gonna be the same and all of this is homemade,” Massey said.
“[I wanted to have my booth at the ArtWalk] to get my pieces out there and get feedback,” Massey said. “Just to generate, like getting things seen and being out there.”
The Riverside community showed up through these monthly ArtWalks. Visitors experienced art, listened to live music, heard preaching from a church and formed connections across different communities.
Ashlee Vasquez, who had a booth for about a year, explained the importance of events like these for the Riverside community.
“I’ve seen the ArtWalk go from how little it was five years ago to how it is now, seeing the outcome of all the families coming out. I think that you know bringing our creativity… art to life, that’s beneficial to the community,” Vasquez said.
Events like the ArtWalk created spaces that brought people together and formed bonds that might not have developed otherwise through shared interests like art.
Sierra Catzin Murillo, senior early childhood studies major, attended the event to see what the community offered.
“I heard there was an art show going on, so I wanted to see what brought people out here the same way I wanted to come out here,” Catzin Murillo said. “I believe events like this are important for the community because it brings people together to have a fun time and see what other people have to offer with their talents.”
Events like the Riverside ArtWalk brought the community together in meaningful ways. Society reflected diversity much like art itself, and Inland Empire locals were encouraged to attend the ArtWalk on the first Thursday of each month to experience the range of art Riverside offered.
