RIVERSIDE, CA— The Civil Rights Institute of Inland Southern California (CRIISC) announces a new pop-up exhibition The Legacy of Clarence Muse: Artifacts from the Collection of Dr. Norman Towels.
The pop-up exhibition will be on view at the Civil Rights Institute of Inland Southern California from Wednesday, February 4th through Friday, March 13th. Visitors can see the pop-up exhibit for free during CRIISC’s open hours: Wednesday through Friday from 12:00 PM to 5:00 PM.
The pop-up exhibition, running during Black History Month, focuses on the life of onscreen legend Clarence Muse who acted in over 219 films and was a pillar of the Perris Valley community. During his career Clarence Muse became one of the highest paid Black actors during his time, he helped bring water to the Good Hope Community, pushed against racist stereotypes in films, and instituted the long-standing Perris Arts festival but still this prolific actor, singer, director, and philanthropist has not received the recognition he deserves.
CRIISC’s new pop-up exhibition brings to life the incredible story of Clarence Muse through materials from the collection of Dr. Norman Towels. Dr. Towels, an educator and history collector, is committed to preserving the Black history in Inland Southern California and beyond. Over the decades Dr. Towels has amassed an incredible collection of artifacts including historic advertisements, comics, university yearbooks, posters, books, and movies. A sliver of his collection related to Clarence Muse’s life will be on display, including various films from Muse’s career. Dr. Towels will provide a special showcase of his collection on Thursday, February 19th from 12:00 PM – 1:00 PM, all are welcome to attend.
