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The newly renamed arts institution will bring enhanced programming and scholarship to downtown Riverside
(EMPIRE NEWS NETWORK (ENN)— RIVERSIDE, CA —- UCR ARTS has a new name and a new vision.
Formerly known as ARTSblock, UCR ARTS is comprised of two entities — the California Museum of Photography and the Barbara and Art Culver Center of the Arts — and strives to encourage community engagement and an appreciation of art and photography by providing visitors a diverse range of exhibitions, performances, and educational programs.
“This name change is reflective of a renewed vision that embraces UCR ARTS’ relationship to the University of California, Riverside and a commitment to creating an inclusive and inviting place for the Riverside region and beyond,” said Sheila Bergman, executive director of UCR ARTS.
Housed in a pair of renovated department store buildings from the late 19th and early 20th centuries, UCR ARTS’ history extends to the founding of the Jack and Marilyn Sweeney Art Gallery in 1963 and the California Museum of Photography in 1973. In 2010, the Barbara and Art Culver Center of the Arts opened, offering a new home for the Sweeney Art Gallery and new community space for the Inland Empire.
Now, UCR ARTS has shifted focus from growing in size to growing in reach by enhancing its programming and cultivating a thriving arts community.
Following four months of renovation, the California Museum of Photography, or CMP, has reopened its doors, providing access to its collection of 750,000 objects. With the largest public collection of photographic technology in the western United States and the world’s largest archive of stereoscopic photographs and negatives, the CMP is an important destination for researchers worldwide.
Offering a multidisciplinary creative space, the Culver Center serves as an incubator for bold and artistic expressions. A host of art installations and exhibits, a weekly film program, and music, dance, and theatrical performances, and community events are presented year-round in the Culver’s atrium.
“We are building on our history of exemplary exhibitions and performances by widening our scope,” Bergman said. “UCR ARTS is a place for the Inland Southern California community to convene and engage in robust arts and cultural programming.”
UCR ARTS is located at 3824 and 3834 Main St., Riverside. Learn more at ucrarts.ucr.edu.
