Thanks for reading our post on all things art in Riverside. Galleries, museums, supplies, schools, shows, events and more will all be covered as well as we know how.
We will kick things off by diving into the best Riverside Art Galleries and Museums where you can see some of the finest exhibitions and collections the city has to offer. Up next we will let you know where you can find all of the supplies you need at some of the best art stores near you.
Shows and events held throughout the year will come after that, and then we will get into art walking tours plus some outdoor sculptures and statues. Riverside art classes and lessons will need to get its own section and there are plenty of classes for both kids and adults that are available.
Contents
If you want to find art studios for rent in your area we will cover them as well. Framing shops, dealers, and appraisers will also be discussed to wrap everything up.
San Bernardino and Ontario will also be mentioned throughout the post as we try to cover the Inland Empire scene as best we can. You can check out more of our posts about art around the Southwest at that link.
Best Art Galleries & Museums In Riverside
If you want to visit the best art galleries and museums in Riverside and around the Inland Empire head to:
- Riverside Art Museum at 3425 Mission Inn Ave
- Gopa Gallery at 3595 University Ave
- Pain Sugar Gallery at 3635 9th St
- Riverside Community Arts Association at 3860 Lemon St
- Barbara & Art Culver Center of the Arts at 3834 Main St
- CBU Gallery at 3737 Main St #101
- Riverside City College Art Gallery at 4800 Magnolia Ave
- Brandstater Gallery at 4500 Riverwalk Pkwy
- Robert & Frances Fullerton Museum of Art at 5500 University Pkwy, San Bernardino
- Clara & Allen Gresham Art Gallery at 701 S Mt Vernon Ave, San Bernardino
- Chaffey Community Museum of Art at 217 S Lemon Ave, Ontario
- Ontario Museum of History & Art at 225 S Euclid Ave, Ontario
- Sasse Museum of Art at 1334 N Benson Ave #D, Upland
The Riverside Art Museum hosts many events like their first Sundays which run from October through May. They are also a big part of the Riverside Artswalk on the first Thursday of each month. They even have art classes in your area for all ages.
Pain Sugar Gallery puts on events from time to time to showcase new local artists. The Riverside Community Arts Association has popular workshops and classes.
You can find major events like the Family First Sundays, Third Thursday Talks and the Slow Art Walk on every first Thursday of the month at the Barbara and Art Culver Center of the Arts.
The CBU Gallery is always putting up different exhibitions of work by contemporary local artists, CBU faculty, and students. The Robert and Frances Fullerton Museum of Art is best known for their Egyptian antiquities collection.
They have well over 1,000 objects focusing on ceramics, ancient, and contemporary art. They also provide valuable hands-on work experience and preparation for future museum related careers for California State University San Bernardino students.
Chaffey Community Museum of Art has open studio programs every Friday from 11 am – 3 pm. They also offer live model figure painting on the first Thursday of each month from 11 am – 3 pm. Some of you may know the Sasse Museum by its old name the Inland Empire of Art.
Materials & Supplies Near You
There are quite a few local stores to buy art supplies and materials like:
- Urge Palette Art Supplies at 3635 9th St
- CM School Supply at 4155 Van Buren Blvd
- Michaels at 2704 Canyon Springs Pkwy
- SB Valley College Campus Store at 701 S Mt. Vernon Ave, San Bernardino
- Woodsam at 801 S Dupont Ave, Ontario
- Joann at 4470 Ontario Mills Pkwy, Ontario
Urge Palette Art Supplies provides printing services, 3-hour figure drawing sessions with live models and 6-week art classes for beginners and intermediate artists.
Woodsam is the premier place to go for chalk lettering artists.
Shows & Events
Some of the best shows and events held in the Inland Empire are:
- Riverside Art Walk on first Thursdays
- Riverside Art Market in April
- San Bernardino Arts Fest in March
- Ontario Art Walk
- Ontario Festival of the Arts in October
The Riverside Art Walk is a monthly event you can check out every first Thursday of the month from 6-9pm. Every April you will definitely want to see what is going down at the Riverside Art Market.
The San Bernardino Arts Fest is a two-day event which usually features over 100 artists, interactive activities, live music and food trucks every March in downtown San Bernardino. Four times a year the Ontario Art Walk goes down at the Emporia Arts District.
You will also want to go to the Ontario Festival of the Arts every October in the Emporia Arts District. The Clay Yard from out classes list also has a Raku Firing Party every third Sunday throughout the year with the exception of May.
Art Dealers & Appraisers
If you want to add a new piece to your collection or learn the real value of something you can go to art dealers and appraisers near you like:
- The Little gallery of San Bernardino at 459 W 4th St, San Bernardino
- Mark Fine Arts at 1428 W Granada Ct, Ontario
You can also buy art at the Riverside Community Association or Lee’s Framing and Gallery. JMW Moulding from our framing list also offers art appraisals.
Walking Tours
If you are reading this on a sunny day why not go on an art walking tour in your area:
- Riverside Arts Walk at 3580 Mission Inn Ave
- Emporia Art District at 211 W Emporia St, Ontario
We have already mentioned these a few times but the Riverside Arts Walk is a monthly event every first Thursday of the month that is hosted by the Riverside Arts Council. It visits over 22 downtown locations including museums, galleries and studios.
The Emporia Arts District hosts the Ontario Art Walk which is held every three months.
Sculptures & Statues
You can also find some really cool statues and sculptures in the Inland Empire like:
- Cesar E Chavez Memorial at 3746 University Ave
- Dosan Ahn Chang-Ho Memorial at 3750 Main St
- Mahatma Gandhi Memorial at 3735 Main St
- World’s Largest Paper Cup at 800 E Citrus St
- Soldiers & Sailors Monument at 555 W 6th St, San Bernardino
Ignacio Gomez created the Cesar E Chavez Memorial which was put up in 2013. Dosan Ahn Chang-Ho Memorial was presented in 2001 at Main Street Pedestrian Mall by the Community Design group.
The Mahatma Gandhi Memorial has been at the Main Street Pedestrian Mall since 2006 and was created by Madan and Aruna Garge. The Soldiers and Sailors Monument can be found in Pioneer Park and it was dedicated in April 1916 on the anniversary of General Robert E. Lee’s surrender at Appomattox.
Riverside Art Classes
We are all at different levels and sometimes a lesson or two can give us the boost that we need. Some of the best Riverside art schools and classes can be found at:
- Casa Maripose Art Studio at 19101 Mariposa Ave
- The Paint Sesh at 3516 Banbury Dr #297
- Createaway Studio Art at 18916 Kross Rd
- Riverside Art Academy at 4308 Lime St
- Paint N Mix at 209 E Highland Ave #B, San Bernardino
- The Clay Yard at 530 S Palmetto Ave, Ontario
You can find private art class Casa Maripose Art Studio plus they have a fun Wine and Wheel Party. The Paint Sesh has art classes for all ages, they offer private lessons, have paint and sip parties for adults, as well as kids painting parties.
Createaway Studio Art provides art classes for children, teens and adults. They are also a good place to go for private fine art lessons. The Riverside Arts Academy provides arts and music education for youth aged 4-17.
Paint N Mix has private paint parties for adults and kids. The Clay Yard is a good place to go if you want to get better at ceramics, pottery, or any type of clay work.
Riverside Art Museum, Riverside Community Arts Association, Urge Palette Art Supplies from our above lists also provide art classes.
Studios For Rent Near You
The Lockout Art Studio is a great place to go to rent an art studio near you. The Riverside Community Arts Association also has studios for rent.
Framing
A frame can take a normal looking picture a long way, and some of the best places for art framing in Riverside are:
- Alf Prints & Frames at 6254 Baker St
- JMW Moulding at 3232 Center St
- Lee’s Framing & Gallery at 7001 Indiana Ave
- Wilson’s Frame Up at 1860 Chicago Ave
- Aaron Brothers at 10345 Magnolia Ave
- Creative Art & Mirror Designs Inc at 1511 S Vineyard Ave, Ontario
JMW Moulding also specializes in art appraisals. Lee’s Framing and Gallery has thousands of frames and moulding samples to help you figure out which frame to pick. You can also find art restoration services and buy artwork in your area when you visit.
Wilson’s Frame Up has completed over 1,500 projects with over 1,000 satisfied customers.
You may also want to read some of our other posts on:
- Shows, Festivals & Galleries in Los Angeles
- Shows, Festivals & Galleries in San Diego
- Shows, Festivals & Galleries in Bakersfield
- Shows, Festivals & Galleries in San Francisco
Have Fun Enjoying The Riverside Art Scene
Well guys, we tried to cover the full art scene near you to the best of our abilities. We listed the best galleries, museums, events, shows, supply stores, dealers, appraisers, walking tours, sculptures, classes, studios, and framers in the Inland Empire.
You can let us know about any of your own local Inland Empire tips and tricks in the comments at the end of the post. In addition, please let us know if we got anything wrong or if anything we posted has become dated.
Have fun going to the galleries, museums, buying supplies or doing anything that has to do with art in Riverside!