Museum of Riverside Celebrates Being Part of the Community for 100 Years

Published: 11/22/2024

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:

November 22, 2024

Contact:

Robyn G. Peterson

Museum Director

[email protected]

(951) 826-5792

Museum of Riverside Celebrates Being Part of the Community for 100 Years

Riverside, CA - In 1924, Riverside had an estimated population of just 25,000 people when its forward-looking city leaders founded a museum for the city. Few cities, particularly among those in the western states, were as future-focused as Riverside.

The museum of nature, history, and culture now known as the Museum of Riverside was founded during a period of nationwide entrepreneurial spirit, optimism, and opportunity, and it grew with the changing times. Today, its collections and programs aim to celebrate local achievements, reflect local passions, enrich generations of pre-K through 12 schoolchildren, and provide lifelong learning in a city that is a leader in providing a high quality of life.

The Museum of Riverside is rounding out its year of celebrating the milestone of turning 100 years old. A series of 100 Programs for 100 Years includes community cultural partners and has taken the Museum to all corners of the city. The exhibition Dear Riverside, a letter to our first love examines the century-long process of building a collection to reflect a community. The exhibition is on view through Jan. 5 at the Center for Social Justice & Civil Liberties.

The year will culminate in a gala celebration to be held at the Riverside Municipal Auditorium (which also originated in the 1920s) on Thursday, Dec. 12. Featuring gourmet cuisine, world-class entertainment, and access to exclusive opportunities through a live auction, this event will be a celebration of Riverside's rich history and a toast to its vibrant future.

Tickets are available now, with sales closing on Dec. 1. To secure your spot at this historic celebration, visit https://givebutter.com/MoR100thAnniversaryGala or e-mail [email protected].

The Museum of Riverside began with a gift from local resident Mary Elizabeth Rumsey in memory of her husband Cornelius Earle Rumsey. This initial collection of Indigenous art and artifacts launched a century of gifts donated by community members that reveal the donors' belief that the entire community deserved to share in, learn about, and appreciate the area's natural, cultural, and historical treasures. Among many other highlights, the collection came to include distinctive natural history resources such as the Clark Herbarium; regional archives of photographs and local architects' drawings; and even historic houses such as Heritage House and Harada House.

In its second century, the Museum of Riverside will continue to grow and evolve, but only with the involvement of its unique and diverse community. Museum Director Robyn G. Peterson states, "Enthusiasm for what our fellow human beings accomplish and value lies at the core of every great museum collection. The Museum of Riverside is proud to be looking forward to an expanded new downtown building where this city's enthusiasm for its past, present, and future -- expressed in what residents make, collect, know, and save -- will be celebrated."

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ABOUT THE MUSEUM OF RIVERSIDE The Museum of Riverside, a department of the city of Riverside, holds a large multi-disciplinary collection relevant to the history, culture, and natural science of the region. The Museum has a proud history of exhibitions, programs, and publications foregrounding local and regional achievement. Sites include the downtown Riverside main museum, Heritage House, Harada House, and the Harada House Interpretive Center (forthcoming). All sites except Heritage House are temporarily closed for renovation or rehabilitation. Heritage House is open Friday-Sunday for guided tours; pre-registration for tours is required via Eventbrite.
ABOUT THE CENTER FOR SOCIAL JUSTICE & CIVIL LIBERTIES at RIVERSIDE COMMUNITY COLLEGE DISTRICT The Center was born out of the bequest of Miné Okubo (1912-2001), a Japanese American woman artist and Riverside City College alumna who documented the lives of mid-20th-century Japanese Americans in the U.S. Her artwork, outspoken commentary, and publication of Citizen 13660 brought her to the attention of many. The Center continues to host exhibitions and programs on social justice-related themes. Visit www.socialjustice.rccd.edu for current programs and hours.

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