UCR receives grant to offer free and inclusive community arts programming

The University of California, Riverside, has received a grant of $442,900 from the Max H. Gluck Foundation to support the university's Gluck Fellows Program of the Arts, which enables UCR students to offer arts education programs in the local community.

The grant will support the continuation of this program, which provides inclusive opportunities for self-expression and creativity as well as cultural connections and positive role models for children and underserved community members.

The program offers opportunities for people to engage with graduate and undergraduate students in the creative arts at UCR through workshops, performances, museum tours, and other forms of outreach. In turn, it enables UCR students to engage more deeply and meaningfully with the local community.

"The Gluck Fellows Program of the Arts at UCR has been serving the Inland Region since 1996 and the impact over these years has created thousands of hours of free public programming that has served over 600,000 community members," said Christine Leapman, Gluck Program assistant director at UCR. "Nearly 3,000 UCR students have shared over $7 million in financial aid provided by the Max H. Gluck Foundation, the program's sole funders, over the years.

"This grant is significant for both the community and the College of Humanities, Arts and Social Sciences," Leapman added. "Teachers who receive Gluck programming in the classrooms tell us that Gluck fellows bring their students, many who will be the first generation to go to college, opportunities to meet graduate students who are pursuing further education, following their dreams, and creating their futures by working in the arts and studying subjects they're passionate about."

Gluck fellows in 2017 at UCR ARTS. (UCR)

Gluck fellows such as Rory Fewer, a composer, DJ, and graduate student in ethnomusicology, have seen first-hand the impact of this accessible programming. "Working with K-12 students in the local area is really important to me," Fewer said. "It's something I didn't have growing up and these students may not have access to. The program is really filling a gap."

When presenting original workshops such as Japanese Folk Music & Dance and Intro to DJing, Fewer was bowled over by the positive response. "There was a real appetite among these students to try something new and participate in hands-on engagement," he said.

Ashley McNelis, a doctoral candidate in art history and the 2023-24 UCR California Museum of Photography Curatorial Fellow, is now in her fourth year as a Gluck fellow. She leads free art exhibit tours for community members at UCR ARTS.

"It's an opportunity to provide information to people and also to generate dialog," McNelis said of the tours. "Visitors can ask questions and learn how to look closely at works of art and practice talking about them in a casual environment. It's wonderful to see people make connections to the work and the museum. They can take away something different every time."

McNelis recalled an experience giving a tour of a Christina Fernandez exhibition to a group of Boy Scouts and their families that explored themes of migration, labor, and gender. "It was the first time many of them had been to a museum and they were all very excited to come back," McNelis said. "My own academic work focuses on labor and photography and it was gratifying to have everything coalesce.

Engaging with various exhibitions in this way, McNelis said, "has contributed greatly to the development of my knowledge and confidence in doing engagement work in a museum setting. You have to think on your feet. It's a fun and thoughtful way to engage with art and the community."

Gluck Foundation Board President Jon Kaswick shared plans to continue growing the program. "Our future vision for the UCR Gluck Fellowship program includes the expansion of venues and events in the greater Riverside community, thus augmenting artistic exposure in this population," he said.

About the Max H. Gluck Foundation

The Max H. Gluck Foundation is committed to enhancing the educational, cultural, and health opportunities for underserved communities, empowering individuals to reach their full potential.

Header image: Judith Rodenbeck, professor and chair of UCR's Department of Media and Cultural Studies, chats with Jessica Kaswick, executive director of the Max H. Gluck Foundation, about a photo exhibition on Tuesday, April 23, 2024. (UCR/Stan Lim)

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