Riverside, CA – The launch of nearly 400 six-foot ART FLOAT spheres into Lake Evans at Fairmount Park has created quite a stir in Riverside. Over 500 people attended the opening night festivities on May 11 and now crowds are headed to the park to see the colorful public art exhibit. Field trips from Riverside Unified School District are descending upon the park for the next two weeks as students view the floats that they helped paint.

• Open through June 1
• Windermere Tower Properties Family Art Day in the Park: Sunday, May 20, 11 a.m. – 2 p.m.
• Altura Credit Union and RAM Art and Photography Contest
• For more information, visit www.riversideartmuseum.org/artfloat

“I’ve heard from people all over the southland who want to come and see the spheres,” says Chairwoman Kathy Allavie. “It’s a once-in-a-lifetime display for our community and it is particularly fun for families to come experience.”

The giant spheres in bright citrus colors create a beautiful juxtaposition to the natural beauty of Fairmount Park’s Lake Evans. The park, which is Riverside’s oldest, is particularly beautiful this spring. Egrets and geese fly over the spheres giving the whole scene a magical quality. Driving into the park, one can’t help but be impressed by the floating art creation before them.

“This kind of public art display is a treat for our city,” says Drew Oberjuerge, Riverside Art Museum Executive Director. “Its purpose is to capture the imagination of everyone who sees it. When it is gone, it will only remain in paintings and photographs, and that is why we want the community to enjoy it while it is here.”

The Riverside Art Museum, in conjunction with Windermere Tower Properties, is presenting a Family Art Day in the Park on Sunday, May 20, from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m., near the playground and carousel, free to attend (tickets available for purchase on-site to participate in select art-making activities while supplies last).

Bring your family and friends to see the Art Float spheres and have a fun-filled day at the park! Enjoy activities (like giant bubble making, colorful kite making, splatter painting, etc., while supplies last), bring your own picnic lunch and listen to live music, play outdoor games, and more!

RAM is also teaming up with Altura Credit Union to hold an Art and Photography Contest open to artists and photographers of all ages. With an adult and student category, as well as cash and prizes to be awards, all applicants need to do is depict the wonder and excitement of ART FLOAT – RIVERSIDE through a painting, drawing, or photograph. To enter the contest, turn in all applications and artwork/photography to the Riverside Art Museum on either Friday, June 29, or Saturday, June 30, 10 a.m. – 4 p.m. Judging will take place in July with winners notified by July 31. All prizes will be awarded at a reception at the Riverside Art Museum, Thursday, September 6, at 5 p.m., prior to Artswalk. Winning pieces will be on display at the Riverside Art Museum September 6 – 20, 2018. Afterward, winning pieces may be displayed at various Altura branch locations at their discretion. Visit www.riversideartmuseum.org/artfloat to download the guidelines and application.

The Riverside Art Museum integrates art into the lives of people in a way that engages, inspires, and builds community by providing high quality exhibits and art education programs that instill a lifelong love of the arts. RAM relies on the generosity of members and donors to support its exhibitions, education programs, and special events. A 60-plus-year-old, non-profit cultural arts institution housed in a National Historic 1929 building designed by Hearst Castle and AIA Gold Medal-winning architect Julia Morgan, the museum welcomes over 50,000 visitors a year. The museum is open Tuesday – Saturday, 10:00 a.m. – 4:00 p.m. and Sunday, 12:00 noon – 4:00 p.m. For information on exhibits, events, classes, memberships, or sponsorship opportunities, visit www.RiversideArtMuseum.org. For information about the proposed Cheech Marin Center for Chicano Art, Culture & Industry at the Riverside Art Museum, visit www.riversideartmuseum.org/cheech.

Sponsored by: Tilden-Coil Constructors, SchoolsFirst Federal Credit Union, RUSD, The James Irvine Foundation, The Press-Enterprise, Community Works Design Group, RCTA, PIP Printing Riverside/Corona, Burgess Moving & Storage, La Bodega, Romano’s, Chick-fil-A Day Street, Riverside Medical Clinic, Windermere Real Estate Tower Properties, Larson Orthodontics, Home Instead Senior Care, Amy S. Harrison. For the complete list, visit www.riversideartmuseum.org/artfloat