100 unique hand-painted spheres already underwritten; over 30 schools have signed up to participate so far!

Riverside, CA – Art Float – Riverside, the huge community art event that involves over 350 hand-painted floating spheres, is receiving tremendous support. Since its kick-off at the start of September, over 100 of the 350 super-sized art floats have been sponsored by a business or member of the community for $350. Thirty Riverside schools have already signed up to be a part of this exciting project, which is a collaboration between the Riverside Art Museum (RAM), Riverside Unified School District (RUSD), and City of Riverside Parks, Recreation, and Community Services.

“We are ecstatic to have our students playing such a huge role in a community art project like this,” say Dr. David Hansen, RUSD Superintendent. “When they see those colorful spheres floating in the lake at Fairmount Park next year, they will be able to take pride in knowing that they played a part in this historic, one-of-a-kind art installation, and hopefully they will recognize that they are all a part of something much bigger – a community that values and appreciates art in all forms!”

Related: Art Float Riverside – Floating Community Art Project Will Unite City

Art Float – Riverside is patterned after one staged a few years ago by Portraits of Hope in Los Angeles. The Art Alliance of the Riverside Art Museum is spearheading the Riverside event, which will take place May 11 – June 1, 2018. When painting, which has already commenced, is complete, over 350 hand-painted spheres will float in Lake Evans for a three-week festival. Each sphere is six feet in diameter and will be brightly painted by schoolchildren. During the time the spheres will be in the lake, there will be multiple events for the public to enjoy, such as a Mother’s Day Brunch and an evening by noted local commentator, Dan Bernstein. In addition to events, there will also be a photography and art contest, open to both adults and students, that will focus on the art and environment during Art Float – Riverside.

Art Float – Riverside is also a fundraiser for the art museum. Each giant sphere will be sponsored by a member of the community and afterward the sponsors can keep the painted spheres or have them donated to a school, library, or community center. The money raised by the project will return to RAM’s mission-driven programs, including their award-winning art education program, Art-to-Go. Art-to-Go delivers art education directly to each classroom with age-appropriate projects and lessons given by qualified art instructors. Riverside Unified School District has engaged the museum to deliver thousands of art classes in all their elementary schools this coming year.

For more information about Art Float – Riverside or to become a sphere sponsor, visit www.riversideartmuseum.org/artfloat.

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.

Sponsored by: SchoolsFirst Federal Credit Union, Riverside Unified School District, Community Works Design Group, Riverside City Teachers Association.