Riverside Art Museum (RAM) is one museum with two locations in Riverside, California – proclaimed the “City of Arts & Innovation.” Since 1967, the Riverside Art Museum (3425 Mission Inn Avenue) has been housed in a 1929 building designed by Hearst Castle and AIA Gold Medal-winning architect Julia Morgan registered on the National Register of Historic Places and designated a Historic Landmark by the City of Riverside. Open since June 17, 2022, The Cheech Marin Center for Chicano Art & Culture aka “The Cheech” (3581 Mission Inn Avenue) resides in a renovated and rehabilitated mid-century building that originally opened as the city’s public library in 1964. At both, RAM 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’s permanent collection consists of approximately 1,500 pieces including artists like Karl Benjamin, Rex Brandt, Millard Sheets, and Marc Chagall. Some of RAM’s permanent collection and past exhibitions can be found online for viewing, including those featuring Leonard Baskin, Doris Rosenthal, and print artists of the Sosaku-Hanga. RAM mounts an average of 20 exhibitions per year, some of which are traveling exhibitions of “art that addresses social issues, diverse themes and a range of media techniques.” Often, RAM also showcases pieces done by students and the community. Past exhibits have showcased national and international artists and collections, the American Institute of Architects / U.S. Green Building Council's 2008 Regional Architectural Design Awards Exhibition, and member exhibits.