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Since 1993, the Riverside Arts Center (RAC) has been a regional anchor for creative practice and learning in the arts.
Home to galleries, artist studios, and a school showcasing the art of our time, RAC serves as a hub for artistic exploration and community engagement. We uplift art and the work of artists through a diverse range of exhibitions, publications, classes, and professional development opportunities.
Our exhibition spaces include the Freeark Gallery + Sculpture Garden, where we welcome discourses on contemporary art, hosting 8-9 exhibitions each year in the gallery and garden. The FlexSpace is a community space featuring artistic explorations centered on integrating ideas in arts and culture with workshops, artist residencies, performances, and exhibitions. In the historic Riverside Town Hall, we arrange exhibitions of work by area artists working in two dimensions celebrating the exchange of support and generosity between the community of Riverside and the Riverside Arts Center.
As a Community Arts Center, we celebrate the creativity of collaboration within our community. Each year we host an exhibition of work by RAC members in the Freeark with a tandem exhibition in the FlexSpace of works by students in our classes. In May of each year the Freeark exhibits work by local AP Art Students from Riverside Brookfield High School. And with support from the Illinois Arts Council we provide summer jobs in the arts for 3 area teens.
Providing professional development opportunities in the arts is a key aspect of our programming. We host artist talks for each exhibition, publish up to two exhibition catalogs per year), offer residencies for artists on an occasional basis, support a variety of artist studios, and run art classes and workshops for children and adults in a variety of media. Our School and Mudroom include a renowned clay studio with electric, raku and stoneware kilns, and an independent clay studio program.
In advance of our 30th Anniversary, we transformed our building with a stunning new mural by internationally renowned artist Collin Van Der Sluijis. The mural contributes to the vitality of the downtown business district, enhancing interest in the arts, bringing new visitors and tourists to the region, and drawing attention to Riverside’s importance in nature and art.
Designed by Frederick Law Olmsted (the founder of landscape architecture), Riverside is also an important bird area for bird migration. It boasts a strong community of art makers, art teachers, and art lovers. Through art, we connect our community of artists, art lovers and students extending from Riverside to greater Chicagoland and beyond.
our mission
The Riverside Arts Center strives to be the epicenter for contemporary art in the near west suburbs of Chicago. Through exhibitions, education, artist studios and public events, the RAC is an advocate for the vital role the arts play in nurturing community, and amplifying diverse experiences, ideas, and backgrounds.
Riverside Arts Center is located at 32 E. Quincy St., Riverside, IL 60546
Visit riversideartscenter.com to learn more and connect on Instagram: @riversideartscenter
Gallery hours: Thursday, Friday, and Saturday from 1:00 – 5:00 PM or by appointment
Celebrating 10 Years (2013- 2023) 