History of the Riverside Art Museum

Riverside Art Museum is an art museum in the historic Mission Inn District of Riverside, California. The museum is a non-profit organization which focuses on addressing social issues and offers art classes as well as other events in order to inspire and build community.

The building was originally design by Julia Morgan to serve the Young Women’s Christian Association (YWCA) in 1929. YWCAs provided important spaces for women to a part of the urban environment. The Riverside YWCA was purchased by the Riverside Art Association in 1967. The Riverside Art Association wanted to expand their collection and include more classes to be more accessible for the public. The building was placed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1982.