Giant Orange ArtVenture
This weekend marks the last time you’ll be able to see all (or nearly all) of the large “art” oranges in downtown Riverside as the very successful “The Giant Orange Artventure” is coming to an end.
Last June, after many months of artistic preparation, 32 fiberglass oranges were “planted” in various locations throughout downtown. Each of the 4-foot-round oranges was sponsored by local businesses/philanthropists for $5,000 each and painted/decorated by artists, most of which had local roots. Proceeds from the exhibit support the Riverside Art Museum.
Riverside Art Museum director Daniel Foster said he’s happy with the results he’s seen so far.
“I think we’re going to be one of the more outstanding examples of this,” Foster said. “One primary reason is the orange shape allows for more variety of interpretation of what to do with that sphere. It’s allowed for more latitude for the artists.
“I’m exceedingly proud of the quality of artistic interpretation and diversity of interpretation that have come out of this project.”
Riverside Press-Enterprise – June 1, 2006
Though the majority of the oranges depict local history, the artistic expressions range from abstract art to snippets of Ralph Waldo Emerson. To truly appreciate the intricate artwork that went into the oranges, one needs to give close inspection. And though there are many great examples to appreciate, our favorite — “Under the Citrus Sun” by Greg & Cathy Maxwell — is located in front of City Hall. The representation of Riverside’s skyline, Mission Inn, and Fox Theater via the use of mosaics is impressive. Another favorite is “Our Emerging City” by artist Ada M. Passaro.
The public exhibit, coordinated by the Riverside Art Museum’s Art Alliance, was patterned after Chicago’s popular “Cows on Parade” (1999), wherein artists painted fiberglass cows that were later auctioned off.
Beginning September 13th, many of the oranges will be relocated to other public and private spots, though some will likely remain close to their original spots (our hope is that a number of them remain, particularly on the downtown pedestrian mall). At least 4 (“Riverside: Vision of an Enlightened City” / “Bearing Fruit” / “La Naranja” / “The Squeeze”) will be auctioned off October 13th at a special fundraising event with the proceeds again benefiting the Riverside Art Museum.
Related
- Riverside Press-Enterprise – Giant artwork to raise funds for Riverside Art Museum (June 1)
- The Giant Orange Artventure
- Riverside Art Museum
- View From a Loft – Picked by Hand: A giant orange finds a home
- Chicago – “Cows on Parade”
Gallery: See all 32 of the giant oranges in the photo gallery below.
Sources: Riverside Art Museum, Riverside Press-Enterprise (PE-20060601)
2024 PAGE UPDATE: Added newspaper citation/insert; added new photo gallery; removed outdated links to newspaper article and third-party websites.
