Join Cartwheel Art Tours and Obscura Society LA, on a road trip, where we will transport you on a bus from LA to Riverside and back for an immersive neighborhood art journey. It is on this excursion, where the following will occur:

Discover: 30 artists – 3 special installations – 5 murals, around the arts complex of Brandstater Gallery created for the Women of New Contemporary Art exhibition, curated by Torrey Cook founder/owner of Artists Republic, during the opening reception of their exhibition. We will also be hearing from the artist’s, their perspectives on the movement and being a female artist, during a panel discussion. See more here about the exhibition and artists who are painting murals including: Casey O’Connell, Velia de Iuliis, Martha Rich, Jennie Cotterill x Yevgeniya Mikahilik x Nancy Chiu x Suzanne Walsh.

Check out the Preview and Save the Date article from Cartwheel Art for more details. 

Explore: the landmark, block-sized, historical Mission Inn, with it’s countless hidden treasures, through a private guided tour of the grounds that will include our docent providing details about the artifacts throughout the hotel museum, and rooms.

The Mission Inn, a composite of many architectural styles including Spanish Gothic, Mission Revival, Moorish Revival, Spanish Colonial, Spanish Colonial Revival, Rennaissance Revival and Mediterranean Revival Style, is considered to be the largest Mission Revival style building in the United States. We will also learn more about the notable guests that have been connected to the hotel, and how the property which began as a small cottage called the “Glenwood Hotel”, built by civil engineer Christopher Columbus Miller in 1876, developed with one section over another, addition upon addition, creating a complicated and intricately built structure. Some of the highlights of the Mission Inn’s architecture that we will see include the narrow passageways, exterior arcades, a medievel-style clock, a five-story rotunda, numerous patios and windows, castle towers, minarets,a cloister Wing (with catacombs), flying butresses, mediterranean domes and a pedestrian skybridge among many other features.

In addition, during the thirty year period, Miller traveled the world, collecting treasures to bring back to the hotel for display. The various museum-quality artifacts on the property have an estimated value of over $5 million. Our docent is an expert on the art in the hotel and will provide in-depth knowledge about the collection. There are also stained glass windows, original mosaics, a Mexican-Baroque styled “Rayas Altar” that is 25 feet tall by 16 feet across, carved from cedar and completely covered in gold leaf, a garden of bells, along with many other treasures including salvaged materials in the St. Francis Chapel housed on the property as well. There will be so much to learn about the Mission Inn during our 75 minute tour which will touch on the list of entertainers and its connection in popular culture with films.

Experience: the whimsical art and authentic mexican food at Tios Tacos. We will dine in their private back patio and explore the grounds with it’s eccentric and eclectic assemblage folk art. The grounds of Tios Tacos have been described as part Watts Towers, part Gauudi Fantasia. It’s where Martin Sanchez, has taken recycling to creative heights–both literal and figurative. He has created pyramids, whimsical fountains, and a series of giant wire figures, filled with shells, shoes, toys and other items on the grounds that we will be exploring. Inside is just as unique. It’s where we will see dozens of aquas frescas glimmering with fake watermelon wedges and pineapples hanging from the ceiling and a mural that goes under the sea where abalone and oyster shells come out of the wall.

Receive a special Cartwheel Art Tours $10.00 discount when you use code ExploreRiverside

PURCHASE TICKETS HERE.

Special notes for the tour:
– The bus will depart promptly at 1pm. Please arrive fifteen minutes early as we will not be able to wait for late arrivals. Snacks and beverages can be purchased at Urban Radish before boarding the bus.
– The location for bus pick up is at Urban Radish in the Arts District where there is plenty of parking on Imperial street.
– Food at Tios Tacos is not included in the ticket price. They have reserved a table for us in the back patio and are aware that guests will be paying individually. They will be adding 18% gratuity charge to your bill.
– This is a eight hour day. Please plan accordingly with beverages and snacks.
– Comfortable shoes recommended for the walking component that is at the Mission Inn.

Top Photo: Tios Tacos. Courtesy of Atlas Obscura.

Work in progress from mural Martha Rich is painting for the exhibition.

Mural by Casey O’Connell just completed for the exhibition.

This piece by Suzanne Walsh, is part of the gallery installation featuring local artists from Southern California.

Tios Tacos. Photo courtesy of Atlas Obscura.

Tios Tacos. Photo courtesy of Atlas Obscura.

The Mission Inn

The Mission Inn

The Mission Inn

The Mission Inn

The Mission Inn