Mission Statement

The Riverside Arts Council is a private, non-profit corporation whose mission is “to provide, develop, support and sustain the arts.” It is a state local partner of the California Arts Council and a leader among regional and state networks of local art agencies. Established in 1977, it is Riverside County’s central source for arts-related services, information, education and outreach. Connecting artists and art organizations within this ever-expanding region, RAC encourages the advancement, participation and integration of visual, literary and performing arts into the fabric of the communities it serves. Programs range from networking and regional arts and cultural infrastructure development to neighborhood revitalization, outreach and collaborative projects that proactively address community changes.

As Riverside County’s local arts agency, the Riverside Arts Council is committed to all forms of equity including but not limited to race, gender identity, sexual orientation, culture, age, and ability. Our commitment requires ongoing, concerted and purposeful action both internally through our work environment and externally through our programming and community partnerships.

• We are committed to ensuring that our organizational policies and practices reflect democratic principles of equity and justice. We will implement our policies, programs, and activities to identify and counter barriers to access and negative effects on communities of color and other groups impacted by inequities.
  
• We will make it a priority to recruit, hire and retain a diverse work force and board.
  
• We believe that bringing together board, staff, volunteers and community partners with differing backgrounds and life experiences will enhance our ability to increase opportunities for all arts service organizations to succeed.
  
• We will create space for discussing issues of race, racism, and other forms of inequality in ways that are relevant to our work.
  
• We will allocate financial and human resources toward our equity work.
  
• The organization will intentionally identify and build relationships in communities of color, as well as other groups that are of and for those who experience injustice.
  
• We are committed to the just and equitable disbursement of resources in our grant making. We will discuss equity issues with our grantees and work with them to incorporate a justice lens into their work.
  
• We will evaluate the progress we make towards our equity goals on a regular basis and revise our implementation strategies to take this work to the next level.
  

Building an equitable culture requires intention,effort,and will be an ongoing process. This Riverside Arts Council Equity Statement will inspire greater collaboration, both internally and with community partners to advance equity across the region. Led by our Equity Statement, we will actively work to integrate equity into our operations and programs, and work toward justice, improving both the Riverside Arts Council and our broader community.