A casual conversation over a shared interest in Chicano literature was the inspiration that led two Riverside officials to create a new permanent exhibit at the SSgt. Salvador J. Lara Casa Blanca Library dedicated to highlighting Latino art and literature.
“Young people from this neighborhood are going to come into the library and they’re going to see themselves in the books, in the art,” said Ward 5 Councilmember Sean Mill, who worked on the space with Riverside County Supervisor Jose Medina. “They want to see stories that they can relate to, so these stories could be [about] anybody that grew up in Casa Blanca.”
Dozens of residents gathered April 2 for the unveiling of “Ojos del Tiempo,” the Chicano art and literature space, nestled in a corner near the library’s entrance.
On one wall were nine frames featuring artwork handpicked by Mill showcasing the Latino neighborhood’s history, like a mural painted by Eastside Arthouse owner Juan Navarro. Other pieces referenced current-day Latino struggles, like Lalo Alcaraz’s “Summer of ICE.” Beneath the artwork are two shelves featuring literature written by prominent Chicano writers, like Sandra Cisneros and Victor Villaseñor, that Medina and Mill chose together.
“He had collaborated on every little intricacy of the whole thing,” Mill said. “So it really is a labor of love for both Jose and myself.”
Stay up to date with the latest from The Record. Subscribe to our weekly newsletter today!
Mill said the idea to create the space first came after walking into the Casa Blanca library days after his election. He asked to be directed to the Chicano literature section and was instead pointed toward a part of the library that contained books in Spanish. Later that night, he and Medina connected over their shared passion for the genre — and his recent experience at the library — which led them to create the space.
Riverside Public Library Director Erin Christmas said her team has a series of events planned over the next few months at the library, like a poetry reading and a succulent plant workshop, to help introduce residents to the space. The art within the exhibit will also be rotated, she added, with works by local artists representative of Casa Blanca’s Latino history.
“Riverside is a majority Latino community, so making sure we have that voice represented is critical,” Christmas said. “We have local artists who did this art that grew up here in Casa Blanca community [and] we have books written by local Riversiders in this collection.”
Jesse Aleman, a prominent succulent artist who grew up in the neighborhood, is the artist scheduled to host the plant workshop at the library in the coming months.
He also had a new art piece, called “La Luz,” which contained the original Casa Blanca orange-packing label surrounded by plants, featured at the unveiling.
“I just feel very proud and honored that I get to be a part of my hometown library that I came here since I was like 4 years old,” Aleman said. I feel like we’re gonna be able to bring a lot more artists here … for us to start showing and showcasing Latino and Casa Blanca art.”
The Riverside Record is a nonprofit, nonpartisan news outlet providing Riverside County with high-quality journalism free of charge. We’re able to do this because of the generous donations of supporters like you!