Smart Riverside Informs IE Tech Professionals

Steve Reneker, executive director of Smart Riverside, welcomes guests to the Inland Empire Tech Week. Riverside, the largest city in the Inland Empire, is one of many cities in the region embracing new ways to use technology to more efficiently deliver government services to its people. Its “Smart Riverside” agency works to promote technology in the private and public sectors, and sponsored IE Tech Week.

Jason Diehl, academic director for Web Design & Interactive Media at The Art Institute of California – Inland Empire, tells about the importance of technology in the lives of college students and other young people. Diehl was the keynote speaker for The Inland Empire Software Summit, one of the key presentations during IE Tech Week.

Carl Dameron, president of the Inland Empire African American Chamber of Commerce, welcomes guests to the Inland Empire Tech Week, where they learned what entrepreneurs in the Inland Empire are doing with technology and to promote technology business in the Inland Empire.

(RIVERSIDE, Calif.) Inland Empire Technology Week 2009, sponsored by Smart Riverside informed technology professionals in the Inland Empire on where technology is, and where it is headed.

The five-day event brought together technology companies, entrepreneurs, government and business leaders. The goal was to promote the Inland Empire as a region for technology companies to relocate and grow.

Day One kicked off with a Tech Expo at the Riverside Convention Center. More than 700 attendees came together discussing specific issues affecting the tech industries. More than 100 vendors and booths displayed their high technology businesses. Presentations were given from high profile IT professionals such as: Nate Johnson with ESRI who spoke on understanding customers and constituents.

Day Two offered a Google Workshop and Tech Employment Trends 2009 by Robert Half International and Protiviti, also held at the Riverside Convention Center.

Adam Massey, Senior Sales Manager, Google Apps and Deborah Hafford, Regional Sales Manager presented the latest business applications provided from the web browser with software and data stored through the Google platform.
“The productivity suite was specifically why I attended the Google workshop and it exceeded my expectations,” said Leyden Hahn, Chief Technology Officer, Information Technology Department for the City of Riverside.
The presentation walked through different applications, specifically demonstrating the different capabilities that can be personalized through the various layers of the platform.

Keith Montgomery and Jon Bronson presented the latest IT employment trends in the Inland Empire and the importance of IT governance with an organization. This was also an opportunity to network with fellow IT executives and consultants.

Montgomery is the branch manager for Robert Half Technology in the Inland Empire. His mission is to drive more knowledge workers to the region. His presentation served both the current and future IT community.

Bronson is a Director in Protivit’s Los Angeles Risk Consulting Practice. His presentation focused on how factors such as customer perception and the effective management and execution of key foundational processes and controls within an IT function can enhance value at an organization. He also discussed how frameworks such as ITIL are being used by organizations to enhance the efficiency and effectiveness of IT operations.

Day Three was Tech Horizons 2009 held at University of Riverside, Bourns College of Engineering. The subject titled, Aware Sensor Systems: The next Revolution In Safety and Security focused emerging technologies and innovations in areas such as intelligent networking, video and other sensor technologies, biometrics, security and situational understanding.

Day Four was the Fast-Pitch Competition at Cal State San Bernardino. Inland Empire Center for Entrepreneurship and the Tech Coast Angels hosted this venture financing panel session and concluded with 12 entrepreneurs, which were given 90-second pitches to a panel of investors and other members of the Southern California’s entrepreneurial community.

Day Five wrapped up IE Tech Week, the first ever IE Software Summit was held at the City Hall, Grier Pavilion rooftop. The Inland Empire African American Chamber of Commerce hosted the complimentary event. The summit focused on getting ready for the smart phones – how to make your website ready for Smart Phones, PDA’s, and iPhone’.

“This technology has a huge impact on the business world. An e-commerce site owner needs to ask, ‘Is my site compatible with mobile users?’” said Carl Dameron, President of the Inland Empire African American Chamber of Commerce and Dameron Communications.

“People under the age of 21 access the Internet primarily through mobile devices, whether it’s e-mailing, texting, social networking sites and/or downloading music. If your website is not accessible to those consumers, you are missing out on a huge market segment,” said Dameron.

The summit’s keynote was Jason Diehl, Academic Director for Web Design & Interactive Media at The Art Institute of California – Inland Empire. Diehl’s topic was “Evolution to Revolution” with the smart phone. He expanded the mobile companies drive for innovation by interacting the web mobile devices.

“This economy is really helping mobile device industries to force people to be more creative,” said Diehl.

Also featured was a “Meet the Funders” panel discussion that included angel investors and venture capitalist. Mark Mitchell, Executive Director of Tri-Tech hosted the panel discussion. The panelist explained the importance of integrity, competency and passion when pitching to any investor.

“The City of Riverside is evolving as a high technology community with over 40,000 college students leading the future of our community technology vision and direction for the future. As the chairman of SmartRiverside, my goal is to continue to attract and develop high technology companies to our Technology Park and utilize the talents of the high skilled labor in our community to foster a SmartRiverside” - Ron Loveridge, Mayor City of Riverside 
Chairman of Smart Riverside.

For more information about next year’s IE Tech Week you can call Steve Reneker, Executive Director for Smart Riverside at (951) 826-5109 or go online to http://www.riversideca.gov/ietechweek/.

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Interior Designers Create More Than Just A Pretty Place

These Interior Design students from The Art Institute of California - Inland Empire helped the ABC network television show Extreme Makeover transform a home in Phelan, including the dream bedroom of the owners' teen-age daughter.
Marissa Louden, Jamie Young and Paige Petersen, now graduates of The Art Institute of California - Inland Empire, created emergency shelters as part of a second-year class project in the Interior Design program.

Interior Design students from The Art Institute of California - Inland Empire volunteered with Habitat for Humanity of Riverside to build a home there.

Students at The Art Institute of California - Inland Empire create plans for fantasy clients in a t.second-year class project.



(SAN BERNARDINO, Calif.) They have helped transform a dull old kitchen for the Boys & Girls Club into a cheerful place where kids can learn about food and nutrition. They have built small, portable shelters that can keep everyone from a homeless person to a firefighter safe from the elements of weather. And they’ve helped several non-profit organizations build dream homes. All of this, and more, before graduating from college.

By the end of their studies, students in the Interior Design program at The Art Institute of California – Inland Empire will be capable of designing any kind of interior space, from floor to ceiling. They will do it with a lot more than cosmetic touches.

“We’re not teaching HGTV (Home and Garden Television) here,” said Sara Sandoval, academic director for the Art Institute of California-Inland Empire. “Designers have an education and must be state certified.”

The education offered at the Art Institute of California-Inland Empire is a bachelor’s degree program that will qualify graduates to work with architects or other designers to create aesthetically pleasing yet efficient places for people to work and live, Sandoval said.

“Interior designers change lives,” Sandoval said. “They affect change in a positive way by changing interiors.”

For instance, if an office employee must work in a small, windowless room, he or she may feel depressed, and productivity will suffer, Sandoval said. An interior designer can transform that small, windowless office into a place where the worker likes to be.

At the Art Institute, the curriculum begins with basics. First-quarter students, regardless of major, take “foundation” courses in art and design. Interior designers also take two courses in drafting.

In their first Interior Design course, 3D Design Basics, students get an opportunity to build cardboard furniture. Some of these Spartan but functional pieces occupy a corner of The Art Institute of California – Inland Empire’s lobby, just as comfortable and almost as attractive as the rest of the sofas and chairs

That course not only gives students an early opportunity to design something practical (office furniture), but also teaches them many design principals. One is the lesson that just as layers of cardboard are weak individually but strong when working together, people are stronger when they work as a team.

Another lesson Interior Design students learn in their 3D Design Basics course is that environments without color or texture are boring. The Art Institute staff will readily admit that while it adds character to the school’s lobby, the first year students’ durable but Spartan furniture isn’t likely to ever show up in fine home furnishings stores.

On the other hand, the talents and creations of more than 100 students who are well on their way to completing the program are highly marketable. In fact, the most advanced students already have designed projects for their campus, the Riverside Habitat for Humanity, the San Bernardino Boys & Girls Club and local businesses.

Last year, the advanced Interior Design students built temporary emergency shelters as a class project. These look and function so well the school’s administration invited community leaders, media, emergency service workers and homeless advocates to the school, to view the shelters that might actually be put to good use off campus.

These students have already studied courses in construction, architecture and computer-assisted drafting. They have learned how to create interior spaces, and how to present their concepts to clients.

They have become familiar with all necessary documents for a building project, studied business management, art history and environmental science. The most advanced students are now writing theses, and finishing preparation of the detailed portfolios they were working on throughout their education at The Art Institute of California – Inland Empire.

Usually, interior designers create spaces for commercial or industrial use, according to Sandoval. This could include, among others, schools, government buildings, offices, health care facilities, and places offering hospitality services, such as hotels and restaurants. Interior designers also help create or remodel large public places like Los Angeles’ Staples Center.

Homeowners, even if they have the budget to do so, aren’t often inclined to pay interior designers a sustainable living wage, Sandoval said. However, both contemporary residential design and historical restoration are specializations within interior design.

Interior designers who work within these residential specialties will most likely work with an architect, Sandoval said. So, if a homebuilder hires an architect to help with the design phase, chances are good an interior designer will also have an influence on the project.

The Art Institute of California-Inland Empire Interior Design program began in 2006 when the school opened, and its first graduates completed their bachelor’s degrees in March 2009. A year-round schedule allows students to finish what would normally be a four-year program in just three years.

Ten instructors who have a rich and varied experience in the industry teach the courses. Some own their own interior design firms, others work for prominent design firms or architects.
The Interior Design program shares some of its faculty with other departments. These instructors might have industry experience in architecture or interior design, but also have worked in fine arts, animation and graphic design.

In addition to their interior design studies, they will have a well-rounded general education, studying electives in the other design-oriented majors offered by the Arts Institute, and will likely have completed internships in the trade.

“Our goal is for them to be hired immediately after they graduate,” Sandoval said, “so they have a seamless transition between the school and the profession of interior design.

After graduation, these students will be required to work under close supervision for three years. After this they’re required to pass an exam on California building codes, and three other exams on design issues, before they can work on their own as a certified interior designer.

After that, they will be revolutionizing interior design in the Inland Empire.

The Art Institute of California – Inland Empire offers Bachelor of Science degrees in Game Art & Design, Graphic Design, Web Design & Interactive Media, Interior Design, Fashion and Retail Management and Media Arts & Animation. A Bachelor of Fine Arts is offered in Fashion Design. There are also Associate of Science degrees in Graphic Design. Each program is offered on a year-round basis, allowing students to work uninterrupted toward their degrees.

The International Culinary School at The Art Institute of California – Inland Empire offers an Associate of Science degree in Culinary Arts and a Bachelor of Science degree in Culinary Management. Each program is offered on a year-round basis, allowing students to work uninterrupted toward their degrees.

It’s not too late to enroll at The Art Institute of California-Inland Empire. Courses begin July 13, with offerings in the days, evenings and on weekends for new and reentry students. For details or a tour of the campus call (909) 915-2100, or go on line to artinstitutes.edu/inlandempire.

The Art Institute of California – Inland Empire is one of The Art Institutes (artinstitutes.edu) a system of over 40 education institutions throughout North America providing an important source of design, media arts, fashion and culinary arts professionals.

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Black Voice Foundation Shows How To Be Green

Riverside County Auditor-Controller Robert Byrd attended the Green Economy Summit, where he learned more about the green economy, green jobs and recycling.

Craig Keys Executive Director of Green Valley Initiative spoke at the Green Economy Symposium at the Grier Pavilion and spoke on the green economy, green jobs, and recycling.
Rikke Van Johnson, San Bernardino Mayor Pro Tem, (back left) and Lisha Smith, Deputy Director for San Bernardino County Supervisor Josie Gonzales, attended the Green Economy Symposium at the Grier Pavilion and learned more about the green economy, green jobs, and recycling.

Lea Peterson Sempra Utilities spoke at the Green Economy Symposium at the Grier Pavilion and spoke on the green economy, green jobs, and recycling.

More than 80 community leaders attended the Green Economy Symposium at the Grier Pavilion and learned more about the green economy, green jobs, and recycling.

More than 80 community leaders including Carl Dameron, president the Inland Empire African-American Chamber of Commerce attended the Green Economy Symposium at the Grier Pavilion and learned more about the green economy, green jobs, and recycling.

(RIVERSIDE, Calif.) - The Black Voice Foundation, the Inland Empire African-American Chamber of Commerce and the Moreno Valley Chamber of Commerce hosted a Green Economy Symposium at the Grier Pavilion, Riverside City Hall on Friday, June 12, 2009.

Commissioner Timothy Alan Simon of the California Public Utilities Commission was the special guest speaker.

Before the featured speaker, attendees had an opportunity to learn more about the green economy, green jobs, and recycling. Leonard Robison, Director of Toxic Waste and the EPA Federal Liaison for the State of California moderated a panel discussion.

In his brief tenure at the Public Utilities Commission, Simon has used his business, law, and public service backgrounds to provide California with environmentally friendly energy, and supported the expansion of energy efficiency programs to help low-income residents, and the establishment of a “solar incentive program for low-income homeowners.”

The panelists at the event included Lea Peterson of Sempra Utilities; Jamil Dada, President of the Association of the Workforce Development Board; Craig Key, s Executive Director of Green Valley Initiative and Lois Carson, Executive Director of the Community Action Partnership.

The Black Voice Foundation has previously hosted green events in the Inland Empire to spread awareness about environmental efforts such as recycling, green jobs, electronic waste disposal procedures and energy conservation.

For information on the Green Economy Symposium, contact Anna Wenger at (951)-682-6070.

San Jacinto Hemet Chamber Learns How Riverside County's $3.2 Billion is Spent

Patti K. Drusky, president/CEO of the Hemet/San Jacinto Valley Chamber of Commerce and Robert Byrd, Riverside County Auditor-Controller at a recent chamber meeting where Byrd discussed the state of county’s $3.2 billion budget.


(RIVERSIDE, Calif.) - Riverside County Auditor-Controller Robert Byrd met with members of the San Jacinto-Hemet Chamber of Commerce and let them know how the county spent more than $3.2 billion in fiscal year 2007-2008.

He reported that Riverside County took in more than $3.5 billion in revenue from July 1, 2007 to June 30, 2008 but spent just under $3.2 billion.

Byrd gave each member a copy of the Financial Highlights of Riverside County’s Annual Report. The reported the budget expenditures and showed a variety of charts.

A “dollar bill" chart showing how for every dollar of property tax collected, 48 cents is spent on schools, 25 cents on community redevelopment, 12 cents on Riverside County itself, eight cents on the county’s special districts and seven cents on the cities within Riverside County.

“In Fiscal Year 2007-2008, our county continued to grow, thus easing the financial strain locally,” Byrd said.

“Riverside County has been prudent in its fiscal management over the past years. While we are not experiencing double-digit property-tax revenue growth as in the past, revenue has not decreased as much as in many other California counties,” Byrd added

However, Byrd cautions that this year’s financial report likely won’t be as glowing as last years.

“Our county, state, country and world are experiencing a financial crisis,” he said. “Issues involving mortgages, foreclosures and the collapse of banking institutions, as well as corruption and unethical behavior, abound. Riverside County is not an island unto itself; it has been impacted by these global problems. Now, more than ever, it is essential we do everything possible to ensure county operations are efficient and that safeguards are in place to identify and stop wasteful spending,” Byrd said.

Byrd let with the chamber know just what the auditor controller does. “I don’t assess property or collect taxes. I write warrants (checks). "

He explained that the Auditor-Controller’s office verifies, processes and creates more than 1,000 warrants or checks to vendors each day and processes and drafts more than 40,000 paychecks for county employees each month. It oversees the disbursement of more than $3 billion in tax money each year.

Byrd’s office actively seeks speaking opportunities to talk about the county’s budget. “I’m a number guy and a people person. I actually enjoy letting our citizens and taxpayers know where their budget dollars are spent and answering questions about the county’s finances,” said Byrd.

For more information or to invite Robert Byrd to speak at your group, call the Riverside County Auditor-Controller's office at (951) 955-3800 or check the web site at http://www.auditorcontroller.org.

For a copy of the Comprehensive Annual Financial Report with 206 pages of information about the state of Riverside County’s finances go to Web at http://www.auditorcontroller.org.


Robert E. Byrd, CGFM, who is elected by the voters of Riverside County, heads the Office of the Auditor-Controller. The Auditor-Controller staff and management teams are dedicated to providing sound financial accounting, auditing and reporting in order to serve the citizens of Riverside County.

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DEMOLITION STARTS FOR SAN BERNARDINO’S CRIME RIDDEN MERIDIAN APARTMENTS

Three of 18 of San Bernardino’s crime ridden Meridian Apartment fourplexes were demolished on Monday morning. Local residents are happy the apartments are leaving. Rikke Van Johnson, City of San Bernardino mayor pro tem and Sixth Ward council member, blames the high crime rate to a design flaw. “Those who lived there were not the problem people. It was those the area attracted.”

Left to right: Shannon Johnson and Carey Jenkins from The City of San Bernardino Redevelopment Agency smile as one of the crime ridden Meridian Apartments is demolished.

(San Bernardino Calif.) Three of 18 of San Bernardino’s crime ridden Meridian Apartment fourplexes were demolished on Monday morning. Local residents are happy the apartments are leaving.

Rikke Van Johnson, City of San Bernardino mayor pro tem and Sixth Ward council member, blames the high crime rate to a design flaw. “Those who lived there were not the problem people. It was those the area attracted.”

The City of San Bernardino Redevelopment Agency has purchased 8 of the eighteen units and expects to close escrow on the remainder soon.

Johnson would like to see the fourplexs replaced with single-family homes. “Once we acquire all of the property, we’ll look for a developer to come in and bring about that type of housing.”

Renters are receiving relocation assistance from the city to find a new place to live. Rents for the substandard complex are $750 for two bedroom apartments and $850 for three bedroom units.

“I am happy to see these apartments go,” said local resident Carl Dameron. I am happy this city is ridding the Sixth Ward of these vacant complexes that have become a haven for criminals involved in drug sales, drug use and other felonies.”

Demolition started on Monday, June 15th, and clean up continues through June 16th and 17 th. “The remnants of the building won’t be put into landfills.

“Our subcontractor is sorting and recycling the old buildings. J & G Industries expects that 50 to 75 percent of the building can be recycled. The wood can become paper, or particleboard, the old tarpaper and shingles can become new shingles or asphalt and the old concrete can be sued to make new concrete,” said Johnson.

“Long before cities started to make recycling in the demolition business a requirement, our company has always strived to recycle and or reuse as much as possible from the buildings we demolish. Our company makes it an effort to recycle an estimated 75 percent of the buildings material,” said Eric Cain, J & G Industries project manager.

The recycling process saves materials filling up our landfills over the years that do not break down, thus protecting the environment and greatly reducing our costs as a company,” said Cain.

The primary materials being recycled include steel and other various metals. These metals provide the most return for the demolition business in terms of revenue. The metals are first loaded up in large high side steel trucks and then transported to metal recycling facilities. They are then processed and shipped out around the world for various uses.

Wood is another material that is often recycled. Many buildings are hand wrecked and the wood is reused for several purposes including new construction.

Charitable organizations also benefit from our recycling processes, Cain said. “In many cases organizations like Habitat for Humanity will come in and take anything from doors, cabinets, appliances, or other reusable belongings to further their projects. J & G will continue to recycle as much as possible and maintain its support for the environment.

Rikke Van Johnson represents the Sixth Ward on the San Bernardino City Council. He also serves as Mayor Pro Tem. Johnson retired after 27 years with the United States Postal Service. He is currently the manager for Greenwood Bail Bonds.

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How Riverside County's $3 Billion is Spent

Riverside County Auditor-Controller Robert Byrd will explain how the county spent its money in 2007-2008 fiscal year, in a presentation July 8 to the Menifee Valley Chamber of Commerce.

(RIVERSIDE, Calif.) - Riverside County Auditor-Controller Robert Byrd will tell members of the Menifee Valley Chamber of Commerce how the county spent $3 billion in fiscal year 2007-2008.

Byrd will explain how Riverside County spent this money when the chamber meets 12 noon Wednesday, July 8 at Menifee Lakes Country Club, 29875 Menifee Lakes Dr., Menifee. He will also answer questions about county spending.

One of the most important functions of the Auditor-Controller’s office is to audit all of Riverside County’s expenses at the end of each year. This includes compiling an annual report, and with the fiscal year ending on June 30, Byrd’s office will be one week into the process for the 2008-2009 fiscal year when he gives this presentation.

The Auditor-Controller’s office also verifies, processes and creates more than 1,000 warrants to vendors each day and processes and drafts more than 40,000 paychecks for county employees each month. It oversees the disbursement of more than $3 billion in tax money each year.

In 2002, Robert Byrd became the county’s elected Auditor-Controller with more votes cast than in the entire history of the office. He was subsequently re-elected to a second four-year term in June of 2006.

Byrd has been chair of the Riverside County Employee Campaign and the Legislative Chair for the State Association of County Auditors. Additionally, Byrd is a commissioner on the California Uniform Construction Cost Accounting Commission, and a member of the California Society of Municipal Finance Officers, the Government Finance Officer’s Association and the State Association of County Auditors.

Committed to his community, he’s a member of Riverside Rotary, board member of the Next of Kin Registry, is on the International Relations Council for Riverside and performs as Finance Chairperson for La Sierra Academy’s Board of Trustees.

For details on the Riverside County Auditor-Controller's office call (951) 955-3800.

Robert E. Byrd, CGFM, who is elected by the voters of Riverside County, heads the Office of the Auditor-Controller. The Auditor-Controller staff and management teams are dedicated to providing sound financial accounting, auditing and reporting in order to serve the citizens of Riverside County. More information is available on the Web at http://www.auditorcontroller.org.

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Robert Byrd Launces US Census Efforts

Martha A Rivas, a US Census partnership specialist for the Coachella Valley and Robert Byrd, Riverside County Auditor Controller helped launch the Riverside County count for the United States Census in 2010. Byrd encouraged community and business leaders “to do the best they can to count every one of our 2.1 million residents so that Riverside County doesn’t leave any money on the table.”

(CATHEDRAL CITY, Calif.) Riverside Auditor Controller Robert Byrd encouraged United States Census workers and elected officials to help count all of Riverside County's residents during the county's census kickoff at the Doral Desert Princess Resort in Cathedral City.

During the last census, in 2000, Riverside County and the Coachella Valley had some of the lowest responses in the state, said Martha A. Rivas, a U.S. Census partnership specialist for the Coachella Valley.

Palm Springs' 49 percent response rate was the lowest in the valley.

Byrd said it's important to obtain as accurate and complete population counts as possible to help determine how the government will distribute money to the county. The valley received less financial aid 10 years ago than it could have obtained because of the low response.
The Census also determines the number of congress members, state assembly members and state senators California and the county will receive.

Obtaining a correct count in this area has specific challenges, said Rivas. These include accessing gated communities and reaching seasonal residents, such as snowbirds and migrant workers.

Byrd heard about the issues firsthand as his son served as an enumerator during the address canvassing for Census 2010.

"My son shared with me the challenges that census workers face from locked gates to dogs to suspicious residents wary of strangers," said Byrd. "He also told me once people understood he worked for the U.S. Census they were usually happy to help him."

Census questionnaires will be sent out in March 2010 and must be completed by April 1, 2010.
Coachella Mayor Eduardo Garcia attended Thursday's kickoff on behalf of Assemblyman Manuel Perez, D-Coachella.

“In terms of the census … (Perez) believes that it is critically important that we use innovation and creativity to get into every corner of the valley,” Garcia said.

In 2002, Robert Byrd became the county’s elected Auditor-Controller with more votes cast than in the entire history of the office. He was subsequently re-elected to a second four-year term in June of 2006.

The function of the Auditor-Controller’s office is to verify, process and create more than 1,000 warrants to vendors each day and process and draft more than 40,000 paychecks for county employees each month. It oversees the disbursement of more than $3 billion in tax money each year, and reports and audits all of Riverside County’s expenses.

Byrd has been chair of the Riverside County Employee Campaign and the Legislative Chair for the State Association of County Auditors. Additionally, Byrd is a commissioner on the California Uniform Construction Cost Accounting Commission, and a member of the California Society of Municipal Finance Officers, the Government Finance Officer’s Association and the State Association of County Auditors.

Committed to his community, he’s a member of Riverside Rotary, board member of the Next of Kin Registry, is on the International Relations Council for Riverside and performs as Finance Chairperson for La Sierra Academy’s Board of Trustees.

For details on the Riverside County Auditor-Controller's office call (951) 955-3800.

Robert E. Byrd, CGFM, is elected by the voters of Riverside County, heads the Office of the Auditor-Controller. The Auditor-Controller staff and management teams are dedicated to providing sound financial accounting, auditing and reporting in order to serve the citizens of Riverside County. More information is available on the Web at http://www.auditorcontroller.org.

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Art Insitute Grads to Display Portfolios

Cesar Bahena of Hesperia, a March graduate of The Art Institute of California - Inland Empire, displays his art projects at the March 2009 Graduate Portfolio Review. The June graduates of The Art Institute of California - Inland Empire will be featured in the June 2009 Graduate Portfolio Review, taking place June 16, 2009 at the Riverside Art Museum.

(SAN BERNARDINO, Calif.) Students nearing graduation from The Art Institute of California – Inland Empire will showcase the best of their work when the school hosts its Graduate Portfolio Show on Tuesday, June 16 at the Riverside Art Museum.

“This is our third show, and the second time we have showcased it in the historic building that encompasses the Riverside Art Museum. Now that many of our students are soon becoming alumni, we hope that area employers will come and enjoy a display of commercial art in a great art venue, but also consider bringing these talented artists with new college degrees into their workplace,” said Cindy Jones, director of Career Services for The Art Institute of California – Inland Empire.

“We also celebrate this important milestone with our students and honor them as they begin their journey into professional lives.”

Employers looking for talented, newly graduated professionals in the fields of Graphic Design, Web Design & Interactive Media, Culinary Arts and Media Arts & Animation are invited to attend this reception from 4 p.m. to 6 p.m. at Riverside Art Museum, 3425 Mission Inn Ave, Riverside. They’re asked to RSVP with Brenda Medina at (909) 915-2192.

From 6 p.m. to 9 p.m., the party continues its focus on the graduates, but the guests joining them during this portion of the event will be their own friends and family. These three hours are also open to the public

The Art Institute of California – Inland Empire will serve hors d’ouvres and beverages, some of which are being created by the new graduates of the Culinary Arts program.

The Graduate Portfolio Show is now a quarterly tradition for The Art Institute of California – Inland Empire. It began holding this event last December, and has had a growing number of students complete their degrees in the two quarters since then.

The Art Institute of California – Inland Empire offers Bachelor of Science degrees in Game Art & Design, Graphic Design, Web Design & Interactive Media, Interior Design, Fashion & Retail Management, and Media Arts & Animation. It offers an Associate degree in Graphic Design, and a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree in Fashion Design.

The International Culinary School at The Art Institute of California – Inland Empire offers an Associate degree in Culinary Arts and a Bachelor of Science degree in Culinary Management. Each program is offered on a year-round basis, allowing students to work uninterrupted toward their degrees.

It’s not too late to start a new term at The Art Institute of California – Inland Empire. Courses begin July 13 and classes are offered in the day, evening and on weekends for new and reentry students.

For more information, or to arrange a tour, call The Art Institute of California – Inland Empire at (909) 915-2100 or go on line to www.artinstitutes.edu/InlandEmpire.

The Art Institute of California – Inland Empire is one of the Art Institutes (www.artinstitutes.edu/), a system of over 40 education locations throughout North America, providing an important source of design, media arts, and culinary arts professionals.

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