My husband and I had our wedding reception here and it turned out beautiful. We had our reception in the room with the brick walls, the Florence I think it was called. Elvia, the decorator is amazing. There was some scheduling so we weren't able able to do the final walk through, but we did that with Jessica who was so great to work with us. She made sure she had every detail down to ensure she could relay everything we wanted to Elvia. My husband and I went over what we wanted and she executed it beautifully. We had to do our own center pieces, which wasn't a problem but she handled everything else. While planning the whole thing, my biggest issues was getting a hold of people. I would call during open hours, no one would answer. I would then leave a message, and I wouldn't get a call back for two weeks. When the phone would get answered and I was able to ask my questions, they would say they'll call me back and then I would rarely get a call back. Thankfully I lived near by so I was able to physically go down there and talk to someone. One of the most helpful people there was Curtis (the on call accountant on the weekends and I believe that is his name) because he was the only one I remember that would call back promptly if he couldn't get to the phone on time. When I went to go sign the papers for the contract, he was the one that gave me the grand tour, not the other sales people who I initially spoke with in the beginning when I was inquiring about the venue. As I said before, in the end, our reception was everything we wanted. However, the process of getting a hold of anyone by phone was extremely irritating and unfortunately, makes me not recommend this venue to people. I hope others don't encounter this problem because when planning a huge event, it makes it much more stressful. That is the reason I gave it two stars. :/ whenever I encountered anyone form there, they were always so pleasant and kind. I enjoyed talking with them. It's just the the lack of communication and struggle of getting a hold of people that was so irritating. read more

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The event place itself is nice however the ones running the office are all disorganize. On my daughter's wedding rehearsal, the officiate didn't show up as we learned she forgot. That was so unprofessional. We called the manager's phone but her voicemail was so full we can't leave messages and she was not returning the calls. The day of the event, the place was soooo hot and the guests were all sweating. It seems like their ac was not working good or they were just not turning it on all the way. The handsoap inside the women's restroom were all empty so informed them to refill it. They went back and just put a tiny bit more! It seems like they are being so stingy with everything. Not to mention that the parking around is limited . Will never use this place again read more

Nice venue! I'm here for a piano recital but would definitely like to host a private event here. I love the old-school charm which includes hard wood flooring, with high ceilings and brick exterior. There is also a very nice lobby area. The only con that I can see is that parking is limited because the venue is in the heart of downtown Riverside which is busy! read more

Life Arts Center - Venues & Event Spaces Near Me - Riverside, California

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Had my daughter Quincenera at the Life Art Center in the Fiesta Room 4/6/19. Everything was great from Staff before the event and from bartenders, security and the staff on duty the day of the event were awesome. The decorator Elvia made the room look exactly how we wanted it even better. Thank You, Life Art Center Staff!! read more

My friend recently had her wedding here in September. It was the hottest weekend ever. Even with the air conditioners, it was a sauna. The bridal room upstairs was even worse. It wasn't really a bridal room... it was a depressing excuse of a room: dirty carpet, barely any ac, and old dirty chairs/furniture. The best part of having an event here is that Ivan (staff) was very cooperative throughout the planning process. We would ask "can we..." and the answer was "sure" or "we'll make it work." I wouldn't mind having another event here, just not in the summer. It's so hot. Also, don't use the "bridal" room upstairs to get ready. It's filthy. read more

A truly beautiful venue! My husband and I got married on September 8, 2018, and it was a beautiful day. My family and friends loved our wedding and everyone had so much fun. The staff at the Life Arts Center is so attentive and helpful. This is truly a hidden gem. read more

Beautiful old building, with a great history. Stop by for first Thursday/Art Walk in downtown Riverside, and check out the art studios upstairs! This building breathes Riverside art culture. read more

Oh goodness. I knew I was going to see and experience some new and fascinating things walking into this building during Riverside's Artwalk, but what I was not prepared for was the intense smell of incense (which seemed to be burning in nearly every art room). It was so strong I needed to leave the hallways and go back outside and get some fresh air before I could continue looking at the other art rooms. That said, it was difficult to get from room to room with there being so many people checking out the art. The building itself is very old. When i got out to the roof, there seemed to be a space where to floor/roof started to sink in. There was one artist whose name I didn't catch, but I know is in room 42, who does this pretty cool 3D art, and I suggest people check it out if they ever find themselves in this building. read more

This could and would be a great venue but it's so run down and not taken care of. The air conditioner doesn't work in some main areas so they try and blast the ones that do and this just makes it worse you freeze in one room and melt right across the way. We found cockroach's among other bugs in the large hall in the back. Management is rude and unprofessional they say one thing and do another. Catering that they use is horrible the food is transported by uhaul and they hire kids who have no idea how to be a server, we "tried to eat" our entire meal with nothing to drink and when we asked for pepper they said they do not provide salt or pepper for meals . The homeless people are out of control right outside the front door leaving trash and the view less than desirable. The staff parks in the handicapped parking with no placard or handicap plates. We had several guest who needed handicap parking and when I confronted the staff about it they said the city would take care of it. When I told them I would call a tow truck and the police they finally agreed to move the cars. There is only one way in for people who are handicapped and the staff insist on using that parking lot as their personal lot leaving your guest to cross a street and go around the building through a run down kitchen to get into your event. Yes you can have a beautiful wedding there but if you want a bug free venue with good food, professional people and climate control you would be better off anywhere else. read more

This location is refusing all refunds for wedding that have been cancelled by the venue due to Covid. Been calling to speak with the owners of the building since Memorial weekend: I have never received a call back or email. Resorting to my lawyer next to get my money back. read more

The building is beautiful and location is great. Came here for a quinceañera. There were a few other quinces going on in the building and the adjacent hall. The brick walls make a nice backdrop to any party. This was the old YMCA building; very historical. The staff were helpful, but because it is an old building, there are no ramps for loading and bringing heavy equipment upstairs to the first floor (first floor is above ground level). And because it is a frontage property, parking is all the way behind the building. There a very small adjacent parking lot, but is reserved for the gym until 5pm. The gym people will not leave you alone if you're parked there. Also, one room was nice and cool from the AC, but the other room (to the left when you walk up the front steps) is scorching. Their packages are very good and competitive in terms of pricing. But the drive here was horrible coming from Orange County. The 91 sucks! read more

Life Art Center is an awesome place to go to look at the beauty of art or even have a special event. For the past years I've gone there, they have brought in amazing people to show off their art work. I know this because I'm an artist myself. They have open their doors for me to show the world my creativity through my eyes, and to meet others just like me. You meet wonderful friendly people. The staff there is great.. When they have special events, like Halloween party or wedding that I have just recently attended. Everything, on there whole set up, is just absolutely mind blowing. I would totally recommend this place for any event. read more

The Life Arts Center provided plenty of information and guidance to setting up for my wedding early this year. They recommending me many packages and information and was difficult for me to decide, with the help of my mom and fiance we did come to terms. Our family and friends talk about our event till this day. It has been such memorable day of my life which will always be historical for my husband and I. I will definately recommend my niece to hold her event there. Thank you! Francis read more

The location was convenient but the venue was dirty, staff was unorganized, and unwilling to help. During the 8 hr event, the servers did not come by to refill water glasses at all. read more

I had a very good experience with the Life Arts Center. I had my wedding reception there and I was VERY nervous with how things would turn out because, well, I'd never planned a wedding before! The ladies in the office were super sweet and helped me with everything. They even went above and beyond when my husband asked for a different type of salad from their catering person - who went out and researched how to make that salad just so we could have it at the dinner! I was also nervous because there was a wedding in the same room I booked the day before I couldn't help set up or anything because they were still cleaning when I came in that morning. I trusted them with all of my things - seating chart, decorations, guest book, everything! I didn't actually get to SEE the reception room until I walked in as I was announced with my husband! It was so beautiful I cried! The price was great too. I've seen so many places charge up to 5k for a minimal reception package - but we were on such a tight budget and the ladies in the office helped me figure out a package that I could afford and not have things cut out of it! Their DJ met with us the two days before the wedding because ours fell through and that turned out amazing too! All together : reception room was beautiful, food was amazing, DJ was great, bar tender did an amazing job and the ladies are angels! Full service! I didn't have to worry about anything!! read more

Awesome! Awesome! Thank you to all the staff Rosie, Elizabeth, Ivan. The bartenders, David, all the security. Felix catering and his staff the service we received was Great the food was delicious. Elvias decor you and Olivia brought hawaii to us thank you! Yes the building itself is beautiful but I can not express how pleased we were with everything our daughters party was an event that everyone walked away talking about how well they were treated by the staff the minute they sat the had a plate. The life arts center staff is so professional and helpful look no further this place is the best!!! read more

Life Arts Center - Venues & Event Spaces Near Me - Riverside, California

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I had my wedding here last month and I am so glad that I chose them. I was worried that they would offer subpar service because of the low price, but they do amazing things here. Rosie and Ivan are amazingly kind and have a "can do" attitude. Elvia turns this cool old building into a wedding wonderland. The few things that did go off plan were either out of their control or so minor that no one noticed but me, but in all honesty, what wedding doesn't have some sort of little mishap? This place is fantastic, and if I have another large event, I will definitely be a repeat customer. read more

Life Arts Center - Venues & Event Spaces Near Me - Riverside, California

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We chose the Life Art Center for our wedding because it is a historical building. Our wedding reception was the best day ever because we were able to host our family and friends. We booked the Florence room in the back and although I was skeptical if my guest would fit, everything turned out nice. The staff was helpful when requesting help and decorator was amazing too! They do offer a bridal suite but it is first come first serve. I thought I would need it but didn't since it was only booked for reception. SUGGESTIONS: When booking bar- ask for a grocery list of what to purchase and also note what your guest would drink, no one knows your guest more than yourself. Also- add the ice package, it will save you from needing to purchase ice yourself. Also keep in mind this is a historical building so the A/C does not work like the A/C of a new building. We knew this from the get-go. Once I receive pictures from my wedding, I will add those to this review. read more

I want to first state all the best parts of this venue. We booked over a year in advance and received great service on our initial visit. The decorator they contract with, Elvia, is absolutely amazing. She is a hard worker and very efficient and fantastic at her job and made the large fiesta room we booked a complete turn around and so stunning the day of. We loved the staff the night of! The bartenders were so nice and the guards helping we great help to us too. A/C also worked great in the large room which was nice as I know it doesn't work well in the other rooms. The space (fiesta room) itself was not what the pictures truly show. There was a lot of additional cost to spruce up the room that I was not aware of and even the lighting to pay alone was a lot. Just be mindful of this if you plan to book it. Of course we were aware but shocked with how quickly things added up and were not included with the price we paid for the room. 6 months into our contract they raised prices with no notification even though we had booked these services when we initially signed. Thankfully my wedding coordinator convinced them to lower back down to the prices they had stated from the beginning since it was never disclosed. Reaching them over the phone was a mission. It was guaranteed I had to at least call 2x before someone would answer and this included the week of my wedding when I was supposed to be "the black binder events" and they still never called me back with days away and me still not getting answers until I had my coordinator call till she reach someone. They would never return phone calls, only emails, which took time. I also got called twice to cover a bill or notified of a late payment that had already been made so the communication in the office wasn't the best. The professionalism overall in the office was underwhelming. They answered the phone with no intro of who I was talking to, never greeted or said hi when I walked in the office but would only look up if they noticed I was still there, so it always felt (along with constant calls to them) I was being a burden when I was already a client. The most helpful was Jessica. She was kind and would at least greet when I would stop by with questions. The miscommunication also happened often with the decorator, and with things I needed done, needed to be repeated often until I knew they put it on my file as I would find out later that items hadn't been when first asked. In the end I worked directly with the decorator and this smoothed over a lot of the kinks I faced over the year I was planning with them. Again, the day itself was great! But really disappointed with the year of experience I had with the facility. read more

After booking the Life Arts Center for my wedding this past April I have to admit I was a little nervous. Reading all the mixed reviews can really make a bride freak out. I cannot express enough to anyone looking to book this venue how happy I was with my experience. My husband and I opted for the catering, decorating package which I highly recommend. Elvia made my wedding dreams a reality and even gave me suggestions on things I was unsure about. We chose chef Maria not only because her food was very tasty but her presentation of the dishes and her professionalism where so on point ( awesome mother daughter team) We has our ceremony and reception in the Flamenco room which was absolutely perfect. They did a room flip for the reception and did it very quick and efficiently. There are so many beautiful spots in and around the building for pictures which is a plus. They also have a bridal sweet for the Flamenco room which we did not know about until the day of haha that was a nice surprise! All in all we had a great experience. The staff was very helpful, location is perfect and the ambiance is unbeatable. read more

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The staff absolutely needs to take some business classes. Their customer service is "text book" bad. If you have the misfortune to make an appointment after they have had an event, be prepared to wade thru a mess. And the restrooms after a party are deplorable. The cockroaches run rampant. Too bad they let a beautiful building be one step away from being condemed. read more

Only giving a star cause the venue was nice. That's all I can say at this point I paid the extra 300 for the bridal suite it was so hot in there we were literally sweating off our makeup, we had to stand next to a fan they provided. They had The AC on in the room but it barely worked and only one worked, for the price they could buy new ones. I was so embarrassed that my girls were literally lifting their dresses up in front of the fan YES THAT HOT . Then I paid extra to have porcelain plates to be out out at my wedding, but I guess because my caterer had his plastic plates they didn't put the ones I paid for out. So I basically paid for plates twice. Reached out to the office and said my caterer had plates so that's why they didn't put what I paid for out. I believe now what the other comments said about them just blowing you off and not even offering at least half the money back which I didn't even continue to fight OVER IT. We also paid for unlimited ice had kegs and a bucket for each keg so they should of been on ice the whole night. Towards the end of the night my guests had ice in their beer literally had people post "who puts ice in beer." The actual reception area had good AC but in the bar area and the common room is was SOOOOO HOT if your gonna use this venue make sure it's not a hot day. What I hate the most is that we were so hot especially me coming from the bridal room and going non stop I was so OVER TAKING PICTURES. I'm happy I had my family for support to relax and enjoy the rest of my night. ... read more

This space is beautiful. It has so much charm to it being that it is a very old building. The food is very tasty with the exception of their nasty salad. The staff can use some help being more useful and helpful though and they rely solely on outside air. So if it's cold, you'll be cold. And if it's hot, you'll be hot. Who wants that? read more

Life Arts Center is a gorgeous venue with extremely helpful staff. From the day we booked until our event if we ever had any questions someone was always there to provide us with the information and give us reminder calls for any of our set appointments. We had our daughter's Quinceanera in the Flamenco room and the way Elvia and her team decorated it was gorgeous. From the table set up and table cloths and gorgeous overlays, to the backdrops, window coverings, chandeliers, and the added lighting the room was transformed! She was even sure that the entrance table and cocktail tables near the bar were beautifully decorated. The food was delicious and The Life Arts Center also provides a staff to serving dinner, security guard and bar tender for the event and everyone was professional and a pleasure to have there ensuring our night was going as planned. We received many compliments on the venue and didn't have anything go wrong the entire 8 hours we were there. You will not regret booking Life Arts Center for your night of celebration! read more

Recently had my wedding reception there on 11/12 and I'd like to start with the good, Melissa the decorator was absolutely AMAAZING!! Everything that I had envisioned had came true! She was easily to get a hold of as well as collaborate with. Each room was decorated just absolutely beautifully. As per the actually day of the wedding, I had paid extra for a second bartender who ended up showing up a bit late. We got the food package as well with (one of the caterers) and there seemed to have been a big miscommunication with one of the two food options, although it was not what we had requested, it was still tasteful. I was able to contact management who did reach out and help resolve these issues. Im giving the Life Arts Center 4 stars, although there were some discrepancies, and miscommunication, my overall experience, from the time we booked the venue til the day of the wedding was good. read more

Life Arts Center - Venues & Event Spaces Near Me - Riverside, California

My wife and I recently got married here and have received compliments [in no particular order]: 1) Your wedding music video was awesome- where'd you learn to dance like that?; 2) That Mexi-Korean Fusion Caterer was the bomb- where in Baja Korea did you find those guys?; and 3) The Life Arts Center was the perfect Post-Retro-Modern-Avante-Garde Reception Venue; how'd you guys find such a cool place? The answer to all 3 of these questions, like most of the serendipitous graces that have befallen the two of us, came to us when we were simply "broke and having a predisposition to wander." Truly, it was pure fate (and the subtle mantra being repeated by wifey's bff Miyeonce of "Seriously, dudes...R-Side is really surprisingly cultured once you go south past the 60") that brought us to the red-brick facade and wide-open entry of the Life Arts Center. Susan fell in love with the Life Arts Center for these reasons: 1) the beautiful architecture, 2) the can-do attitude of Ivan the de facto Manager and 3) the all-in-one layout of the hall for her visions of ceremony and reception, sans driving between events. I fell in love with the Life Arts Center for these reasons: 1) my wife-to-be loved it, 2) the already-did-it attitude of Ivan, and 3) The extremely reasonable estimate Ivan presented to us that day (especially since we were still recovering from the sticker shock the Mission Inn left us with after their presentation). 3 months have passed since our event [still referred to as "epic" by all of our attendees], and the 3 things that stand out most from our experience of working with the Life Arts Center were: 1) Ivan is a man of his word (delivering time and again, regardless of how important/superfluous our request was), 2) This commitment to quality customer service is consistently delivered by all of the staff we and our guests came in contact with leading up to and during our event (security, bartenders, servers, etc.), and 3) the total bill ended up less than 1/4 of what we would have paid for a similar event across the street at The Mission Inn. Thank you again LAC (and especially Ivan) for making our special day "EPIC!" G & S read more

LIFE ART CENTER, are very inconsiderate to their clients finanacial matters, giving almost 365 days advance notice of cancellation, they would NOT give back a hard earn $1200.00 deposit back to a struggling 23 year old , who had to change wedding plans due to lack of employment. Life Art Center would rather keep the money and PUT it towards FLOWERS. I can understand if was 300 days before cancellation, but 360 day prior give me a break. They are very inconsiderate and money hungry, their nice during the initial visit but change your mind, then you will have problems. In order to get our $1200.00 we have to use towards flowers, when the family doesnt even know if there will be a wedding reception! from a concerned Auntie read more

We had our reception at the Life Arts Center in April 2013. This review could go forever so I will try to summarize. THE GOOD: The price was very good Elvia, the decorator was awesome. She was very accommodating and did exactly what we asked. We did our own centerpieces to save money. We were able to bring our own alcohol, but had to pay for extra security, at a really good price. The building looks amazing in pictures THE BAD Rosie says yes to everything, but her follow through stinks! It was 90 degrees the weekend of our wedding (in April...what are the chances?) We set up flowers the night before, but the AC was turned off or didn't work and the flowers were wilted by the morning of the wedding. My maid of honor and sister-in-law rushed around soaking the flowers to try and revive them The night of the reception, the AC did not work. We were told that the it was working and was on full blast. It was an oven in there. It was easily over 90 degrees. I was a sweaty bride...not happy. They brought ONE fan in, but the breakers kept going out because the building is old and doesn't have enough power. Most of the windows are painted shut so we couldn't open them. My husband had a raging headache and was nauseous most of the night and one of my guests almost passed out. The refrigerator we stored our pastries in never cooled. When we pulled them out to put on the table they were just slightly over room temperature. On our wedding day, the freezer we were supposed to store our ice in had about a foot of water in it and wasn't plugged in. My husband had to find someone to come and clean it so we could use it. Our contract said they were supplying glasses and silverware, but the staff didn't know that. If my husband hadn't been there we wouldn't have had any. The staff was supposed to serve cake to guests. The cake was left on a table and hardly anyone ate it. THE WORST PART was definitely the heat. My husband and I were miserably hot the whole night. We felt horrible for our guests. We made the best of it, but no couple should have to deal with stuff like this on their wedding day. YOU HAVE BEEN WARNED ;) read more

Went to a wedding and reception here for a family member here recently. On approach. we were anxious to check out this historic venue. I must say that the building was beautiful with a maintained exterior. Of course. with historic venues come historic challenges. Let me set the scene.... I was with a group of mature women who were elegantly dressed for the occasion (dresses and heels). So, after having to park two (2) blocks away and walk to the space, we were met with the challenge of 10+ steep and wide steps with no center rail. Yes, I did help each of the ladies up. Once inside, we had to walk though another event to get to ours. The decor was a cross between rustic and restored. No complaints here - this was obviously shared/known information beforehand. The trouble came with the event coordination. I will just list some of the concerns: 1) wedding cake was left sitting out and uncovered on a table during pre- wedding, wedding ceremony and reception (at least 3-4 hrs), right below a window. It was just about stale by the time it was cut. 2) there is obviously a mandate to use in- house photographers who were less than mobile with unfriendly attitudes 3) after the wedding ceremony, the attendees (not staff) had to move the chairs from the audience area back to the tables for dinner 4) the host bar was worked by inexperienced staff who did not know what they were serving even after being asked by several attendees 5) the catered food was served by in-house staff with no cultural inclination and no customer service ability 6) after attempting to bring served plates to the tables, we were forced to get up and stand in line outside the kitchen/prep area to be served 7) after eating dinner, the dirty plates were left on tables for the rest of the night 8) two seating chairs broke with people in them during dinner I can go on but would rather not devote any more time to this less than worthy venue. Just a note.... when advertising as a wedding and event venue and then forcing patrons to use in-house staff & services, it should be a no brainier to have qualified staff on hand to perform these services. Definitely not the case here. I gave a single star for building preservation! read more

The building and location couldnt be more perfect for our wedding reception....The staff on the other hand was HORRIBLE!!! Every time I called the staff appeared to be very helpful and on point, but the closer we got to the event the more and more unorganized they became. The communication between the management and the staff is RIDICULOUS. Seemed that only one person knew everything (Rosie) but the rest of the staff knew nothing. The notes were off, our requests were off and what we were promised wasnt ready until 3 hours before our event....Not to mention I had to yell at the whole staff in order to get all this taken care of. We ordered our linens through them, when I got to the hall to check on things the IVORY linens weren't IVORY. Some were yellow, white, ivory and just dirty. The cloths werent even made for round tables. It looked very sloppy! I argued with them about the colors not matching and they insisted that I was wrong and they were all IVORY. Finally when the manager Ivan came in he agreed and promised to fix the problem. We were promised lights would be hung up. They weren't and apparently they claimed to have not promised that...I made them go out and buy the lights and hang them 3 hours before the event. We were promised a freezer to store our ice, that was not in the room either. All our ice melted and Ivan had to go out and purchase a freezer just for our event. You provide your own alcohol here, which was perfect for us, but what they dont tell you is that you HAVE to use their bartenders. Their BARTENDERS were RUDE to our guests and we caught them on numerous occasions drinking our beer behind the counter. After the event was over family members seen them sneaking our bottles of liquor out of the hall and claimed that there wasnt anything left. If it wasnt for the Shitty staff I would definitely recommend and book this location again, but unless they hire a new staff or a manager who understands the role of their job and can lead a staff then I WOULD RECOMMEND THAT EVERYONE STEER CLEAR of this location. You are setting yourself up for a massive headache. read more

DO NOT PAY FOR THEIR WAITERS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! GET YOUR OWN! The venue was beautiful the staff was great, minus not knowing about the no glass or candles being lit until I the day of my wedding, but whatever. Also the last mintue change of my cigar bar on top of the roof. My only real issue was the waiters they had me pay for. They did NOTHING! I paid them $150 to stand around. I was told I had to give them a list on what they needed to do. I did and not ONE thing on my list was done when I arrived to my reception. They made up some story saying I said I had a wedding planner and to wait for her to tell them what to do which was a complete LIE! But lets just say I did have one and I didnt leave them a to do list, they still couldn't figure out what to do?!?!? On my wine bar they left a can of olives in the bowl...really? Every where I looked there was things not done! My cookie bar table cloths even had wrinkles! They could even do the most common of common waiter things like picking up plates!!! My guest also told me their tables were dirty with napkins and plates for well over an hour after eating! They ruined my wedding for real!! If this venue would get better waiters it would be a perfect place!! read more

If you do not mind sitting in a no air conditioned venue, go ahead and book this place. Apparently, this was not the first time this has happened here (read from a previous yelper's review). Felt bad for the bride and groom at the reception we attended here. 100+ degree weather outside didn't help either. Didn't seem like the venue was making an effort to fix the situation. read more

My daughter had her quince here on Saturday December 5, 2015. I have to give credit to those who deserve it. Elvia does the decorating and she did a fabulous job!! I couldn't be happier with the way this beautiful old building was decorated. The staff was courteous and attentive to my requests. I had several questions prior to my event and even though the staff was slow to respond I always got an answer. The only bad review I have is for the caterer. I would not recommend them. Sadly, our food was served cold and late!! It was so embarrassing and the food was not good. We did a food tasting prior to the event and it tasted great but it was horrible the day of the event. The beef fajitas were tough and hard to chew. The beans were not fully cooked. I would recommend that if you are going to use this reception venue USE YOUR OWN CATERER!! Other than that this is an excellent venue!! read more

My daughter had her wedding reception in the Florence Room on January 2, 2015. We fell in love with the beautiful vintage building which made a gorgeous backdrop for photos of the wedding party. The Florence Room has beautiful old brick walls, arched windows with natural light and open-beam ceiling. We hired our own decorator and caterer, but Rosie has good resources for local people that they work with. We were also drawn to the facility because the price was very reasonable compared to other venues we had researched. Rosie was nice to work with and Ivan the manager has tried to turn things around, but DON'T PLAN YOUR EVENT IN THE COLD OF WINTER OR THE HEAT OF THE SUMMER! The owner is unwilling to put the money into important things like decent handicap access, HEATING, and decent air conditioning. I've read some of the reviews where people were literally sweltering in the heat. Yes, we had a cold snap, but they don't have the heating system connected and functional! I cannot express how embarrassed and mortified we were to have 160+ guests absolutely freezing in below-par conditions at this facility. We had people come from as far away as New York City and many of the grandparents and guests were in their 80's and 90's. We also had quite a few people end up ill with medical bills as a direct result from the frigid conditions--including myself as well as the Groom. Part of his honeymoon was ruined due to illness. We paid thousands of dollars to host a nice event and had so much wasted cake (which was very expensive) and a wasted hot chocolate bar, etc because people were leaving early due to not being able to stand the cold. We should NOT be required to bundle up with coats and blankets to attend an indoor function at any facility. Here are some of the notes from a letter I sent them: *You cost my caterer/decorator time and money because you did not have the building/room open at the time you promised. We were told that we would have access to the room from 8 am. until midnight. My caterer/decorator came to set up and your facility wasn't open. She finally found a guy around the property that let her in, but then to her surprise, found there were a lot of decorations up from a previous event. Rosie asked me on the phone the day before if we wanted any of them left up. I told her I didn't know unless I saw photos. She told me she would send me some, but never did. My caterer told the guy to hurry and take all the decor down. He was very slow--would work a bit, then go and play the piano in the hall. She had to get after him several times and strongly explain that he needed to hurry so she could get her set up and decorating done. Because of this, she lost a lot of time that she needed. We were to receive the room clean and "cleared out." *I had called the Life Arts Center a week prior to the wedding with concerns because of the cold weather. I was shocked to be told that there isn't any heat in the building; however, I was told that there were space heaters and that "I should be reassured that there has never been a problem or any complaints." *The ceremony was due to begin at 3 pm and when I came at 12 noon to check on things, I was horrified at how horribly cold it was inside the Florence Room. Even when talking to Rosie and the girls in the office, I could see that they too were really uncomfortable and that Rosie was sick with a cold. After getting upset, they plugged in two small heaters that were meant for residential use to heat only a small bedroom---not a banquet hall that holds 200 people! After expressing extreme concern about the situation, I was then told that someone would go out and purchase industrial type heaters. Nothing else was done the rest of the evening and no other heaters were set up. *The room never did heat up much and must've been 45-50 degrees max.at 3 pm. My caterer and her workers were wearing heavy coats and working hard in the morning---they were still freezing even with all that exertion. Those that participated in dancing towards the end of the reception got somewhat warm--but, the point is---no one should be required to have to do intense physical activity just to be comfortable. There were many older folks--2 in wheelchairs, plus a handicapped child in a wheelchair that were in attendance. They weren't able to dance to warm up. *We had a photo booth set up in the foyer and I was talking to the security guys that work for you. It was even colder out there...I'll bet about 35 degrees. They had jackets on, but they were freezing trying to warm themselves up. I don't know what the exact laws are for working conditions for employees, but better accommodations should be made for them. THERE IS MORE I COULD WRITE, BUT NOT ENOUGH ROOM. JUST BEWARE OF THE TIME OF YEAR YOU RESERVE THE PLACE. THE OWNER ONLY OFFERED US A $200 REFUND WHICH WAS A JOKE. HE DOESN'T CARE ABOUT HIS INTEGRITY. THE MANAGER TRIES, BUT THE OWNER IS STINGY. read more

I was just had a wedding here and have to say from my experience as the professional working here, this is the most unorganized, unprofessional and scattered venue I have ever worked at. CLIENTS BEWARE!!!! Also they had staff coming in and out of the kitchen I was setting up for a sit down dinner and wanted my counter space, we found out also later that I had all my brand new black serving trays missing and one gold platter. Can only make me think they took them in the situation. I give it 3 star because my clients like the venue and no clue what was going in unless they found out the venue took their salad plates..I don't want to keep going about negative things I'm just for sure on the red flag with this venue. read more

The building itself is very gorgeous but when it comes with a very friendly, helpful and professional staff, it makes the place even more amazing!! Cannot thank staff enough for everything they did to make my sisters quinceanera on 8/30/14 a special and beautiful day! Everything Ivan had promised was given plus more without any worries. Rosie was on top of everything to make sure things went as planned to make the day go smooth and STRESS FREE. Eliva the decorator is the best she really knows what she is doing! Felix catering OMG his food is amazing the taste is impeccable probably the best I've had! This is the place to book those important events and not have any worries so you can cherish those special moments for a life time, staff knows exactly what to do! WOULD RECOMMEND TO ANYBODY!!! read more

I had my wedding here in mid 2010 (I know this is a late review... been meaning to do it for a while), so I can't speak to any of the staff/management issues that the last reviewer mentioned that may be going on right now... That said, I had an overall good experience with the Life Arts Center for my wedding. The building itself is beautiful with a rich and fascinating history. The location in downtown Riverside was ideal for me- I loved being so close to the Mission Inn and all of the other historic buildings in the area. Plus, it was walking distance from our ceremony site (the Chinese Pavilion in front of the library- so fun!). I found the price for rental of the venue and for the services (decorations, tables, food, waiters, etc.) to be a really good value. What I appreciated most about the LAC was that there was plenty of flexibility for us to personalize the event (decorations, food, drinks, where the tables were set up, bringing in a live band, etc.) and really make it our own, which is also not the case at many other wedding venues. In addition, we were able to bring in and serve our own drinks without being forced to pay a hefty "corking fee", which is the case at many wedding venues. One thing that I was not so happy with (why I'm knocking off one star from my rating) was that when my reception started, some of the staff had not yet arrived or were not where they were supposed to be. So, as guests entered the reception and went to the bar for cocktail hour, it was understaffed which resulted in a long line to get drinks. Overall, I would recommend the Life Arts Center for events if you a) want a beautiful and historic building in a great location with enough flexibility for personalization, b) are budget conscious and c) you don't mind the trade-off of a great deal for not everything being absolutely perfect and luxurious. read more

Love this place!!! friendly customer service when you call or go in to look at the location. My sister in law is getting married here as well as my cousin and they have taken care of everything. The prices are amazing for everything they offer and the rooms are just beautiful. I cannot wait to celebrate both weddings here. read more

I was invited here for my god daughters quinceanera. The place was beautiful. The staff were nice. A special shout out to the bartenders!!

One of the best places to go to see art studios during arts walk, or to rent a huge room for a special event.