The environmental artist and educator behind the Coachella Valley’s only children’s art and environmental conservation museum
Check out the latest episode of CCTV’s “The Art of Cathedral City,” the series highlighting the artists, galleries, and creative energy that make Cathedral City a place where art lives!
In this episode, Host Conrad Angel Corral visits Karen Riley, founder and Executive Director of the S.C.R.A.P. Gallery — the Student Creative Recycle Art Program — in The Perez Art District. S.C.R.A.P. Gallery is the only children’s art and environmental conservation museum in the Coachella Valley, and the only one of its kind in Riverside County.
Karen Riley: Art, Environment, and the Four R’s
Karen Riley believes it’s up to all of us to make the world better for people, animals, and the environment through creative solutions involving art and recycling — and she has spent nearly three decades proving it. She founded the S.C.R.A.P. Gallery in 1997 to take on two of today’s most urgent issues at once: the health of the environment and the education of our youth.
Riley earned her bachelor’s degree in journalism from California State University, Long Beach, and her master’s degree in environmental education. In 2019 she was selected for the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s Planet Steward program, which supports educators in developing hands-on, action-based student projects. Beyond the gallery, she serves on the boards of the Coachella Valley Art Center, the East Valley Art Foundation, and Artists For Refugee Children, and is a 5 Gyres Ambassador working on ocean plastic pollution.
A Museum Built from What Others Throw Away
The essence of the S.C.R.A.P. Gallery fits into four words: Reduce, Reuse, Recycle, Responsibility. Children create art on-site from donated discarded materials while learning about conservation, climate, water scarcity, renewable energy, arts, culture, and science — building S.T.E.A.M. skills in the process. The gallery exhibits work by established artists alongside pieces made by S.C.R.A.P. Gallery youth, and hosts K-12 field trips throughout the week as a free resource for teachers and students alike.
Materials donated by local businesses and manufacturers are diverted from Coachella Valley landfills and waterways and made available for reuse by teachers, artists, and community programs. And when students can’t come to the gallery, the gallery goes to them: the S.C.R.A.P. Van Gogh mobile unit brings art and environmental programming to schools, libraries, festivals, and community events across the valley.
S.C.R.A.P. Gallery is also a longtime City partner, supported through the Parks & Community Events Commission. Every March, the gallery and the City present the annual Butterfly Festival at Panorama Park, a free morning of pollinator exhibits, wildflower and milkweed seedlings, recycled crafts, the National Wildlife Federation Mayors’ Monarch Pledge Proclamation, and a butterfly release. In April, Karen’s team brings the Earth Day Art Party to Spring Fest at Century Park, pairing recycled-materials art-making with the Walking for Water 6K.
The approach has drawn national attention. The S.C.R.A.P. Gallery has been recognized as an Outstanding Organization by the North American Association for Environmental Education, and its programs — from the Kids Green Team to the annual Plastic Fish Zero Waste Art Contest — remain free to the valley’s youth.
Coming Up: Global Art Exhibition at the Library, Sept. 21, 2026
Riley’s work putting children’s artwork in front of the community continues next month. The Cathedral City Peace Initiative hosts its International Day of Peace observance and global art exhibition on Monday, September 21, 2026, from 4:00 to 6:00 p.m. at the Cathedral City Public Library, 33520 Date Palm Drive.
The exhibition features Signs of Safety, a collection of children’s images from the United Nations Mine Action Service. The afternoon also includes a ceremony recognizing Cathedral City’s designation as an International City of Peace. Admission is free, and RSVPs are requested at 760-567-6464.
Where Art Lives
Whether the material is a discarded vinyl banner, a broken ceramic, or a child’s drawing, Karen Riley’s work rests on a simple conviction: that young people who make something with their own hands come away caring about it. It’s a fitting expression of what makes Cathedral City a place where art lives.
To watch this episode of “The Art of Cathedral City” featuring Karen Riley and the S.C.R.A.P. Gallery, visit the City of Cathedral City’s Facebook page, Instagram account, or YouTube channel. The episode also airs on CCTV (Spectrum Cable Channel 17).
Cathedral City — Where Art Lives! 🎨
Organization Information
S.C.R.A.P. Gallery (Student Creative Recycle Art Program)
- Karen Riley, Founder & Executive Director
- 68743 Perez Rd., Ste. D-16, Cathedral City, CA 92234
- Mailing: 31855 Date Palm Dr., Ste. 3-110, Cathedral City, CA 92234
- (760) 861-6479 | karen@scrapgallery.org
- Facebook | Instagram
- 501(c)(3) nonprofit — programs are free to Coachella Valley youth
Event Information
International Day of Peace 2026 Observance & Global Art Exhibition
- Monday, September 21, 2026 | 4:00 – 6:00 p.m.
- Cathedral City Public Library, 33520 Date Palm Drive, Cathedral City, CA 92234
- Free | RSVP: 760-567-6464
- Featuring Signs of Safety — children’s images from the United Nations Mine Action Service
- Includes a ceremony recognizing Cathedral City as an International City of Peace
- Presented by the Cathedral City Peace Initiative
- Event details
Related posts:
CCTV’s “The Art of Cathedral City” Features Perez Art District Artists Terry Hastings and Anne Bedrick
CCTV’s “The Art of Cathedral City” Features The Perez Art District Artist Emeline and Cathedral City Painter Eugene Poe
Barbara Eberhart Gallery Celebrates Ribbon Cutting, Blossoms in The Perez Art District
