Long Beach photographer Michael E. Gordon is a champion of overlooked deserts, preferring the quiet corners of the Mojave to the more obvious drama of places like the Grand Canyon. Now he takes on a similarly ignored and yet most…
Category: News
Hwy 62 Tours: Dirt-Road Art Adventure in October
2011 marks the 10th Anniversary of the Hwy 62 Art Tours in Morongo Valley. On the weekends of October 21-23 and 28-30 you can visit the homes and studios of 100 of the desert’s most adventurous artists in all mediums.…
Goodbye to Carl Bray
Smoketree artist Carl Bray died in Banning on July 23, 2011, at age 94, after a brief illness. Carl had been working on new paintings up until two months ago. He took an annual vacation to Missouri with family members…
Eric Merrell’s “Romance of the West” Opens in Pasadena
Eric Merrell continues to be a primo ambassador for desert art with his new solo exhibition at American Legacy Fine Arts in Pasadena: Romance of the West—and the Western Spirit, July 16-August 13. The opening reception is Saturday, July 16, from…
Eric Merrell Workshop in Joshua Tree Sept. 19-23rd
Born too late to study with Sam Hyde Harris or Edgar Payne? Now you have another chance to learn from a traditional California master, when Eric Merrell teaches a painting workshop in Joshua Tree Sept. 19-23, 2011. Limited to just…
Desert Paintings Appraisal Day in Palm Desert
Readers of this site send me questions—Who is Ollie McDonald? Know anything about Larry Sitter? I usually refer them to a local dealer or the website AskArt. Next Saturday those of you in the Coachella Valley have a chance to…
Lin Moore’s “Lovely Rock” at Maturango Museum through May 4th
Oregon photographer Lin Moore explores the properties of desert rock in an exhibit at Maturango Museum in Ridgecrest through May 4th: “This Goodly Frame: Reveries Among the Origins of Order.” Moore has written about the link between poetry and photography…
Jolene Biss: Painter of Indian Baskets Dies
Jolene Biss died suddenly on February 10th, 2011, after dropping off paintings at the Indio Date Festival, where she won three medals. Biss was a longtime member of the Desert Art Center in Palm Springs, an institution that has nurtured…
Inaugural Salton Sea Art Exhibit Opens April 1
Many early artists painted the ancient lake in the desert, and recently a new parade of painters and photographers is trekking to the Sea. It was about time someone staged an exhibition celebrating this vibrant scene. The Salton Sea Museum–in…
Palm Springs Photo Festival Embraces the Desert, March 27-April 1
There are so many publicists in Palm Springs that it’s hard to keep an event secret. But one well-kept secret—to locals at least—is the Palm Springs Photo Festival. (Thanks to Tom Brewster for cluing me in.) This high quality gathering…