The Agnes Pelton hometown revival gathers steam in 2012 with several big events honoring the Mystic Genius of Cat City.
Sunday, January 22—Nancy Strow Sheley presents a talk on Pelton at the Cathedral City Historical Society. An associate professor of English at Cal State University, Long Beach, Sheley has written and spoken extensively on Pelton. Meet in the Cathedral City Library Community Room, 33-520 Date Palm Drive, at 2 pm. For information: Janey Ash (760) 321-6577
Agnes Pelton photo by Janet E. Cummings, Smithsonian Archives of American Art.
Sunday, February 12—Tour Pelton’s former home and studio, as part of the Cathedral City Historical Society’s first annual Historic Home Walking Tour. Owners Peter Palladino and Simeon Den are working to preserve the home where Pelton created her most important work. “Abstractions are my work,” Pelton once said. “This house is their home.”
Hours are 11 am-3 pm. Tickets are $15 for adults and $5 for children 12 and under. Send a check to Cathedral City Historical Society, PO Box 444, Cathedral City, CA 92235. Or tickets may be purchased the day of the event at the Cathedral City Senior Center, 37-171 West Buddy Rogers Ave. Contact: Janey Ash (760) 321-6577
Saturday, April 21st—Michael Zakian, director of the Frederick Weisman Art Museum at Pepperdine University, makes a rare appearance in the Valley to talk about Agnes Pelton. Zakian wrote the classic work Agnes Pelton: Poet of Nature, published by the Palm Springs Art Museum in 1995. The event, sponsored by the Cathedral City Public Arts Commission, will be held in the City Hall Council Chambers Saturday, April 21st at 2 pm. A reception follows.
The event is held in conjunction with Desertscapes, a Valleywide celebration of desert art spanning the month of April. The schedule will be available here soon: http://desertscapes.net/
Sand Storm, 1932
In other Pelton news, glass artist Patrick Blythe discusses Pelton’s spirituality in his class on Art and Spirituality at the Palm Springs Art Museum through February 17th. Info via the Osher Institute: (760) 341-2883
For more on Patrick Blythe: http://patrickblythe.com/home.html
And stay tuned for news of an upcoming production of a one-woman play on Pelton– Bringing Light to Life– by Nancy Sheley.
I am her cousin and plan to be there in January and Feb. maybe April.
That’s great news. I look forward to meeting you at one of the events.
Thanks for the PR, Ann. Missed seeing you.