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…
April is Desertscapes Month
For the second year in a row, the City of Palm Desert and organizations valley wide are hosting a monthlong tribute to early and contemporary desert artists. The event, known as Desertscapes, takes place in April at venues around the…
Captain Beefheart, Desert Artist, Dies
Captain Beefheart was a rock-n-roll wildman, too avant garde—if that’s possible–for the likes of his friend Frank Zappa. But Don Van Vliet (his real name), who died on December 17, 2010, was also a visionary painter of the desert. Van…
Film About Idyllwild Arts Legend Lora Steere Opens January 10th
December 29, 2010–Lora Woodhead Steere taught for 16 years at the Idyllwild Arts Academy without ever taking a paycheck. She first came to the San Jacinto Mountains in 1890 as a toddler riding in front of her mother’s saddle. With…