A Climate for Culture

Admire cool works of art in comfort at Palm Springs Art Museum’s two locations.

Site Staff Arts & Entertainment

It may be 100-plus degrees outside, but it’s always a cool 75 inside Palm Springs Art Museum and its sister Palm Desert location, The Galen, making summertime ideal for leisurely exploration of the museums’ world-class collections.

See the latest exhibition, California Dreamin’: Thirty Years of Collecting, at the 150,000-square-foot Palm Springs location through July 31. The show highlights such contemporary artists as Nathan Oliveira, Christopher Brown, and Ed Ruscha, whose works reflect their time spent in California, with several mediums and movements represented.

Contemporary Glass (through Nov. 2) showcases diverse sculptures in a range of glass techniques from such noted international artists as Dale Chihuly, Micaela Amateau Amato, Masahiro Asaka, Steve Klein, and Larry Bell.

The permanent collection features major modern and contemporary art, including Native American and Western works. Admire creations from such artists as Pablo Picasso, Andy Warhol, Roy Lichtenstein, Marc Chagall, Henry Moore, and Ansel Adams before strolling the property’s two outdoor sculpture gardens. The museum offers free admission Thursdays from 4-8 p.m. and the second Sunday of each month. (This location will be closed for the month of August.)

The Galen in Palm Desert presents the intriguing Recline/Design: Art and the Aesthetics of Repose through Sept. 9, which explores the human form at rest through chair design, photographs, drawings, and paintings. Look for George Nakashima’s signature lounge chair along with Frank Gehry’s cardboard seat and recycled creations from the Campana Brothers. Don’t miss the outdoor 4-acre Faye Sarkowsky Sculpture Garden.

The Galen offers free admission on Fridays from 4 to 8 p.m.; summer hours are limited, so it’s best to call ahead.

Palm Springs Art Museum, 101 Museum Dr., Palm Springs, 760-322-4800.
The Galen, 72567 Hwy. 111, Palm Desert. 760-346-5600;

www.psmuseum.org