Art is something of a sport in the desert. Every month, Greater Palm Springs art galleries open new exhibitions of works in every medium imaginable — painting, sculpture, photography, video, ceramics, textile, light, and installation — by artists from near and far. It’s a feast for the eyes and, sometimes, for the ears. And the season is just getting started.
If galleries intimidate you, go when there’s a crowd or join a tour. The desert has three monthly art walks:
1. First Wednesdays at Backstreet Art District, south of East Palm Canyon Drive on Cherokee Road in Palm Springs (Oct. 4, Nov. 1, Dec. 6)
2. First Fridays on El Paseo in Palm Desert (Oct. 6, Nov. 3, Dec. 1)
3. Second Saturdays in Cathedral City’s Art & Design District on Perez Road (Oct. 14, Nov. 11, Dec. 9)
Palm Desert
You’ll find dozens of galleries along Palm Desert’s El Paseo, where the fall exhibitions include CODA Gallery’s group show (Nov. 3–24) and exhibition of pop art paintings by Ben Steele (opening Nov. 25), as well as Ramey Fine Art’s solo shows for sculptor Jon Seeman (October), painter Sandra Jones Campbell (November), and landscapist Gabriela Aguilo (December).
PHOTO BY LANCE GERBER
Telling the story of the Mexican experience, sculpture and paintings like Carreta de Locos (Cartful of Madmen) make up the compelling exhibition Carved Narrative: Los Hermanos Chávez Morado at Sunnylands Center & Gardens.
Rancho Mirage
As part of the Pacific Standard Time series of exhibitions, Sunnylands Center & Gardens presents Carved Narrative: Los Hermanos Chávez Morado (through June 3), the first U.S. exhibition of paintings and sculpture by Mexican brothers José and Tomás Chávez Morado.
PHOTO COURTESY OF PALM SPRINGS ART MUSEUM
Julio Le Parc is among the artists in Kinesthesia: Latin American Kinetic Art, 1954–1969 at Palm Springs Art Museum.
PHOTO COURTESY OF HANK HUDSON
Hank Hudson captures the lifestyle and lore of Palm Springs at Woodman/Shimko Gallery.
PALM SPRINGS
In Palm Springs, Jorge Mendez Gallery presents Burton 2 Burton: Collective Genetics (Nov. 11–Dec. 20) showcasing the sculpture, paintings, photographs, and installations of Tyler and Jane Burton. Up the street, Woodman/Shimko Gallery offers an eclectic mix of work, including paintings by Hank Hudson and Gabe Fernandez.
Meanwhile, Palm Springs Art Museum features Kinesthesia: Latin American Kinetic Art, 1954–1969 (through Jan. 15), a selection of works by South American artists whose art contains elements that move or give the illusion of moving or vibrating. The show is also part of the Pacific Standard Time exhibitions unfolding in museums and cultural institutions across Southern California. The museum’s Architecture and Design Center presents Albert Frey and Lina Bo Bardi: A Search for Living Architecture (through Jan. 7).
Cathedral City
Cathedral City’s Art & Design District on Perez Road has a walkable gallery row, where Rebecca Fine Art Gallery features Light Meets Art (Oct. 7–Dec. 30), a group show featuring light sculptures and exhibitions by Rom Lammar (opens Nov. 4) and Robert Tahar (opens Dec. 2).
A few doors down, Simeon Den Gallery opens the season with The Figurative Show (Oct. 14–28), featuring Jon Hamblin, Cyrstoffer Shoemaker, and Chad Hughes, followed by Queer Culture Iconoclasts (Nov. 4–Dec. 2), featuring photography by Peter Palladino and Landscapes/Virtual and Abstracted (Dec. 9–30), featuring the photo-based work of Gary Borgstedt and painter Rex Oppenheimer.
PHOTO COURTESY OF REBECCA FINE ART GALLERY
Abstract expressionist painter Rom Lammar gets a solo show in November at Rebecca Fine Art gallery.
While checking out the galleries in this district, be sure to look for paintings by John Luckett at Colin Fisher Studios and biomorphic ceramics by Eduardo Carriazo at Colliding Worlds Fine Art Gallery.
High Desert
If you get up to Joshua Tree (and you should if you love art in all its expressions), you want to go to boxoPROJECTS for the Oct. 29 open house for artist-in-residence Daniel Kukla, whose scientific training in biology and ecology shapes how he conducts research for his photography and video work. The event is free and open from 3 to 6 p.m. The venue will also host another open house, for multimedia artist Johanna Wagner, Dec. 2 from 2 to 5 p.m.
Turn the Lights On, Oct. 14–Nov. 5 at Joshua Tree Art Gallery, features local artists Kim Chasen, Doug Dolde, Marcia Geiger, Mardi De Vevue Alexis, Frederick Fulmer, Babara Gothard, Jason Graves, Brian Leatart, and Gregg Ross. The gallery plans another show with local artists Dec. 9–30.