PHOTOGRAPH COURTESY GREATER PALM SPRINGS CVB
For outdoor art to supplement Desert X, the biennial exhibition happening now through May 16 at spots across the Coachella Valley, journey to these year-round sculpture sanctuaries to experience all the feels.
PHOTOGRAPH BY CHRISTNA FRARY
savory
Elrod Sculpture Garden
Creativity extends outside the Palm Springs Art Museum’s walls. On the outdoor lower levels, find work by the likes of Yaacov Agam, Max Bill, and Jim Dine surrounding reflection pools. The sculptures can also be your dining companions. Outdoor seating at the museum’s Persimmon Bistro is set within the space. psmuseum.org
Profound
Noah Purifoy Outdoor Desert Art Museum
In Joshua Tree, discover a treasure trove of work by the late artist Noah Purifoy, one of the most revered American sculptors working in assemblage. He created the open-air museum to exhibit monumental pieces like No Contest, which consists of two bicycles atop a homesteader cabin façade. noahpurifoy.com
PHOTOGRAPH COURTESY GREATER PALM SPRINGS CVB
Wild
Sky Art Sculpture Garden
This fantastical destination created by artist Ricardo Breceda in Borrengo Springs (about an hour’s drive southeast of the Coachella Valley) is populated with 130 of his mammoth metal sculptures of creatures like horses, dinosaurs, bighorn sheep, elephants, and a 350-foot-long sea serpent. ricardobreceda.com
Calm
Jackie Lee Houston Plaza
Across from the Palm Springs Convention Center, shapely sculptures by such artists as Craig Dan Goseyun, John Kennedy, and Kevin Robb dot a path winding through a native desert garden as well as a lawn that’s a prime spot for a picnic close to downtown Palm Springs. visitpalmsprings.com
PHOTOGRAPH BY CHRISTINA FRARY
PHOTOGRAPH BY DANIELA STALLINGER
Divine
Shields Date Garden
In addition to serving the Coachella Valley’s most famous date shake, the quintessential Indio attraction boasts a 17-acre farm punctuated with 23 statues depicting biblical scenes chronicling the life of Christ. A self-guided audio tour is available online. shieldsdategarden.com
Moody
Melissa Morgan Sculpture Garden
On a gravelscaped lot in Palm Desert’s El Paseo Shopping District, see — and consider adding to your personal collection — imaginative work like Anthony James’ illuminated Portal Icosahedron and Olivia Steele’s remixed road signs Public Display of Awareness. melissamorganfineart.com
PHOTOGRAPH BY ANNA KULA
PHOTOGRAPH BY ANTHONY-MASTERSON
Tranquil
Faye Sarkowsky Sculpture Garden
In Palm Desert, this unexpected oasis right off Highway 111 is accented with water features and undulating walkways that weave between sculptures by such artists as Donald Judd, Fletcher Benton, Betty Gold, Dan Namingha, and Jaume Plensa. psmuseum.org
What is Desert X?
The free outdoor exhibition features site-specific art installed across the Coachella Valley. This year’s Desert X includes works from several artists, including Zahrah Alghamdi, Felipe Baeza, Xaviera Simmons, and Nicholas Galanin. For more info, visit desertx.org.