Desert Open Studios will unite Coachella Valley art scenes from east and west this weekend
The free event, now in its fifth year, aims to not only showcase more than 150 artists, but also break down geographical barriers that have historically divided the valley’s art scene.
The fifth annual Desert Open Studios event is set to bridge the divide between east and west valley art communities, offering art enthusiasts a rare glimpse into the creative processes of more than 150 artists at dozens of studios across the Coachella Valley.
Scheduled for this Friday through Sunday, the event provides visitors with a self-guided tour of artists’ workspaces from Desert Hot Springs to Pinyon Pines, including roughly two dozen studios in Palm Springs featuring more than 60 artists.
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“I wanted to create an event that united the two,” explains Kim Manfredi, who helped launch the initiative in 2020 along with fellow artists Lynda Keeler and Anne Bedrick, and Chris Blades, a former scientist at the Space Telescope Science Institute and art lover. It’s also a collaborative effort, with Blades handling logistics and Grandy Carson, a participating artist, designing the accompanying handbook (available for viewing and download here).
“I thought there would be benefits for people who love to look at art, and also benefits for the artists who will increase their understanding of what art is by being exposed to the artists that are down in Indio and the artists that are down in Indio are exposed to the artists that are in Palm Springs and everything in between.”
The event aims to break down geographical barriers that have historically divided the valley’s art scene. Organizers note that residents from La Quinta or Indio rarely venture to Palm Springs for art, and vice versa.
“If you have an event like this, where we’re all united in providing an experience for the art-loving public, then, in a way, we’re forced to interact on some level,” Manfredi said.
The interactions have led to deep friendships and collaborations among artists, elevating the entire valley’s art scene. Curators now have a broader pool of artists and themes to choose from when organizing exhibitions.
“What it does is it allows a curator who’s putting a show together to understand that there are more than the 10 artists that they know about to choose from,” Manfredi said. “So what happens is the art in the entire valley is elevated because the breadth of the art making is bigger.”
Visitors to Desert Open Studios can expect a diverse range of artistic mediums and styles. The event’s tour guide provides a map and allows art lovers to customize their experience based on preferred genres or geographical areas.
Several artist hubs, such as Perez Road with its 30 artists, offer concentrated areas where visitors can explore multiple studios in one stop. However, the event’s unique draw is the opportunity to visit individual home studios that are typically closed to the public.
“During Desert Open Studios, there are approximately 100 artists who’ve opened up their home studio, or their singular studio that you don’t have access to all year long,” said Manfredi.
This year’s event features several notable participants, including nationally recognized artist Carlos Ramirez in Indio. Ramirez creates mixed media assemblage paintings that incorporate Americana symbols with commentary reflecting his Hispanic identity. In Desert Hot Springs, sculptor Bernard Hoyes, recently commissioned by Palm Springs for a large outdoor sculpture, will open his metal sculpture studio to visitors.
It will also showcase emerging talent. In Indio, fiber and mixed media artist Adriana Lopez-Ospina is organizing a group of local artists to exhibit at the Little Street Music Hall coffee shop and live music venue. Raised in Palm Desert, she is part of a group of emerging young artists exhibiting their work.
“I think that’s been kind of the best part of this year, specifically because the organizers were looking to really include younger voices,” says Lopez-Ospina, who was able to connect with many young and veteran artists in Indio to be part of the show, as she had a studio in Indio for many years before moving to the Perez Art District in Cathedral City.
“More than anything, east valley artists need a space to exhibit, because a lot of them work out of their homes, and not everyone is necessarily comfortable inviting everyone into their home. So Little Street Music Hall has been so gracious to let us have the space. And I’ve curated artists from all walks of the profession.”
“It’s a very rare experience to be able to see this important, contemporary young work,” said Manfredi.
Details: The fifth annual Desert Open Studios Tour runs between 11 a.m. and 4 p.m. this weekend (Friday Jan. 24 through Sunday Jan. 26) at studios throughout the Coachella Valley. There is no cost to visit them. Complete details, including a map, can be found at desertopenstudios.com.
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