Arts Commission mapping public collection, seeks new homes for storage pieces

The Palm Springs Public Arts Commission is undertaking a major effort to document, maintain and strategically place public art throughout the city, according to discussions at Thursday’s commission meeting.

Commissioner Natasia Gascon has spearheaded the creation of a comprehensive inventory that has already identified more than 150 pieces in the city’s collection, with additional works still being verified.

“I’ve counted at least 150 something pieces in the collection,” Gascon told fellow commissioners. “The process now is just verifying that those pieces actually belong to the city and then also figuring out ways we can manage inventory in terms of placement of the art and then also maintenance.”

The inventory project includes creation of two Google maps – one for internal commission use showing detailed information about each piece, and another for public access. The public map, which will be available at the city’s World Art Day celebration on April 12, shows locations of public art with basic information such as artist name and installation date.

“It will encourage people to look at the public art we have and walk around and discover more pieces,” Gascon said.

In conjunction with this documentation effort, the commission is actively working to find appropriate locations for several pieces currently sitting in storage. During the meeting, commissioners reviewed potential sites for several works, with Chair Gary Armstrong noting that city leadership has expressed a preference for placing art in parks and neighborhoods rather than more remote locations.

“Public art really is bringing art and creativity to people that may not have access to it and be able to go into the museum,” Armstrong said.

Maintenance of existing public art emerged as another priority, with reports on pieces throughout the city that need attention. One piece identified as needing immediate care is “Wave Rhythms” in Sunrise Park, which has been damaged by vandalism.

Looking ahead, the commission plans to create a map that not only shows existing art and potential installation sites but also marks city districts to ensure equitable distribution of public art.

“We should always consider district markers on there as well,” Armstrong said, noting that certain areas of the city have less public art than others. “There’s nothing in the south end of the city.”

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