May 13 Daily Briefing: Arts Commission concerns, discount program, and more

Welcome to Tuesday, where we’re hoping you print the following out and put it on your refrigerator for future reference: If emails from us ever go missing from your inbox, please check your junk/spam folder first. A few hundred times each year we hear from readers who have reportedly stopped receiving this Daily Briefing, and in 99.9% of the cases our emails have been found in their junk folder. We don’t know why this happens. We wish we did. Recently, Apple made a change to their devices that caused this phenomenon to spike, so we thought we’d try to get the word out about what to do if you don’t see us some morning as expected.

🎶 Setting the mood: “Birthday” by The Beatles

LEADING OFF

Concerns with mural approval process surface during discussion of Thompson piece

Palm Springs Public Arts Commission unanimously approved a Jeffrey Gibson mosaic mural at Thompson Palm Springs Hotel earlier this month despite commissioners’ concerns that the artwork was installed before involving them. 

Driving the news: Commissioners questioned why “The Stars Are Our Ancestors” mural was installed before the application was brought for review, noting this circumvented the standard approval process. They expressed frustrations over being asked to evaluate art that was already in place, but ultimately endorsed the piece.

• “It’s a disservice to the community in the process to ask us to review something that can’t be modified,” said Commission Chair Gary Armstrong.

The response: Abigail Rust, art collection manager for the owner of the hotel, The Hall Group, acknowledged the procedural issue, explaining it was “a late addition to the hotel’s arts program” and not intended to disrupt protocol.

• “Our intention is to be a compliant member of the community,” Rust said.

The artwork: The mosaic measures 15 feet at its highest point and spans approximately 56 feet across three walls at 414 North Palm Canyon Drive.

• Created in partnership with an Italian mosaicist studio, the artwork is meant to encourage reflection on humans’ relationship with Earth.

Worth noting: Despite procedural concerns, commissioners praised the artistic merit of the piece itself, with Commissioner Lauri Kibby calling it “a beautiful piece.”

Dive deeper with our complete story

BRIEFLY

🥘 City launches bonus bucks program for Restaurant Week

Greater Palm Springs Restaurant Week is serving up deals starting May 30, and to make the savings even more delicious, Palm Springs is rolling out a special digital gift card bonus bucks program.

• Starting May 19, you can purchase a $100 Love Local Palm Springs digital gift card and receive a $50 bonus card. These cards can be redeemed at over 37 restaurants in the city of Palm Springs that are participating in Restaurant Week (as well as other local businesses). 
  
• What they are saying: “This year, we’re making Greater Palm Springs Restaurant Week even more enticing for residents and visitors to explore the vibrant and diverse culinary scene in Palm Springs while also supporting local businesses,” said Mayor Ron deHarte. “We encourage you to dine at your favorite eatery, treat yourself, explore new flavors, and get the most for your money with Love Local Palm Springs.”
  
• Fine print: If you purchase a Love Local Palm Springs digital gift card before May 19, you will not receive the bonus card. Also, the bonus card must be used by June 8 of this year. Click here to learn more

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TODAY’S FEATURED EVENTS

Cribbage Play
1 p.m. | Play Lounge & Cafe
Bring your friends or meet new ones at this casual hangout. Play Lounge has a few boards available for use or you can bring your own.

ONE-PS Monthly Meeting
4:30 p.m. | Palm Springs Police Training Center
The Organized Neighborhoods of Palm Springs (ONE-PS) holds its monthly meeting to discuss neighborhood issues with city council members, public safety officers, and others. The meeting will also be available on YouTube.

VillageFest Board Meeting
5:30 p.m. | City Hall
The VillageFest Board holds its meetings once a month to help with the organization of VillageFest, from approving vendors, to interpreting and applying rules and regulations from City Council.

Trivia Night
6:30 p.m. | Play Lounge PS
Come alone or bring a group to participate in this popular trivia night. Win bagging rights and other prizes.

Movies in the Downtown Park: “The Fifth Element”
7 p.m. | Downtown Park
Relax and bring your friends and neighbors to enjoy the free Movies in the Park. Tonight, watch Bruce Willis in the Luc Besson-directed sci-fi film “The Fifth Element” from 1997. Note that extreme weather or rain may force rescheduling of some events and that start times will vary depending on what time the sun goes down.

See all events here

SAVE THE DATE

• Joint Valley Chamber Mixer at the Palm Springs Air Museum on Wednesday.
  
• Pro Pickleball Showdown at The Show at Agua Caliente Casino Rancho Mirage on Thursday.
  
• Blue Zones Community Kickoff at Festival Theaters on Thursday.
  
• “Star Wars: Episode IV: A New Hope” at the Cultural Center on Thursday.
  
• Movie Night in the Park: “Wicked” at Victoria Park on Friday.
  
• Celebrate the eighth anniversary of Janssen Artspace on Saturday.
  
• “Veils: A Requiem For Trayvon” film screening at the Cultural Center on May 23. ($18)
  
• Memorial Day Air Fair and Flower Drop at the Palm Springs Air Museum on May 26.
  
• Miralon Blood Drive with LifeStream Blood Bank at Miralon on May 30.
  
• 2025 Greater Palm Springs Restaurant Week starts May 30.

Submit your event here

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AND FINALLY …

🐾 Each week, The Post partners with a local animal shelter to feature one or more of the many animal companions ready for a new home in our community. 

Today, we invite you to Hank, your very own gentle snuggle buddy. He’s a one-year-old tricolor pup with a heart as big as his love for snuggles. Staff at the shelter say Hank will need some time to warm up to you, but rest assured he’ll soon transform into an oversized lapdog.

• He’s great on leash and gets along well with other dogs as long as they match his “gentle and dainty” playstyle

If you’re interested: You can visit the shelter at 4575 E. Mesquite Ave. Hours are 11 a.m. until 5 p.m. on all days except for Mondays (open for intake only) and Thursdays (1 p.m. until 7 p.m.). You can always call the shelter at (760) 416-5718.

Make sure to check out all the other pets at the shelter here.