Greater Palm Springs is an oasis for art fans

Though well known as an oasis of modernism for the better part of the last century, Greater Palm Springs has cultural roots that go far deeper than the venerable Neutra, Frey and Kocher. As some of the recently unearthed artifacts on display at the Agua Caliente Cultural Museum can attest, this region has been a fertile place for culture to blossom since time immemorial.

Of course, design is only one branch of the arts to flourish in this palm-shaded, spring-fed region. Whether as a filming location for countless movies or a refuge for their stars, the Coachella Valley has often felt like an extension of Hollywood, especially during the Palm Springs International Film Festival in January. Movie stars and iconic musicians began flocking here from Los Angeles starting in the 1930s – including Marilyn Monroe (immortalized in the towering “Forever Marilyn” sculpture), the Rat Pack, Elvis, Dinah Shore and more.

That artistic heritage has only continued to grow with a new generation of community-supported creatives. Indeed, there are so many ways to celebrate the local arts scene, they make for a culture traveler’s dream tour. Here are some of our favorite arts experiences in Greater Palm Springs:

People walking in front of The Agua Caliente Cultural Museum on a clar — The Agua Caliente Cultural Museum houses ancestral works that were discovered during the museum’s excavation process. Courtesy of Visit Greater Palm Springs

Where to see art

In a unique mashup, ancient and modernist wonders sit side-by-side throughout the Greater Palm Springs’ nine cities. To understand the sheer scope of local creativity, start at the beginning, or as close as archeology will allow. The recently opened Agua Caliente Cultural Museum – created and run by the Agua Caliente Band of Cahuilla Indians – houses ancestral works that were discovered during the museum’s excavation process, which also included the tribe’s adjacent Spa at Sėc-he (built at a sacred hot mineral spring).

Courtesy of Visit Greater Palm Springs; For sponsored custom article — Cabot's Pueblo Museum in Desert Hot Springs features a collection of Native American artifacts and artwork, and highlights the region’s rich heritage. Courtesy of Visit Greater Palm Springs

Among the pottery and other artifacts are manos and metates that date back approximately 8,000 years. To delve deeper into the local history and some of its most fascinating characters, head to Cabot’s Pueblo Museum and the Coachella Valley History Museum.

Patrons visit the Palm Springs Art Museum's main hall, where sculptures and paitings line the walls and sunlight comes down through a curved glass skylight. — The Palm Springs Art Museum houses a diverse collection, from sculpture and painting to photographs and architecture. Courtesy of Visit Greater Palm Springs

When you’re ready to move on to modernism, head for the excellent Palm Springs Art Museum. There, you’ll find the newly installed all-metal 1931 Aluminaire House, heralded by the Architectural Record as one of the most important buildings of the last 125 years. Taking in Albert Frey and A. Lawrence Kocher’s gleaming design against the mountains and impossibly blue sky, you’ll start to get an appreciation for how beautifully the architects’ creations pair with the local environment.

To see more of their legacy, tour Frey’s own house – the mountainside Frey House II, also owned by the museum – and the Kocher-Samson Building, considered Palm Springs’ first modernist international-style building and recently converted into a rentable vacation stay.

The modernist exterior facade of the Sunnylands home and museum in Greater Palm Springs — Sunnylands, in Rancho Mirage, is a historic estate known for its stunning mid-century modern architecture and expansive gardens. Courtesy of Visit Greater Palm Springs

Can’t-miss examples of historic modernist architecture fill Greater Palm Springs: Sunnylands is a 1963 commission by Ambassador Walter Annenberg and his wife, who hosted countless luminaries on the 200-acre estate. It’s now a museum. Elvis’s Honeymoon Hideaway, the so-called House of Tomorrow, was where the King and Priscilla retreated in 1967. Kaufmann House is Richard Neutra’s 1946 steel, glass and stone masterpiece, immortalized in Slim Aarons’ famous “Poolside Gossip” photo. And of course, Frank Sinatra’s home, Twin Palms, was designed by E. Stewart Williams, who spared no luxury in creating the 1947 behemoth (see: the piano-shaped swimming pool).

The modernist exterior of Frank Sinatra's home in Greater Palm Springs. Two tall trees rise above a pool shaped like a piano. — Frank Sinatra’s home, Twin Palms, is a classic example of Modernist architecture with a piano-shaped swimming pool. Courtesy of Visit Greater Palm Springs

You can see and tour many homes on your own, but your best bet is to take one of the excellent guided architecture tours. For several options, go to visitgreaterpalmsprings.com.

An artist stands in front of a wall mural that fills the frame. The mural is bright yellow and red, with a bright blue station wagon in the center and a black man in a checked shirt. — There are arresting examples of public art on display throughout the nine cities in the region. Courtesy of Visit Greater Palm Springs; For sponsored custom article

Public art

The aforementioned “Forever Marilyn” – Seward Johnson’s interpretation of the wind-up-the-dress moment from the filming of “The Seven Year Itch” – is one of the most recognizable works of art in Greater Palm Springs. But the 26-foot-tall sculpture is just the beginning of the arresting examples you’ll find throughout the nine cities in the region.

A painted mural on a wall shows a hispanic man in typical farm working clothing, with a brimmed hat, as he gazes downward and to the right — “Anonymous Farm Worker” is a tribute to agricultural workers. Courtesy of Visit Greater Palm Springs; For sponsored custom article

Whether you take a self-guided tour or book a guide, there are many pieces of public art you shouldn’t miss – for starters, “Anonymous Farm Worker,” a mural created by el Mac for the Coachella Walls project a decade ago to help call attention to the largely forgotten, underserviced agricultural laborers in the area. Other must-see murals include Nate Frizzell’s “Bird Song” in La Quinta, and Nicole Ponsler’s hummingbird-themed “Rebirth” mural in Indio.

Nine giant multicolored cones stand in an art installation — Sarbalé Ke was originally displayed at the Coachella Music and Arts Festival, and now has a permanent home in Indio. Courtesy of Visit Greater Palm Springs

If public sculpture is more your speed, the water in Jennifer Johnson’s “Fountain of Life” is a whimsical installation located in Cathedral City. “Poly Parfait,” is a set of abstract, environmentally-themed totem poles by E. Tyler Burton in the Palm Desert Civic Center Park. “Rainmaker,” is a towering fountain by David Morris in Palm Springs’ Uptown Design District. And across the region, installations from the Coachella festival have become permanent additions to the local landscape.

Perhaps the most iconic is “Sarbalé Ke” by Francis Kéré in Indio’s Dr. Carreon Park, where you’ll find these nine abstract interpretations of West African baobab trees.

In an overhead shot, booths and vendors are seen set up in a cul-de-sac with several examples of modernist architecture and classic cars. — Modernism Week includes more than 350 tours, exhibitions, talks, and parties, all celebrating the architectural movement. Courtesy of Visit Greater Palm Springs

Can't-miss art events

For serious fans of modernism, thousands of whom flock to Greater Palm Springs every year, Modernism Week is the high point of the year. Celebrating its 20th anniversary in February 2025, it includes more than 350 tours, exhibitions, talks, and parties, all in celebration of the innovation and cultural impact of modernist architecture.

Next up on the calendar is La Quinta Art Celebration, in late February and early March, when jury-selected, world-class artists from around the globe exhibit their work at the La Quinta Civic Center and you’ll also find a daily lineup of live music. Immediately after that comes the fabled Desert X in mid-March, an international art biennial featuring outdoor, site-specific installations throughout Greater Palm Springs. The 2025 theme is nonlinear narratives of time, “where ancestral wisdom intertwines and collides with contemporary visions for our collective future.”

A mural on the side of a house shows a Native American woman wrapped in a patterned blanket and carrying three wooden birdhouses toward red hills in the sunset. — La Quinta has long been a supporter of arts events and installations, including “Bird Song” by Nate Frizzell. Courtesy of Visit Greater Palm Springs

In April, the region will play host to the Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival. And though the musical aspect needs no introduction, you may not realize just how much art is involved in the second part of the festival’s name. Take in the large-scale, eye-popping installations that the festival’s curators have traveled the world to commission.

In November, the Rancho Mirage Festival of the Arts places a premium on experimentation and craftsmanship in selecting the works on display at the Rancho Mirage Community Park and Amphitheater, where there are also art-making demos and live music.

Two people splatter multicolored paints over a midcentury modern chair as spattered paint covers the walls and other objects — Many local galleries double as studios with classes, including Superbloom. Courtesy of Visit Greater Palm Springs

Take some art home, or make some yourself

Even if you don’t travel to the area for the big annual art festivals, you’ll still find plenty of among the local galleries. Start with Palm Desert’s El Paseo art galleries for works in metal, blown glass and more. Another great gallery cluster: the Backstreet Art District, where ceramics, jewelry and lithography are just the start. One of the most iconic stops in Palm Springs’ Uptown Design District is the Shag Store, home of the instantly recognizable SoCal-colored illustrations by Josh Agle, aka Shag.

Two women use potters wheels to make ceramic artworks while wearing red aprons at a gallery and workshop in Greater Palm Springs — At Old Town Artisan Studios in La Quinta you can become a part of the Greater Palm Springs artistic community yourself, and take home a one-of-a-kind piece. Courtesy of Visit Greater Palm Springs

If all of this artwork inspires you to create your own, a number of local galleries double as studios with classes, such as the somewhat psychedelic Superbloom, where you can sign up for a 90-minute Paint with Meaning Session. At the multimedia Desert Art Center, you can take classes in everything from printing to beeswax art. Try your hand at the potter’s wheel or a glass art class at the Old Town Artisan Studios. And at the end of the day, pair your own creations with a glass of wine at Pinot’s Palette – and toast an art vacation well spent.