Palm Springs Art Musuem
In my last Palm Springs vacation I spent the afternoon looking at fine art at the Palm Springs Art Museum. Located in the downtown, the museum has recently changed its focus from a desert museum featuring historical artifacts to an art museum with fine art and sculpture.
When I first arrived I couldn't help but notice the diverse works of fine are adorning the walls.
There were also statutes and exhibits featuring Palm Springs modern design, film and photography. The art exhibits are of a broad chronological, geographic and artistic range. Everything from modern to op art.
The featured exhibition when I was there was a Richard Avedon collection of pictures. Magnificent Avedon photos of everyone from Bob Dylan to Marilyn Monroe.
For the performing art lover, there is a theater named after Ambassador Walter Annenberg, former publisher of the TV guide, which presents live performance concert from opera to ballet and jazz.
While I didn't have the time to take in one of the workshops and classes that the museum has for its local residents, I did manage to take one of the guided tours which are conducted daily. It ran for about 45 minutes and was part of the cost of admission.
My afternoon at the art museum included lunch in a great little restaurant where I took in a beautiful outdoor sculptor garden which is both scenic and serene. This sculptor garden is a true oasis in the desert.
While not a whole day excursion, the art museum and its collection of paintings, sculptures, and exhibits definitely merits a few hours of your time during your next desert vacation. Because it is located in the heart of the downtown, when I finished with lunch I strolled out on to Museum Way which is one short block from Palm Canyon Drive, where I spent the rest of m my afternoon taking in the sun and strolling the sun drenched Palm Springs main drag with its assortment of shops.
With admission tickets as little as $5.00 for students and $10 - $12 for adults, for my money, the Palm Springs Art Museum is truly one of the outstanding mid - sized art museums I have ever been to and a mandatory stop on my next Palm Springs vacation.