California Desert Arts Council has installed a public-participation mural created by ArtsTank Greater Palm Springs grant winner Peter Tigler and attendees of the 37th La Quinta Arts Festival.
Designed as a vintage postcard reflecting the Greater Palm Springs resort lifestyle, the mural came to life on March 9, when festivalgoers selected a small paint-filled cup to match a number on the 7-by-15-foot canvas and set about finger painting their claimed space.
The sheer joy of expression was palpable among the young and not-so-young participants as they added their marks to a montage of images.
The painting shows a couple sitting at the edge of a pool and a foursome on the tennis court amid a towering palm tree, colorful wildflowers, and the majestic desert mountains. Standing in front of a citrus tree, a woman with candy apple red lipstick appears close up, smiling as she adjusts her round gold-frame sunglasses, while an airplane flies into the scene. And like the typography of so many “wish you were here” postcards, the word “Greetings” pops from the image in the same aqua tone as the pool, reinforcing the inviting nature of the destination.
Installed in partnership with Grit Development and the Palm Springs Public Arts Commission, the mural appears on Belardo Road behind the Kimpton Rowan Palm Springs Hotel and outside the “pit,” which also contains a full-scale replica of the Walker Guest House and another mural by local painter and sculptor Ryan Campbell.
Tigler, who’s based in Santa Monica, California, has also created public participation murals for The Getty Museum, Los Angeles County Department of Beaches and Harbors, Providence College, and cities including Santa Monica and Marina del Rey.
CDAC encourages art enthusiasts, residents, and visitors to snap a selfie with the mural and share it on social media with hashtags: #cadesertarts #artswideopen #artstank #pspublicarts.
