Frank Gehry’s Beaver Chair and Ottoman (1987), made of corrugated cardboard, appears in The Modern Chair exhibition through April 2022 at the Palm Springs Art Museum Architecture and Design Center. It’s a promised gift to the museum from Donna J. and the late Cargill MacMillan, Jr. Photograph by Yoshihiro Makino, courtesy of Palm Springs Life.
ART + DESIGN
‘The Modern Chair’ opens at Palm Springs Art Museum (Palm Springs Life)
The season-long exhibition at the Palm Springs Art Museum Architecture and Design Center features 60 eye-popping and comfy-looking specimens spanning more than 100 years, including a section focused on California designers such as Eames and Neutra.
When Palm Springs Art Museum focused on nature (California Desert Art)
As director of the then-Palm Springs Desert Museum, Dr. Clarence Ernest Smith, Jr., aka “Smitty,” was constantly being called on by members of the press and others to explain all kinds of things found in the natural world. More of a Renaissance man than a typical museum curator, he put all of his skills and experiences to work, including photography.
DANCE
Palm Springs International Dance festival announces October lineup
The Oct. 21–24 event includes an opening-night party at Desert Rose Playhouse, a professional dance concert, film screenings, master classes, and a student showcase.
FILM + TELEVISION
Cinema Diverse LGBTQ+ film fest rolls in Palm Springs (Palm Springs Life)
The 14th edition features in-person and streaming films, spread over two weeks starting Sept. 16, with an opening-night screening of Jump, Darling, the last film featuring actress Cloris Leachman, who died in January. The festival will use all three theaters at the Palm Springs Cultural Center at reduced capacity; many films will screen twice in-person, Sept. 16-19 and Sept. 22-26.
Sunnylands brings back outdoor movie screenings (Palm Springs Life)
The public can see a movie musical free of charge on three consecutive Friday evenings, starting at 7:30 p.m., at Sunnylands Center & Gardens in Rancho Mirage. The movies and their screening dates are The Wizard of Oz (Sept. 17), Mary Poppins (Sept. 24), and Mamma Mia! (Oct. 1). Filmgoers are encouraged to bring lawn chairs, blankets, and small picnics.
Reel Women film fest to support Planned Parenthood (Uken Report)
The eighth Reel Women Film Festival Oct. 11–23 features diverse films about women from around the globe. The event began as a way to engage Planned Parenthood supporters in the Coachella Valley. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, this year’s festival will be held virtually.
Mary Hart to return as emcee of Palm Springs film fest (The Desert Sun)
Former Entertainment Tonight host Mary Hart is set to return as emcee at the Palm Springs International Film Festival Film Awards gala in January 2022 despite criticism of her participation in former President Donald Trump’s Independence Day event last year, organizers have announced. The festival runs Jan. 6–17, 2022, opening with its star-studded Film Awards and concluding with the Best of Fest awards 11 days later.
La Quinta siblings compete on Disney bake-off show (The Desert Sun)
The La Quinta siblings Jackson and Alexandra Kulevich talk to The Desert Sun about participating on the television show Disney’s Magic Bake-Off, which airs Friday nights on the Disney Channel. The show provides ingredients, but the cake and the design are up to the teams. The theme for Alexandra and Jackson was Toy Story. And cakes aren’t the only thing these kids are cooking up.
THEATER + STAGE
Comedy festival returns with a new home: CVRep (CV Independent)
The Coachella Valley Improv and Comedy Festival, set for Oct. 23–24, at the CVRep Playhouse in Cathedral City, features improv and standup comics, as well as workshops.
DIGITAL ARTS
Museum of Ancient Wonders to host VR “escape” game (Uken Report)
The Cathedral City-based museum, which displays replicated and genuine treasured artifacts, hosts the Coachella Valley’s first virtual reality escape game Oct. 1 and 2. Participants will be transported inside a massive pyramid, where they will navigate treacherous obstacles, utilizing weapons, mind, and wits to solve puzzles in order to find the treasured relic and escape.
