Helen Lundeberg’s acrylic on canvas painting Greys with Orange (1979) from the artist’s Palm Springs Art Museum online exhibition, on view at psmuseum.org. Courtesy Palm Springs Art Museum/Gift of Dr. and Mrs. Alan Leslie.   As the fall season starts coming into view, Coachella Valley arts organizations have begun announcing plans to present their programs with stringent…

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Filmmaker Greg Bassenian’s documentary “Miracle in the Desert: The Rise and Fall of the Salton Sea” is slated to screen at the American Documentary and Animation Film Festival, Sept. 25-29, in Palm Springs. Photograph by Steven Biller.   COVID-19 Problem for the arts: Insurers won’t cover virus cancellations (Reuters)Most insurers, if not all, are adding…

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As Coachella Valley arts and culture organizations recalibrate their upcoming season to curb the spread of COVID-19, we’re dedicating this edition of This Month in the Arts to sharing resources to help you safely reopen venues, host events, identify emergency financial assistance, and navigate other pandemic-related concerns. First, we encourage arts venues and event promoters…

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Watts-based artist Mister Alek from Watts spray painted a mural in memory of George Floyd on Indian Canyon Drive just north of Amado Road. Photograph courtesy Palm Springs Public Arts Commission.   COVID RESPONSE Your Coachella Valley culture fix is here (Palm Springs Life)During the COVID-19 shutdown, Coachella Valley artists and arts organizations are reaching…

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Twenty-six visual artists, musicians, authors, graphic designers, and other creative professionals earned grants from the California Desert Arts Council (CDAC) in May to “Keep Arts Alive,” an initiative to provide financial support to Coachella Valley artists affected by and responding to the COVID-19 pandemic. Established by CDAC and La Quinta Arts Foundation, the $50,000 fund…

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The Santa Rosa and San Jacinto Mountains National Monument welcomes amateur and professional photographers to participate in a photo contest to mark its 20th anniversary. Photograph by Tom Brewster/courtesy Palm Springs Life and Friends of the Desert Mountains   COVID-19 Arts organizations invited to apply for COVID-19 relief funds (WESTAF)The Western States Arts Federation’s WESTAF…

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Sequestered during the COVID-19 outbreak, La Quinta artist Thomas Gill found a way to bring the atmospheric desert into his multimedia world. The result: a trippy, pulsating trek through a graphically designed landscape drenched in the colors of so many awe-inspiring sunsets. “I do professional photography and videography but also have a passion for graphic…

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Dutch photographer Erwin Olaf, who was scheduled to appear at the Palm Springs Photo Festival (postponed to Sept. 20–25), shot a series called “Palm Springs” to reveal the “cracks in the perfect world.” Courtesy Edwynn Houk Gallery, New York COVID-19 $50K in grants available to local artists, arts organizations (Cactus Hugs)The fund, established by CDAC and…

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Devastating. Unprecedented. Dire. This is how local arts leaders describe the current state of affairs as the novel coronavirus (COVID-19) shutters museums, galleries, theaters, and performance venues across the Coachella Valley. They’ve canceled events, refunded patrons, sent home talent and back-of-the-house staff, and begun strategizing for their survival. The hurt, including lost economic impact, has…

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