Broughton Quarterly - Fall 2007 - (Page 22) tic tis ar Public art projects are heating up the Coachella Valley, and you don’t have to pay to appreciate them. Here, Palm Springs’ Public Arts Coordinator JENNIFER HENNING shares her thoughts on the region’s artistic evolution. BQ: Palm Springs nowadays is characterized as an art destination. Has the city made a conscious effort to go in this direction? I work with the Public Arts Commission, and I know that’s one of their goals—to make this more of an art destination. But it’s not just the Public Arts Commission. We have a fabulous museum, The Palm Springs Art Museum, and there are other groups, like ModCom (The Palm Springs Modern Committee), which is dedicated to all the wonderful Mid-Century Modern treasures around here. And it’s not just the city of Palm Springs, either; it’s throughout the Coachella Valley. The Public Arts Program in Palm Desert, for example, is great. 22 Broughton Quarterly Fall 2007 om ed re F How are the distinct regions working together? We’re trying to put together an art symposium to get public arts people—artists, City Council members, administrators—throughout the valley together. The idea is to make the entire valley an arts destination, not just Palm Springs. Is this tourist-oriented, or also for the local community? It’s for the whole community, absolutely. There are a lot of artists here; there really is an arts community. And these days, a lot of people are calling the Coachella Valley home, living here full-time. When did the Public Arts Program begin? The Palm Springs Public Arts Program started in 1988…There’s a seven-member Public Arts Commission, appointed by City Council. When developers begin a new project here, a small percentage of the value of their project is deemed for public art…The developer can either choose a piece of art to install at their project or leave it up to the Public Arts Commission. When the art installation is complete, they’re refunded their art fee. What’s the most current art installation? The latest pieces we’ve installed were by an artist named John Clement. They’re three large-scale steel works located throughout the city. But that is a temporary installation.
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