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2023 Joshua Tree National Park Art Expo - Juried Exhibition

Joshua Tree National Park Art Expo features a juried art exhibition and celebration of art, culture, and park history at the Oasis of Mara in Twentynine Palms, CA. The 2023 exhibition is on display Nov. 2-26 at the historic 29 Palms Art Gallery, 74055 Cottonwood Drive @ National Park Drive, 29 Palms, CA. This year’s juried exhibition Call for Art received 337 pieces of art submitted by 140 artists from the desert region and across California, the United States and Canada. After the jurying process, 64 artists were selected for the juried exhibition, featuring art depicting or inspired by the natural aspects or cultural history of Joshua Tree National Park.  Want to purchase a piece of art? Contact Us via email.

JTNP ART EXPO celebration weekend Nov. 4 & 5 Schedule of Events – Click here!

AWARDS announcement for JTNP Art Expo 2023 juried exhibition! (PDF)

DOWNLOAD the PDF: 2023 JTNP Art Expo Exhibition Catalog

Marinés Adrianza | Pasadena, CA | Calixta, Mixed Media on Paper 30x22 | $1,650

Los Angeles based, Venezuelan artist Marinés Adrianza took to creative expression and a sensory approach to learning from an early age. This eventually led to her strong interest in the experiential nature of mixed media and frequent use of it in her work. Much of Adrianza’s work reflects her study of psychology and ongoing curiosity about human behavior and emotion. Her “Look Deeper Project” series explores the limitations of what the eye and the ego can process from a first impression. This work is a reminder to look beyond the surface to find answers. It is an invitation to slow down, observe deeply and absorb our surroundings to genuinely connect with the world around us. Adrianza’s work has been shown in galleries across the country and recently featured in the City of Los Angeles Latino Heritage Month Calendar, Create! Magazine, Juniper Rag Magazine, and Women United Art Magazine. http://marinesadrianza.com

Julie Alvarado | Joshua Tree, CA | Climbing in Joshua Tree NP I, Acrylic on Panel 8x10 | $525 SOLD

Artist Julie Alvarado moved to Joshua Tree in 2018 from the Bay Area. Listening to local radio one day, she became fascinated with the story of a long-ago event called “Tortoise Days” that used to be celebrated in Joshua Tree. The story inspired her to imagine what such an event might have been like and led to a series of acrylic paintings that became narratives of her vision of a Tortoise Days Parade. The scale of the tortoises in her work was inspired by her love of early 1960s horror films starring giant spiders, ants, and other enormous creatures. This particular work features miniature rock climbers in the park ascending a giant tortoise’s shell. Alvarado received an MFA from California College of the Arts in Oakland, and her work has been shown in exhibitions across California, including her one-person show Tortoise Days at 29 Palms Art Gallery in 2023. http://juliealvaradoartist.com

Dawn Anderson | 29 Palms, CA | Desert Rain, Photograph 24x36 | $700

Dawn Anderson is an award-winning photographer based in Southern California. Her photography centers on the beauty of California landscapes, especially the beaches and deserts. Her works are displayed locally in Southern California, and she has won and placed in numerous photographic competitions throughout the country. She has an international following, and her work is sold to buyers and collectors all over the world. Many of her photos are available for purchase online with options to customize sizes, print materials and framing. To view recent photographs or to interact, follow her on Instagram @DawnAndersonPhotography.

Isabelle Anderson | Joshua Tree, CA | Family Portrait, Cyanotype Toned in Green Tea 10x14 | $400

Isabelle Anderson is an artist from Southern California, currently living in Joshua Tree. In 2019 she received her BFA in Fine Art Photography from Concordia University in Montreal. It was there that she became interested in alternative photographic processes, especially cyanotypes. The process involves coating watercolor paper in an emulsion of UV sensitive chemicals, laying objects or negatives over the paper and then exposing the image to the sun. After the image has been washed and developed in water, she tones her prints with different plant and tea tannins which can add a rich and earthy palette of dark greens, browns, or purples. The result is an image with a haunting quality, representative of the mystery and poetry she sees in every living landscape. isabelle.eve@gmail.com

Robert Arnett | Glendora, CA | Up in Keys View, Oil on Canvas Panel 15x19 | $800

Plein-air artist Robert Arnett’s fascination with art developed early, when he won 2nd place in a monster drawing contest on The Doodles Weaver Show at the age of 10. Receiving an oil painting kit that Christmas sealed the deal. His first job with a silk screen printing firm led to a 35-year career in design, print making, and competitive creativity. Some 25 years ago he found his niche in landscape painting and has since become an iconic Wonder Valley artist. Fascinated by abandoned Mojave Desert homesteads and their historic role, he is driven to document their existence before the harsh environment reclaims them. A native Californian, Arnett studied at Otis Art Institute and Scottsdale Artist School. He is an Associate Member of California Art Club and Southern California Plein Air Painters, and an exhibiting member of 29 Palms Artists’ Guild and MBCAC’s annual Hwy 62 Art Tours.

Bart Baxter | Rancho Mirage, CA | Openings, Pencil on Paper 18x12 | $800 | SOLD

AWARD: 1ST PLACE 2D. Bart Baxter is best known for his five books of poetry and many awards. He studied Art at Boise State University and holds a BA in Philosophy from the University of Texas. For the last 11 years he has lived in Mumbai, Addis Ababa, and London. Returning to his home in the Coachella Valley, he found a forgotten grace. His pencil drawings express the pacific joy of wandering in the high desert: the secret structures, the solace of shapes, and the settlement of stone, no less elegant than David in Florence or a soaring cathedral in Rouen. He understands there is a time for tumult and a time to urge things to move. There is also a time to be still and exult in the absence of motion. bartbaxter@msn.com

Delphine Bordas | Palm Desert, CA | Cactus Aglow, Photograph 20x16 | $490

AWARD: 2ND PLACE PHOTOGRAPHY. From growing up in Europe to international corporate jobs, it took Delphine Bordas 20 years to develop her photographic style to the point that she was ready to show her work and dedicate herself 100% to photography. “I knew early on that black and white was the medium where I could express myself best, and where I could ‘create’ more than a photograph. Black and white offers the viewer a deeper visual experience. I feel pictures have a soul of their own, and a spirit that is serene, almost infinite yet so personal. I am not into capturing reality. My photographs are my own vision of nature's best.” In recent years, Bordas’ photographs have been exhibited in venues from Idyllwild, San Diego, and Beverly Hills to festivals and exhibitions in Palm Springs, La Quinta, Indian Wells, and Rancho Mirage.

Julia Briest | Desert Hot Springs, CA | 3D – Evening Elements, Mixed Media, Natural Fibers 35x28 | $1,800

Julia Briest developed a love for the arts as a child when she began experimenting in ceramics, painting, and mixed media, with formal education in Fashion from Western Michigan University. During a road trip in 2015 she became obsessed with collecting nature’s finest “art supplies,” thus creating Earth Art Creations. Her supplies are either handpicked on public lands or donated by friends and family. Inspired by the lands she travels, she is mindful of the impact on the environment while gathering and foraging natural art supplies. Her detailed natural fiber art represents this bountiful earth and awakens us to see Mother Earth’s creations through a new lens. Briest's works have received awards at juried shows like Joshua Tree National Park Art Expo 2021 and Environmental Education Collaborative 2023. Her art is displayed at the Integratron, Cactus Mart, 29 Palms Visitor Center, Dorado806, and Borrego Art Institute.

Stephanie Britt | Bellingham, WA | The Long Shadows & the Secret Places, Oil 24x30 | $4,500

AWARD: 2ND PLACE 2D. Artist Stephanie Britt graduated from both Middle Georgia State University and Ringling College of Art & Design in Florida as an Illustrator. She has pursued her ambition of fine art painting for the past 20 years, first in Hawaii and recently in the beautiful Pacific Northwest. In addition to exhibiting in galleries, including Freeman Gallery in Santa Fe and, until recently, Palms Gallery/Kalakoa Fine Art Kauai, she also taught fine art instruction both privately and in the University of Hawaii System, Kauai Branch, as well as at Whatcom Community College in Bellingham, Washington. Britt’s works have been shown in selected group exhibitions since 2007, including the annual Joshua Tree National Park Juried Art Exhibition, where she won First Place for her painting, “Sentinels of the Lost Oasis,” in 2022.

Kevin Flynn Burke | Simi Valley, CA | Standing Stone in Park Central, Photograph 16x20 | $350

Based in the Los Angeles area, Kevin Burke’s 35-year career in still and motion photography has encompassed advertising, corporate and editorial assignments in the U.S. and across the globe, involving ad campaigns, magazines and annual reports, and numerous nonprofit companies. Over the last few years, he has focused on several fine art projects, including an extensive series on the Desert Southwest. “For years now, I’ve been taking whatever time I could to explore the seven-state region, searching for a different take on icons, and for unusual locations off grid, back of beyond. From the beginning, Joshua Tree has become an inspirational and prolific source of hero images—20 visits and 20 more to come. At times, I think I have seen it all, but new discoveries always await.”

Lewis Burris | Joshua Tree, CA | 3D – Tortoise Abstract, Ceramic Raku Etched 2x12 | $280

Lewis Burris, was born and raised in Cody, Wyoming. In the mid-1990s he attended Northwest College in Powell, Wyoming, where he was talked into taking a ceramic class. Despite receiving a degree in photography, he became interested in ceramics. After his children were raised, he attended Minnesota State University at Moorhead and received his BA in Ceramics in 2011, at the age of 55. Thus began his career as a ceramicist. After spending a large part of his life in the northern part of the United States, the warmer climate drew him to the Morongo Basin. In 2013, he and his wife Carol Burris moved to Joshua Tree where his artistic dreams are being lived out. He presently owns El Coyote Pottery, and he sells both functional and non-functional work throughout the area. Although ceramics is his main art, especially various styles of raku, Burris also draws, paints, and enjoys playing music. eaglesdo@yahoo.com

Hannah Campbell | Yucca Valley, CA | The Perseid Shower, Inktense Pencils 11x14 | $240

Hannah Campbell is a traveler and grade-school teacher who has lived in the desert since childhood. Growing up in the Morongo Basin next to Joshua Tree National Park taught her to see the art of the desert in all its seasons. Though she has been able to explore the world and observe many different art styles, from Singapore to Tanzania, the wild beauty of her home has always called her back and inspired her. The desert taught her how to see beauty in unusual places. Now, she teaches full time in her beloved desert, hoping to instill in her students the beauty and wonder of nature. She previously has participated and placed in the annual JTNP Art Exposition and is a participant in the Hwy 62 Art Tours and member of the Morongo Basin Cultural Arts Council.

Matt Cauthron | Cathedral City, CA | Plein Site, Photograph in a Plein-Air Painting Easel 20x13 | $400

AWARD: 1ST PLACE PHOTOGRAPHY. Matt Cauthron is a photo-based creative, husband, father of four, and educator living in the Coachella Valley. Over 30+ years as an arts professional, Cauthron’s work has included film and digital photography, mixed media assemblage, graphic/web design, video, curriculum design, and program development. His visualization focuses compositions into assemblage that sanctify the relationships of rustic materials, shape, texture, and image. Many of his pieces rely on artifacts from his immediate environment such as treated woods, aged metals, and photographs from the studio or greater desert region. Cauthron is also an adjunct professor in Digital Design and Production at College of the Desert, an Apple Distinguished Educator, Adobe Education Leader, and co-founder of the Digital Arts Technology Academy.

Marsha Chan | La Canada, CA | Milky Way Rising, Photograph 24x18 | $500

Marsha Chan is a photography enthusiast based in Southern California. Retired from a career in healthcare, she now teaches part-time at California State University, Northridge. Photography has been a lifelong hobby and the pandemic allowed her to spend more time pursuing her passion and refining her technique. Her work is centered on nature landscapes, the night sky, and cityscapes. She strives to capture the awe and wonder she feels as she experiences beautiful and unique scenery, working with natural light in composing her photographs. Chan attributes her love of nature and the outdoors to her parents and family vacations to national parks and locations in the Rocky Mountains, west coast and the southwest, which of course included Joshua Tree National Park. She studied with professional photographers at Otis College of Art and Design, as well as workshops and photo tours locally and abroad. Instagram: @m_c_c_photography

Janis Commentz | Yucca Valley, CA | The Joshua Tree, Acrylic 40x30 | $900

Janis Commentz is a third generation California artist who moved to the desert to teach high school English and Art. She is known for her color-intense palette and loose brush strokes of figures and landscapes. Commentz lives in the Mojave Desert where she teaches painting workshops in Joshua Tree National Park and local galleries. She has a BA from the University of Redlands and an MA in Education from California State University at San Bernardino. Since her retirement from high school teaching, she has pursued painting full time. Although Commentz grew up near the coast, she believes desert beauty is an acquired taste and enjoys plein-air painting in the Southwest United States. She exhibits her art in local shops and galleries and in 2020 opened her Etsy shop, French Press & Mojave Inspiration, a collection of cards, calendars, and paper goods.

Kristin Czech | Morongo Valley, CA | Skull Rock, Oil 30x18 | $700

Kristin Czech currently resides in Morongo Valley with her two daughters and husband of 10 years. Her fascination with art started in her youth, learning alongside her grandmother in her studio. This environment grew a bud of passion that soon blossomed into a marvelous flower. Practicing and honing her art skills throughout high school led to a major in art at Humboldt State University. Since then, she has taught art at Lucerne Valley High School and has entered various works into galleries and showings. She is currently pursuing art full time. Czech received an award for her oil on canvas “Tourists” in the Joshua Tree National Park Art Expo 2021 juried exhibition. kristonite@gmail.com

David Flatt | Vancouver, BC | Nimble Climber, Oil on Canvas 12x16 | $600

David Flatt is a part-time painter based in Vancouver, British Columbia. His training has included workshops by esteemed painters at the Scottsdale Artist School, and the Fine Arts Program at Emily Carr University, alongside a disciplined approach to studying the Western and Wildlife masters and observing his surroundings. Time spent in the wild places of North America is his inspiration, including Joshua Tree National Park. “Each rare encounter with wildlife informs my work. In the end my goal is to produce a piece that reflects these experiences. These wild places are worth saving.” david@davidflatt.ca

John Flores | Yucca Valley, CA | 3D – Cardinal Directions, Ceramic and Glaze 5x7x7 | $1,200

John Flores is a contemporary ceramic artist who lives and practices in Yucca Valley. He acquired his BFA with a focus in Ceramics at California State University, Fullerton in 2019. His work explores themes relating to life, death, and ephemerality, and combines plant and humanistic qualities, to emphasize the connection between all living things. He creates his sculptures using traditional clay hand-building techniques, which he then combines with modern use of glazing applications, including airbrushing. “My work revolves around a notion of sacredness that I associate with nature—an interconnectedness between plants and animals. I like to believe that every living thing has a spirit. These notions are always at the core of my work. I then build from that and plug in everyday innate life experiences to tell a story. Stories that deal with life, death, ephemerality, awe, wonder, love, growth, and transformation.”

K Gabrielle Gaspar | Sacramento, CA | Afternoon, Collage/Mixed Media 15x30 | $700

“To experience a moment first as a poem and then translate to a visual expression for others to experience.” That is how Northern California artist K Gabrielle Gaspar summarizes her philosophy working primarily in collage, acrylics, and mixed media. Trained as a marine scientist and physician, Gaspar is largely self-taught as an artist. She strives to express the connection between the natural world, the human environment, and the creatures with which we share both. She notes the artistic influence of her late aunt Marika Schneider, whose work appeared throughout Gaspar’s childhood home and whose pursuit of experimentation with style and materials informs her approach. Beyond creating visual poems, she finds connection and inspiration by surfing, trail running, and raising chickens. gaspar.gabrielle@gmail.com

Marcia Geiger | Joshua Tree, CA | Meet the Campersons, Acrylic-Gouache 12x16 | $650

Marcia Geiger's studio north of Joshua Tree provides her with the open space and solitude that allows her creative inspirations to grow and flourish. A lover of the outdoors and the Mojave Desert in particular, she captures the look and feel of the desert, and advocates for environmental preservation through her work by capturing the beauty and human response to the special magic the desert invokes. A Nebraska native, she moved to Joshua Tree in 1989 and began her artistic adventures in earnest. Primarily self-taught, she took weekly lessons in oil painting in the early 1990s. Geiger paints in oil on canvas and gouache on panel. She is represented by the Asher Grey Gallery. She served on Morongo Basin Cultural Arts Council board from 2013 through 2022, is a Legacy Member of the Hi-Desert Artists Co-Operative, and also is on the board of Arts Connection, the San Bernardino County Arts Council.

Laura Green | Imperial Beach, CA | Joshua Trees, Acrylic 24x20 | $450 | SOLD

Laura Green is currently a student in the UC Berkeley Post-Baccalaureate Program in Studio Arts and on track to graduate in fall of 2023. She previously received a certificate of Fine Arts from UC San Diego Extension in 2022 and has a BA from UC Santa Cruz. Her work has been featured in the Tijuana River Estuary visitor center in Imperial Beach since March 2023. Her portraits and wildlife paintings have been displayed in a variety of exhibitions in Southern California and were accepted in the Del Mar Fair 2023 fine art exhibition, where two of her paintings received second place for acrylic portraits and wildlife. Another painting received third place in the Imperial Beach Library Art Exhibition for Spring/Summer in 2023. Green’s portraits of people and pets are in a number of private collections.

Trudi Grin | Leawood, KS | Wonderland Ranch, Photograph on Metal 20x30 | $475

“The beauty of nature, constantly changing and unparalleled, is the inspiration for my work. I consider myself an evolving artist with a passion for landscape and nature imagery.” Prior to fully embracing photography, Trudi Grin dedicated over 30 years to a career as a pediatric ophthalmologist. After her retirement four years ago, her lifelong passion for photography gained new depth, allowing her to immerse herself in her art. Grin’s background as a pediatric eye surgeon has had a profound impact on how she sees and interprets the world through her lens. Her honed attention to detail and analytical skills now manifests in photography, where science and artistic vision converge. “Through my photographs, I strive to convey the emotions I feel in the presence of nature's wonders. Each image is a testament to my goal: to evoke emotional connections and allow viewers to experience the awe and reverence I hold for these moments.” trudigrin@gmail.com

James Hammons | Sugarloaf, CA | Joshua, Mixed Media 30x24 | $6,500

James Hammons is known for his unique art style, often described as a blend of surrealism and abstract expressionism. His works typically feature vibrant colors, intricate patterns, and a sense of otherworldly landscapes. He's known for using various mediums, including painting, mixed media, and even sculpture. Hammons' art often incorporates elements of nature, including desert scenes and celestial motifs. His pieces can evoke a dreamlike quality, with a focus on texture and symbolism. Many of his works invite viewers to interpret and find their own meaning within the abstract forms. An artist, writer, screenwriter, and world traveler, with a home studio in Sugarloaf, he has maintained an art presence in Joshua Tree for 20+ years.

Mark Hannah | Joshua Tree, CA | After the Monsoon, Photograph 24x36 | $500

AWARD: 3RD PLACE PHOTOGRAPHY. Mark Hannah is a self-taught photographer working with both traditional analogue and digital photo processes capturing light in ways that evoke a dreamlike quality in landscape scenes. He’s particularly inspired by the painterly styles of impressionism and post-impressionism. The use of false color and black and white in his work is an attempt to create an image as it might be processed through memory or rendered in a dream. He strives to create images that transport a viewer to an imagined place and experience the familiar in a different light. A landscape and seascape photographer, Hannah was originally based in the San Francisco Bay area and was a frequent visitor to the Joshua Tree National Park area. In 2019, he relocated to Joshua Tree to pursue art full time and explore the open spaces and particular light of the California deserts.

Larry Hemmerich | Thousand Palms, CA | Clinging to the Day, Soft Pastels 24x24 | $2,300

Larry Hemmerich’s artwork is a window into his love for the natural world. “I am inspired by all that surrounds me. I am passionate about capturing the beauty of nature with my pastels. My works are the result of the hiking I do in the desert and mountains surrounding my Palm Springs home. I work from on-location studies and in plein air. My desire is to capture a moment, that you, the beholder, may never actually see but can lose yourself in it as if to experience it for yourself.” After being gifted a set of pastels several years ago, he discovered a medium that worked for him—providing the rich pigments and dry blending that he was looking for. Hemmerich is an Associate member of California Art Club as well as the Palm Springs Artists Council. In 2019 was juried into the Pastel Society of the West Coast and Pastel Society of America.

Christine Huhn | San Francisco, CA | Bowing Joshua Tree, Cyanotype Print 8x10 | $250

Christine Huhn is a visual artist and cultural heritage professional who grew up in northeastern Pennsylvania, less than five miles from the Delaware Water Gap National Recreation Area. This connection to the landscape has deeply influenced her work, which focuses on preserving cultural landscapes through film photography and historic photographic processes. She received her BFA in photography from the State University of New York at New Paltz and her MA in historic preservation from Savannah College of Art and Design. Her work was published in the book “Cyanotype Toning: Using Botanicals to Tone Blueprints Naturally,” a part of the Contemporary Practices in Alternative Process Photography book series. Her work has been included in solo and group exhibitions nationally. She has been awarded artist residencies at Mojave National Preserve, Santa Fe Art Institute, and forthcoming at Kipaipai Workshops.

Paul Ivanushka | Yucca Valley, CA | Buckwheat Inflorescence, Photograph 24x24 | $400

Paul Ivanushka is a fine art photographer who currently enjoys channeling Irving Penn, Robert Mapplethorpe, and Henry Mockel, creating botanical photographs of desert wildflowers that are indigenous to the Mojave Desert. Penn’s close ups, Mapplethorpe’s color and compositions, and Mockel’s botanical layouts were to become the foundation of his floral imagery, photographing them as the divas of the desert that they are. After studying at Brooks Institute of Photography, he spent most of his career in the printing industry learning and managing tone reproduction on high-speed web offset presses. A retired Software Business Analyst, he resides in Yucca Valley and is creating images of the California desert that are related to contemporary photography. Ivanushka’s awards include the 14th Annual National Alternative Processes Competition Exhibition 2018 at SoHo Photo Gallery, New York, as well as from the New York Center for Photographic Art, Topanga Canyon Gallery juried exhibition, and the Equine Photographers International Juried Show.

Ed Keesling | Yucca Valley, CA | 3D – Pictograph by Rabbit, Ceramic & 1 Feather 13x12x10 | $500

AWARD: 2ND PLACE 3D. As a studio potter, Ed Keesling throws pots on the wheel, creates ceramic tile, murals, and sculpture. Most of his work is high fired to 2350 F in a propane gas kiln, to achieve its greatest strength and best marriage of clay and glaze. He also makes coil sculpture and pottery using the “Wedged Coil” process, which was the subject of his MA thesis at Antioch University, Visual Art Center, Columbia, MD. Since the 1990s he has studied and worked with Native American forms, images, and pit-firing methods. He has also taught wheel throwing, hand building, and pit firing methods to youth and adults. “Much of my work reflects my love of the open spaces, unique vegetation, creatures, landscapes, and history of the hi-desert where I choose to live. As native American culture believes, these natural objects have a spiritual as well as metaphysical quality that gives them life.”

Cynthia King | Yucca Valley, CA | California Bluebells, Oil on Panel 20x16 | $1,700

While Cynthia King works in a variety of mediums, she is currently working in oils, acrylics, watercolors, or ink to create her intricately detailed works of art. Her works, regardless of the medium used, contain many fine lines and color changes. She prefers to work with natural light and can be found working in the small greenhouse studio connected to her house when she is not painting on site. King attended UCLA, majored in painting, and graduated with a BA in art. She later earned her MA degree in painting at California State University, Northridge. She has taught art in college and high school settings and recently worked as adjunct faculty at College of the Desert, where she taught drawing. Born in Cleveland, Ohio, King grew up in Monterey Park, just outside of Los Angeles, and now calls Yucca Valley home, where she lives on a hill populated with Joshua Trees.

Damian Kinsella | Newhall, CA | I’m So Lonesome I Could Cry, Oil on Canvas 10x20 | $1,600

AWARD: 3RD PLACE 2D. Damian Kinsella is a Southern California artist creating oil and watercolor paintings, and he is an Associate member of the California Art Club. Raised in California’s Central Valley and the Tehachapi Mountains, Kinsella now lives in the Los Angeles area with his wife and sons. “It's a powerful experience to go into the night to reveal the concealed beauty of nature. To see or be seen by every silent form hidden before you in the distance and to face it with joy and dread all at the same time. The Californian Desert gives this artist new material from every angle and has me waiting for the full moon each new month.”

Sonja Krastman | Joshua Tree, CA | Tunnel Vision, Acrylic 12x12 | $350

Sonja Krastman is a California native who grew up going to Joshua Tree with her family. While she splits her time between the high desert and Orange County, she always says her “muse” is in Joshua Tree. Krastman holds a BA degree from the University of California, Berkeley, an MA from Gonzaga, and studied art at Cal State University, Long Beach, Parsons in New York City, as well as workshops with leading artists. Her work has been shown in Laguna Beach, Long Beach, Huntington Beach, Costa Mesa, Joshua Tree, Yountville, and Twentynine Palms, and is in private collections across the U.S. and Europe. She works in mixed media, acrylic and encaustic. “I seek to capture the magic and mystery of a location. With this and most of my work, it is less about exact imagery, but transporting the viewer into the feeling of the space and evoking an experience.”

Tatjana Kudla | Palm Springs, CA | Contemplating the Future, Photograph 19x23 | $485 | SOLD

Tatjana Kudla is a certified California Naturalist and Climate Steward who has resided in the California desert for the past seven years. She is a photographer with a keen interest in documenting desert plant and animal life, as well as geological formations. In the last year, she has embarked on a unique form of photographic storytelling through the use of thought-provoking titles. Her work resides at the intersection of art and nature, exploring what is and what may come. Kudla is deeply passionate about capturing the exquisite essence of desert life and enthusiastically shares this beauty with all, all the while gently prompting contemplation regarding the future of our desert ecosystems. In addition to her photographic endeavors, she holds an MA in Literature and an MBA with specializations in Finance and Marketing. Since 2018, she has expanded her photographic skill set through mentorship with acclaimed and award-winning photographers.

Bret Langford | Yucca Valley, CA | Cloud Wolf, Photograph 20x16 | $500

Bret Langford has been capturing the world around him in with an artist’s eye since he was a child. As a Southern California native he has been able to experience and capture the beauty of the state’s rich biodiversity. He creates images in the mediums of photography, pen and ink drawings, acrylic paintings, and digital art. He is well known for his photography of the rock band Sublime. Langford has been the recipient of many awards for his artworks and has had several solo gallery shows in the Southern California area. He carries a camera with him every day through his travels, and he is an avid hiker of the local desert area and a current resident of Yucca Valley. “I make art that is it!” is one of his favorite statements. artist@artoftheday.com

John MacLeod | Victorville, CA | Sunset Splendor, Acrylic 18x24 | $485

John MacLeod’s interest in art started with his father who is an oil painter. “His inspiration along with the art shows he attended inspired me to start painting. In time I was able to show at the same gallery as my father in Southwest Art Gallery in Balboa Park, San Diego; that was 38 years ago.” MacLeod is mostly a self-taught artist but did take a basic art class in community college and a 3-day seminar on painting seascapes in his early 20s. Today he lives in the desert where it has been an inspiration to see and paint the many faces of the desert. “My paintings are a creative expression of a much bigger and complex creation that still ignites the wonder of it all inside me. Joshua tree National Park is a place of beauty and inspiration and where color, light, and shadows can be found.” Jsmacleod78@gmail.com

Dean Mayo | Indio, CA | New Ocotillo, Photograph 48x36 | $399 | SOLD

As a landscape photographer since 2005, Dean Mayo’s goal has been to photograph scenes that he finds interesting and compelling. “I believe my best photos are composed in a way that draws the viewer’s eye to the main subject of the scene. Proper composition and perfect lighting are 90% of a great photo. I believe that final 10% is an intangible quality that the artist adds to the scene that separates their work from others.” Mayo’s early work consisted of golf courses in the Palm Springs area where it appealed to the golfers that visit throughout the year. As his love for photography grew, he ventured out to capture the amazing landscapes in his immediate area and fell in love with national parks that were within a day’s drive from his home. Today, he estimates landscape photography accounts for 90% of the images he takes.

Mitch Miller | Joshua Tree, CA | Trailing Edge, Photograph on Metal 24x36 | $3,000

Adversity often accompanies captivating landscape photography, and Southern California native Mitch Miller has grown comfortable with physical exertion, cold, heat, rain, snow, cactus needles, abrasive rocks, and even snakes, which is how he can enjoy capturing evocative art from nature with his cameras. He fell so much in love with Joshua Tree National Monument that he spent every birthday there from 1984 through 1994 and was married in the redesignated Joshua Tree National Park in 1999. He and his wife Kathy moved to Joshua Tree in 2017, and he’s come to know the park well. Over time, adventure photography evolved into landscape photography as he set waypoints for compositions and returned for more memorable light. Miller’s landscape photography has won five first place and two second place awards, 2002 through 2021.

Cindy Milner | Darlington, WI | Joshua Tree, Pastel 25x20 | $650

Cindy Milner is a psychotherapist by day and an artist by night. “I enjoy being in nature and then painting it. California is so unique, having the ocean, mountains, and deserts all of which are extremely beautiful. The desert areas are so fascinating to me because the light and the colors are constantly changing, and capturing a moment can be challenging. I have a large body of work depicting the American Southwest, the Florida Keys, and portraitures.” Milner’s pastels feature art that speaks to her on a personal level, and she often produces a series of works denoting a particular theme. Her images feature places and people that she has met on her travels throughout the country, including the American Southwest.

Gwen Novak | La Quinta, CA | Clouds Over Joshua Tree, Pastel 16x20 | $725

And then there was light. Artist Gwen Novak says, "Everywhere I look I am captivated by the incredible beauty of this world, whether it is the color of the mountains in shadow or the last light of day reflecting off the water. I believe that light creates the soul and atmosphere of my work. I am instantly drawn to subjects that express powerful and dramatic lighting, where the subject can be transformed from the ordinary into the extraordinary. I chase these things when I work." In 1997, after retiring from a career in business, she returned to the University of California at San Bernardino to pursue a degree in fine art. Over the years her work has been juried into numerous local and regional art shows. artcellar20@gmail.com

Michael Pitts | Los Angeles, CA | Quail Springs Sunset, Photograph 20x16 | $550

Michael Pitts is a Southern California based landscape photographer. His focus is on the beauty of the west, particularly the deserts and mountains of the Golden State. He often finds himself using a telephoto lens to capture intimate compositions within the larger scene to help draw the viewer in as if they were there. While his photography centers on California, he travels throughout the Pacific Northwest and western United States as well. His first experience with a camera came when he was hired as a production assistant by a laser-light company in Maryland. He was tasked with photographing and recording their shows, learning on the fly how to deal with quickly changing light and conditions. When he moved to California, having been bitten by the photography bug, he purchased a camera of his own. After experimenting with numerous genres, he realized that landscape photography was where his passion lay.

Patricia Printz-Jensen | Joshua Tree, CA | Trashcan Rock, Oil 14x11 | $365

From an early age, Patricia Printz-Jensen loved creative expression. After earning a BFA at the University of Nebraska, Lincoln, she entered the arena of professional art while teaching art in Nebraska schools. Love of nature is central to her work. Early paintings record the Nebraska landscape. A move to Southern California in 1985 required a drastic change of palette. She experimented with varied media in her quest to capture the subtle hues of the Mojave Desert. Her oil paintings are inspired by the wonderland she finds in Joshua Tree. Her playful nature and delight in color, pattern, and whimsey are expressed in hand-painted woodenware. During the late 1980s and early ’90s, she gained regional recognition as an award-winning artist with inclusion in juried exhibitions. In the late ’90s, she put away her brushes to focus on her career. Now retired, she finds time and inspiration to return to creative endeavors. Facebook: Patricia Printz-Jensen, Artist

Robin Raznick | La Quinta, CA | 3D – Jill and The Babes, Ceramic, Acrylic, Soil, Raffia 24x30x18

Robin Raznick is a versatile artist who works in oil, acrylics, mixed materials, and clay. She explores the colors and textures of the natural world, translating them into thickly impasto'ed paintings and ornate ceramic vessels. Her intense relationship with nature is communicated in the large scale, visceral intensity, and emotional energy of her paint and clay surfaces. These honest and powerful nature narratives are representational, yet the collaged and juxtaposed imagery creates her own fantasy-like compositions. Raznick holds a BFA from the California College of the Arts, and an MA from Northwestern State University of Louisiana. She has participated in International Artist in Residency Programs in Israel and in France where she led workshops in the former residence of Henri Matisse. She is a Kipaipai Fellow, has exhibited in both museums and galleries, and is an award-winning, mentor Arts Educator.

Shae Reardon | Redondo Beach, CA | Desert Lily, Oil on Linen 30x40 | $4,400

Shae Reardon is an oil painter born and based in Southern California. She draws inspiration from the captivating natural world that surrounds her. Exploring the diverse landscapes of California, she gathers ideas and references to incorporate into her artistic endeavors. Her fascination extends beyond the scenery itself; she is particularly intrigued by the intricate details of plant life observed up close. Her artistic process involves intimately examining her subjects under strong light sources, capturing their organic shapes. By presenting these small flowers and plants on a larger scale, she offers viewers a visually striking display of vibrant hues and contrasting values. Reardon honed her distinctive style while studying at Cal State San Marcos as an art student, and she has since built an impressive body of work. She attained her BFA in 2022. Her creations have been showcased in numerous local art exhibitions and have found their way into private collections.

Melissa Rimada | 29 Palms, CA | 3D – La Luna Del Desierto, Fiber Art 25x18 | $650

AWARD: 3RD PLACE 3D. Melisa Rimada is a 29 Palms Mexican Fiber Artist. She was born in Torreón, Coahuila Mexico, and migrated to Indio at a very young age. She has been creating art most of her life. At a young age she was part of many art fairs, and in high school she had the opportunity to showcase a sculpture at the Palm Springs Art Museum. Rimada studied History of Art and Ceramics in college. She moved to the High Desert in 2019 and since then has been creating fiber art pieces inspired by the beautiful desert, Joshua Trees, and her rich Indigenous culture. She also loves to incorporate rusty metals and desert driftwood into some of her work. Instagram: @diydreamerstudio

Crystal Robbins | Chula Vista, CA | Cholla Sunset, Acrylic & Mixed Media 28x22 | $1,350

Crystal Robbins lives and works in San Diego County. As a self-taught artist, she channels her creativity and love for the desert and mountains of Southern California through her work. She holds a BA in Sociology and Social Change and an MA in Social Emotional Learning. She is an advocate for art as a means to build identity and as a social/emotional tool to practice self-awareness, self-management, and relationship building. She understands the healing impact that art and creating can have because she has felt it in her own life and believes in sharing that healing power with others. More recently, she was a featured artist selected in the Joshua Tree National Park Art Expo 2022 juried exhibition for her piece, Desert Twinkle, and she gets much of the inspiration for her paintings from traveling and photographing Southern California and the national parks.

Tami Roleff | Yucca Valley, CA | The Morning After, Photograph on Metal 16x20 | $350

After traveling the world, the Marine Corps brought Tami Roleff and her husband to the Morongo Basin in 2004, where they’ve lived ever since. She has been taking photos since she was a teenager, but after moving to Yucca Valley, she became passionate about photographing the beauty of the desert and Joshua Tree National Park. “I especially love to photograph the iconic Joshua trees and animals who inhabit the Mojave Desert. I’ve fallen in love with night photography, capturing the eerie landscapes and historical artifacts and ruins, and showcasing the desert’s dark skies bursting with stars.” Roleff’s photos have been accepted into juried shows in both the Hi-Desert and Low-Desert.

Gregg Ross | Joshua Tree, CA | Pinching Boulders, Oil on Board 18x24 | $900

Gregg Ross’ art expresses a lifelong fascination with the challenge and psychological accessibility of figurative representation. His pieces consist of precisely-rendered elements placed in abstract or obviously staged surroundings. He works directly from models or still-life setups whenever possible, or photographs if necessary—never projecting the images. “Since I prefer to paint from a live model, this painting utilizes a constantly available model, my left hand. I feel that hands are amazingly expressive, complex, and fascinating. In this piece, I chose to play with scale to create a playful interactive image of the Joshua Tree National Park.” Ross utilizes the traditional technique of layering and glazing, carefully blending and gradating his oils, with the intention that his paintings will hold up to close scrutiny, as well as viewed from a distance.

Victoria Rothlisberg | Yucca Valley, CA | Joshua Tree Study #1, Pastel 27-1/2x33-1/4 | $800

Horsewoman and artist Victoria Rothlisberg says a combination of skills acquired over a lifetime have been the tools of inspiration. “Riding requires a fine-tuned sense of your surroundings; horses are very sensitive. All the years spent in the saddle listening and, through osmosis, focusing on colors, light, and space, is a gift. Life can become so rushed, so while in the presence of these kind souls, I am reminded to slow down, feel the air, think about drawing and composing.” Rothlisberg has worked in all mediums, but is currently settling on acrylics and pastels. She earned her degree in Fine Arts in Australia, a land of brilliant colors. After nine years living in Coachella Valley doing murals and faux painting, she has begun to exhibit in galleries again. The desert from a horsewoman’s point of view!

Jennifer Ruggiero | 29 Palms, CA | JTNP Monsoon, Photograph 13x18 | $400

Born and raised in New York City, with a lifelong passion for music and art, photographer Jennifer Ruggiero’s pursuit of a music career brought her from the jazz clubs of New York City to the entertainment industry in Los Angeles. After a career as an Interactive Producer and Designer/Director on projects for HBO, Comedy Central, Mattel, and Warner Brothers, she switched to a career in education, designing and teaching classes in Digital Imaging and New Media Production. Ruggiero received a degree in music from Leonard Davis Center for Performing Arts in NYC and Psychology from Antioch University, Los Angeles. Her photographs have won awards and have been published in The Huffington Post, Spin, Clamor Magazine, Playboy, and The Utne Reader. “I create images so I can walk into spaces beyond my imagination and excite my senses. Images that invite the viewer to walk along with me into the present, past, or future.”

Laurie Schafer | Yucca Valley, CA | Sunset Sandstorm, Acrylic & Mixed Media 48x36 | $2,000

Laurie Schafer resides in the high desert area between Joshua Tree and Yucca Valley, California, a sharp contrast to her birthplace in Minnesota. Born in 1955, at the height of Mid-Century Modern, her innate artistic abilities were apparent from the start. Schafer received her degree in Clothing Design, and this evolved into her creating Artwear, a deliberate collision of art and fashion. Schafer's Artwear has received numerous awards, has been featured in books and magazines, and can be found in museums, galleries, and private collections. Her focus has evolved from Artwear to Textile Art, literally painting with fabric, creating award-winning art, inspired by the desert vistas surrounding Joshua Tree. IG: ballerinawithagun / laurieschaferdesigns@gmail.com

Sherri Scott | Yucca Valley, CA | JT Glowing Forms, Oil 12x12 | $523

After immersing herself in the action sports design world for several years, Sherri Scott is now embarking on an exciting artistic adventure. Driven by a deep passion for the arts, she enjoys experimenting with various traditional and contemporary media in her paintings. Inspired by her exploration of the outdoors, she finds inspiration in both the picturesque landscapes and captivating elements of land and sea. A versatile artist and designer, with a strong background in designing for brands, including her own successful apparel line, she brings a unique perspective to her work. Her technical design skills and creative vision blend seamlessly to create her designs. Today, her deep appreciation for nature shines through in her artwork, and she continues to push boundaries and explore new artistic horizons.

Jen Shakti | Yucca Valley, CA | Dad’s Covey, Acrylic 20x24 | $2,600

Jen Shakti was raised in an artistic family of at least 4 generations. Her earliest memory was the scent of oil paints, while watching her mother paint. Her father took her on camping trips to the Mojave Desert, and exploring the open landscape has always given her a sense of peace. Shakti’s formal education includes two years at the Art Institute of Chicago, and the Laguna College of Art and Design where she received her BFA in 1995. “Nature fills my cup. My paintings showcase the mystical, whimsical interactions between plants and animals and the environment. I illustrate the joy I find in nature which is available for everyone, and also the importance of protecting it.” A teaching artist with the Groundwork Arts, she brings monthly art projects to the students at Yucca Valley Elementary School. Her home studio is in Yucca Valley, where Joshua Trees and wildlife are regular inspirations.

Esther Shaw | Yucca Valley, CA | Hidden Valley Campground, Oil on Canvas 22x28 | $300

Esther Shaw was born and raised in Boston and is a graduate of Massachusetts College of Art (BFA, painting major). She took graduate classes in art at University of Arizona, Tucson, and in education at University of California, Irvine. She worked as an architectural illustrator and art teacher for Santa Ana Public Schools, Coastline Community College, Rancho Santiago Community College, and Copper Mountain College. She retired in 2004 and moved to Yucca Valley in pursuit of peace and nature. She was a member of the SCA Project Gallery, Pomona, CA, and studio artist of the Santora Arts Building, Santa Ana. She was selected in 2004 for the Envisioning the Future Project, Pomona, under the direction of Judy Chicago. She also was owner-curator of The Spezzano Gallery, Long Beach, CA; was former co-director of Gallery 62 in Joshua Tree; and is a member of the Palm Springs Artists Council.

Linda Shrader | Yucca Valley, CA | 3D – Forever Sunny in Joshua Tree, Mixed Media 23.5 dia. | $2,200

AWARD: 1ST PLACE 3D. As a long-time resident artist and muralist of the Morongo Basin, Linda Shrader has spent countless hours hiking in the desert for her own enjoyment and to study and photograph the landscape as art reference. It was on one of her hikes in Joshua Tree National Park that the thought of sculpting a 3D Joshua tree first occurred to her. “I remember standing motionless, staring at a Joshua Tree with my mind racing, wondering if it was possible, what technique and material I could use, and again, is it really possible!?” Eventually she found the perfect modeling compound, and in 2019 she sculpted her first stand-alone Joshua trees and several wall sculptures, all of which sold during the Hwy 62 Art Tours that year. She now has a 26-piece collection named “Joshua Tree Forever” sculptures, so visitors to the desert and the park can take home a lasting physical reminder of their experience.

Rick Strobaugh | Yucaipa, CA | Sunset on the Rock, Photograph 20x30 | $495

Rick Strobaugh received his first training in photography in the film days by photographing dead bodies, serious injuries, fatal/major injury traffic accidents, autopsies, and other crime scenes as a detective in charge of the CSI division for Redlands Police Department. Wanting to photograph more pleasing subject matter, he started shooting landscapes, wildlife, and macro photography. He travels mostly throughout the western U.S. on photo trips during the year to scenic areas and tries to capture the beauty of the area with his camera, from national parks to rock formations and cliff areas along the California coast. “I joined Redlands Camera Club many years ago and that helped my photography tremendously. I learned from more experienced photographers in the club. I have been the Treasurer for the club for many years and also help newer photographers as the Mentor for the club.”

Gillyan Thorburn | 29 Palms, CA | Serenity, Photograph 16x24 | $650

Gillyan Thorburn has been exploring Joshua Tree National Park since she moved to the High Desert at the end of 2012. In the past six years she has blended her love and curiosity about nature and her love for photography to tell nature-telling stories. Her late grandmother introduced her to shapes, colors, and textures through traditional Sabunese (Indonesia) sarongs, which express the wearer’s connection to their ancestors and to the land as well as oral traditions. Her late grandmother’s influence can be seen in her photography. “Whenever I am out exploring Joshua Tree National Park, I get to witness nature-telling stories. I always love oral tradition; something my late grandmother introduced me to when I was a child. Here I use my camera as a tool to record nature-telling stories.” gillyan@earthlink.net

Laura Tinelli | 29 Palms, CA | Least Favorite Colors, Oil & Balloon Litter 36x48 | $500

Laura Tinelli is an artist and a Wildlife Technician at Joshua Tree National Park, who moved to Twentynine Palms in 2021. “My passion has always revolved around observing wildlife and yearning to understand nature. I have always loved creating but more recently have fallen in love with oil paints. My style has grown to reflect the great outdoors and all the beautiful landscapes that are ever changing in different light. I have been blessed with amazing sunrises and sunsets here in this big open desert, enough for me to want to capture its beauty on canvas.” Her painting in this show is a special piece created with mixed media and balloon debris collected while working out in the national park. The art piece is tightly woven with the message of conservation, with the balloons intertwined into the entire ecosystem—"magnifying our responsibility to manage our own footprint on this planet.” illbsailing@gmail.com

Cher Townsend | Yucca Valley, CA | 3D – Two Coyotes, Clay Sculpture 16x23x19 | $925 | SOLD

“So you want to know a bit about me ‘the artist.’ Well, I like chocolate and cheese a lot. I ride my bike and read, and enjoy time by myself. And oh, yes, I like to make things out of clay. You will note I graduated from kindergarten—amazing, I know, but I did discover in kindergarten while painting a yellow duck on blue water that yellow and blue make green. Truly astounding. Later I learned to read and discovered the book ‘Harold and His Purple Crayon’—a great book if you haven’t read it. Yes, purple is my favorite color. Fast forward to my 20s, I did a lot of stained glass. I made stained glass domes that would take six months to build, working six days a week…. Then I fell in love, got married, had two great kids, and started a construction company with my husband.” See Townsend’s work on her website.

Travis Usher | Joshua Tree, CA | Cholla Collection, Oil on Canvas 30x45 | $4,500

AWARD: BEST OF SHOW. Travis Usher is an American oil painter born and raised in the high desert of Southern California, inspired by the vast desert landscape and the human figure. These two themes play themselves out over much of his work mingled together or as stand-alone dynamic landscapes and traditional portraiture. His painting style ranges from layered underpaintings and glazes to alla prima and the desert en plein air. Usher mainly paints out of his home studio located on the outskirts of Joshua Tree. There he resides with his wife and two daughters, who, when standing on a rock or playing in a puddle after a monsoon rain, become the inspiration for his artwork. Mostly he works on commissioned paintings, murals, and landscapes with a focus on narrative, figurative portrait realism. All while continuously being inspired by the harsh yet beautiful landscape of the Mojave Desert that surrounds him.

Marie Van Dorp-Skelly | Sunland, CA | Faces of the Past, Oil 16x12 | $880

Southern California artist Marie Van Dorp-Skelly graduated from Cal State Northridge and studied at the California Art Institute. She has been an art instructor for Mission:Renaissance Fine Art Classes for over 25 years. Helping students between 5 to 14 years old develop their artistic talents and connect with their creativity has been a joy and inspiration for her. She has exhibited in venues such as Palm Springs Art Museum, Yosemite Renaissance, “Power and Voice” women’s exhibit in Baldwin Park, “Rejoice” Art Show in Redondo Beach, and won Best of Show at the Joshua Tree National Park Art Exposition in 2020. This current painting was inspired by reflecting on the Indigenous people of the past that have inhabited this beautiful, mystical, and unique landscape of the Joshua Tree area. For over 10,000 years Native American tribes such as the Serrano, Chemehuevi, and Cahuilla, as well as the ancient Pinto culture have cherished this land. mariemelskell@gmail.com

Martha Villegas | Cathedral City, CA | Los Danzantes, Oil on Canvas 24x20 | $925

Martha Villegas is a bold colorist painter who works with oils, acrylics, oil pastels, and charcoals. She uses the techniques of a wide color palette and free-form brush strokes. Her work aims to capture the movement of air, the boldness of color and textures. “Having grown up in Mexico, my strongest visual impressions have been the bright colors of the fruit in the market, the movement and laughter of children playing on the streets, and my town inundated with summer light. In much of my work, I represent the bright colors of my childhood memories. I also enjoy applying all kind of textures to my paintings and drawings.” Villegas studied art in Casa De La Cultura, in Mexicali Baja California, and continued art studies in Universidad de Baja California, Imperial Valley College, and San Diego State University. She is a member of California Plein Air Painters and California Art Club. https://www.marthaevillegas.com/

Krista Wargo | Yucca Valley, CA | Keys View in the Morning, Oil 18x20 | $1,100

Growing up, Krista Wargo had no idea how fortunate she was. Her parents accepted and encouraged her creative ways. “I was constantly drawing or painting or creating something. My bedroom walls were covered in paintings that I created right on the walls. Whose parents allow something like that? Fortunately, mine did! One of my favorite methods of painting is plein air—French for painting “outdoors.” I pack my studio into a backpack and hike out into the desert and paint on location. I prefer working from life versus using reference photographs. I want to see the world through my own eyes as opposed to a camera lens.” Wargo’s mission as an artist is to communicate her vision of our beautiful world to others and allow them to experience it through her eyes.

Christine White | Redlands, CA | Black Rock Visitor, Oil on Panel 24x12 | $975

Christine White is a Redlands-based artist who has been working in paint for the past 15 years. With a background and MA in geography, she has a strong appreciation for what makes different landscape types and cultural phenomena unique and special. Her art portrays surreal stories of places, plants, and creatures. Light is the most ubiquitous theme and is often what draws her to a particular moment. Whether painted as a formal oil piece, a contemporary work on glass, or as a large live painting, her art is always about our relationship with place and each other. She currently does commission work, painting-as-performance, conducts workshops, and occasionally juries local shows. She loves working on projects with other visual artists and musicians, believing that the arts build a broader sense of peace, power, and belonging for all, and the journey is richer with friends.

Sam Sloan Wiechert | Yucca Valley, CA | Sprouting from Within, Archival Print on Watercolor Paper 26-1/2x44 | $800

AWARD: SUPERINTENDENT'S AWARD. Sam Sloan Wiechert is an expanded media artist working within the intersections of video, sound, and print. Their practice explores human sensation and perception as well as life cycles through various means of image generating (and regenerating) and experimental sound compositions. Their work is informed by nature, science, and systems of communication. As a native New Yorker and a desert dweller a decade ago, they are consistently drawn back to the quiet stillness of the hi-desert and the surreal landscape of the national park and surrounding areas, always finding a way to bring Joshua Tree into multiple bodies of work, whether as a theme, a texture, a rhythm, a color, a cut. Wiechert has moved back to the desert full time to pursue new bodies of work, many of which involve ideas formed when meditating on the warm rocks at sunset at Joshua Tree National Park.

Michael Zehnder | Seattle, WA | Joshua Tree Rocks, Acrylic on Canvas 20x20 | $3,500

Mike Zehnder was born in Rhode Island in 1968, but grew up in the Pacific Northwest. He graduated summa cum laude with a BA in graphic design from Central Washington University in 1992. He currently lives in Seattle and is co-owner of Kick Spark Creative. When not in the design studio he can be found painting, sculpting, taking photos, or exploring the great outdoors. Normally, he paints abstract shapes and paths that encourage the viewer to explore his work in their own way. For this show, he says, “This work is a much more representational scene. It wasn’t painted from reality but rather from my imagined reality of Joshua Tree. Over the last 10 or so years I have visited Joshua Tree for several weeks at a time to create art in the magic of the high desert.” One of Zehnder’s sculptures now lives in the Joshua Tree Highlands. m@kicksparkcreative.com

2023 AWARDS

Congratulations to all our artists for 2023 and to our award winners! Thank you for sharing your art with us.

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Many thanks to our loyal premier sponsors who have supported our arts organization and its flagship event, the JTNP Art Exposition! It is due to their generous donations and volunteerism that this event allows us to celebrate art each year. 

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