featured
ARTISTS
2025 Joshua Tree National Park Art Expo - Juried Exhibition
Joshua Tree National Park Art Expo features a juried exhibition and celebration of art, culture, and park history at the Oasis of Mara in Twentynine Palms, CA. The 2025 exhibition is on display Nov. 1-30 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 333 pieces of art submitted by 154 artists from the desert region and across California and the United States. 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.
Awards Announced: See our media release (PDF) for the 2025 awards.
Want to purchase a piece of art? The 2025 artwork images and artist bios are posted below, and you can Contact Us via email to arrange a purchase.
JTNP ART EXPO opening weekend Nov. 1 & 2, 2025 Schedule of Events
Below are all the JURIED ARTISTS & ARTWORK for 2025….
Thomas Alban | Pioneertown, CA | A Walk in the Park, Wall Sculpture 28x28 - $2,300
THIRD PLACE, 3D. Thomas Alban embarked on his artistic journey with clay as his primary medium in the autumn of 2000, shortly after relocating from Savannah, Georgia to the captivating Mojave Desert. Influenced by the desert's distinctive forms and vibrant hues, his work embodies an organic representation of the erosive forces of sun and wind on wood. The layers of deep reds and earthy browns, reminiscent of aged metal weathered by decades under the sun, harmonize with expansive blue skies, thereby inspiring his artistic palette. Having primarily pursued a self-guided education in clay, Alban's artistic concepts transcend traditional paradigms. He approaches form and function with a fresh perspective, unburdened by conventional norms. Each of his creations is imbued with unparalleled uniqueness, captivating collectors across the globe. His work is featured at MazAmar Sculptural studio in Pioneertown.
Bart Baxter | Rancho Mirage, CA | Behemoth, Pencil on Archival Paper 14x11 - $1,800
Bart Baxter is an award-winning artist. He studied Design at Boise State University and holds a BA from the University of Texas. He has recently lived in Mumbai, Addis Ababa, and London. His drawings from Joshua Tree National Park present graphite and chalk on archival paper as finished art, not preliminary sketches. He wants the viewers to feel like they can climb on these gigantic mythological beasts and be, just as he is, bemused by their timeless evocative presence. Baxter is a previous first-place award winner in the JTNP Art Expo juried exhibition.
Joey Bebar | Yucca Valley, CA | 3D - Off-Grid Solitude, Lamp Sculpture 76"h x 35"w
PEOPLE'S CHOICE AWARD. Joey Bebar is an artist who uses desert reclaimed pieces of wood, stone, metal, bark, or tree root to tell a tale through art. He grew up in the Sierras where his father was a Tungsten and Gold miner. It is there where his dad nurtured a love of nature and of the outdoors. Sadly, at the age of 10, Bebar lost his father in a mining accident. “Our shared love of nature continues to inspire me daily, and for that, I am truly grateful,” says Bear. “I now live in the high desert where I enjoy fabricating my pieces. Whether I create a rendition of the Old West or a tree house lamp, my pieces will be as unique as the stories they reveal.”
Ilona Benzak-Hardy | Plantation, FL | Before Sundown, Oil on Canvas 18x14 - $950
Born in Miami Beach, Florida, Ilona Benzak-Hardy began her classical art study at the age of 12, with yearly summer classes at the South Florida Art Institute. She attended Philadelphia College of Art and then went on to New York City working in commercial design. In 1973, she moved to Rome, where she taught figure drawing at the Accademia de Belle Arte. During her eight years abroad, she had a solo show in 1974 at the American Studies Center in Naples, Italy. After time abroad and family priorities accomplished, she has been blessed to do what she loves most, teach art and continue to paint varied subjects with balanced creative consistency with a wide range of knowledge in the visual arts. Traveling extensively to the American Southwest and Southern California over the past seven years, she has focused her passion on the profound beauty and heritage of the area.
Peter Berrgren | Fullerton, CA | Ephemeral Stream, Photograph 24x16 - $325
Photographer Peter Berggren says “It’s all about the light! I know that sounds cliché, but it’s so true.” Berggren is an amateur photographer who’s been interested in photography “nearly my entire adult life.” About 15 years ago, he and his wife bought a home in 29 Palms, and his photography muse quickly became the desert, and more specifically, Joshua Tree National Park. “Desert light is incredibly beautiful, and I’m constantly struggling to portray in my photos the feel and beauty that I experienced at the moment I took the photo. I’ve also been working with some of the outstanding local JT photographers to learn from them, and to improve my skills.” Berggren is married with two adult children and an adopted granddaughter; he and his wife divide their time between Fullerton and 29 Palms.
Stephanie Britt | Bellingham, WA | The Giants of Barker Dam, Oil 18x24 - $2,850
Stephanie Britt graduated from Middle Georgia State University with an AA in fine art and Ringling College of Art & Design with both a BFA and a Certificate of Completion. She has pursued her ambition of fine art painting for the past 20-plus years, first in Hawaii and recently in the Pacific Northwest. In addition to exhibiting in galleries and participating in numerous juried shows, she also taught fine art both privately and in the University of Hawaii System, Kauai Branch, as well as at Whatcom Community College in Bellingham, Washington. Her works hang in corporate and private collections and have been shown in selected group exhibitions since 2007, including the annual Joshua Tree National Park Juried Art Exhibitions, where her paintings won a First Place award in 2022 and a Second Place award in 2023.
Kevin Flynn Burke | Simi Valley, CA | Between a Rock and a Hard Place, Photograph 16x20 - $295
THIRD PLACE, PHOTOGRAPHY. 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, annual reports, and nonprofit companies. Now he is focused on fine art projects, including an extensive series on the Desert Southwest. “For more than two decades this region has been both preoccupation and passion. From my base near Los Angeles, I have taken every opportunity during that time for new explorations, sometimes a focused pursuit of one shot, other times serendipitous. The process has ebbed and flowed, depending on assignment schedules, weather, Park Service and tribal restrictions, and of course Covid! But perseverance has been the mantra. Nothing worth doing is ever easy.” What has emerged is a series of images titled Silence and Slow Time—an all-pervasive silence, time, long and deep, and a mystique that has grown through millennia.
Spartacous Cacao | Hesperia, CA | Intertwined Glow, Acrylic on Canvas 40x30 - $900
Spartacous Cacao, born in San Francisco in 1978, is a linocut printmaker and painter who extends these practices into street art. Of Salvadoran descent, he is now based in the High Desert after 20 years away. His work bridges the Mojave’s arid landscapes with Central America’s vibrant cultural heritage, tracing a journey through memory, place, and identity. In May 2024, he presented “Popcorn” at the Centro Cultural de España en El Salvador (CCESV), reimagining everyday American iconography through a Salvadoran lens. He is also featured in the Museum of Art of El Salvador’s SuMarte catalog, highlighting contemporary Salvadoran art. Through linocuts, paste-ups, and mixed media, he explores resilience and hybridity. Influenced by desert expanses merged with Salvadoran symbols, he creates layered landscapes that reflect endurance, interconnectedness, and the dialogue between place and heritage.
Marsha Chan | La Canada-Flintridge, CA | Sunset Glow JTNP, Photograph 16x24 - $850
Marsha Chan is a photographer based in Southern California. She recently retired from a career in healthcare quality leadership and is a part-time lecturer at California State University, Northridge. Chan developed an early appreciation for the natural world through childhood trips to national parks across the west and Southwest U.S. As an adult, she continues to return to photograph these locations as well as new spots around the world. She enjoys capturing natural landscapes, the night sky, and cityscapes. With each photo, she strives to capture the awe and wonder she feels as she experiences beautiful and unique scenery. Joshua Tree National Park is one of her favorite photo locations with its grand vistas and dark skies. Chan studied with professional photographers at Otis College of Art and Design, and her works have been featured on the app PhotoPills and shown in previous JTNP Art Expo juried exhibitions.
Cara Coleman | Marshfield, MA | The Owls Are Not What They Seem | Gouache on Wood 10x10 - $1,800
Cara Finnerty Coleman, a Massachusetts based painter and illustrator, is known for her work depicting woodland animals within surrealist landscapes, often featuring dusk and the Blue Hour. She creates images that evoke the magic and wonder of childhood when even the stars are within reach. Using mostly gouache or watercolors on various fine art papers and wood, she specializes in intricately detailed line work and a rich color palette. While the natural world is the starting point of her inspiration, she allows inner worlds to emerge. The animals in each piece are thriving but often shown to be alone, unafraid but singular in their small part of the larger world. Dusk lingers at the edges, allowing just a glimpse of these scenes. Coleman’s work has been featured in prestigious fine art fairs and galleries in Massachusetts, Maine, Rhode Island, and New York City, with pieces in private collections around the world.
Janis Commentz | Yucca Valley, CA | Silhouettes of the Golden Hour, Acrylic on Canvas 8x24 - $575
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. A four-decade resident of the Joshua Tree area, she teaches workshops in Joshua Tree National Park and local galleries. She has a BA from University of Redlands and MA in Education from California State University at San Bernardino. Since her retirement from teaching, she pursues painting full time, writing her blog, recording her podcast “Encouragement Only by Janis Commentz” and managing her online business. Commentz enjoys painting many terrains, including France. She exhibits her art in local shops and galleries and in 2020 opened her Etsy shop, French Press & Mojave Inspiration, featuring her original art and cards, calendars, and paper goods.
David Czech | Morongo Valley, CA | Supply Run, Photograph 24x18 - SOLD
Raised in Lucerne Valley, California, some of David Czech’s earliest profound memories are standing amidst the granite boulders and pines of what was then Joshua Tree National Monument and has since become Joshua Tree National Park. “The dynamic, beautiful, and subtly bizarre landscape still strikes a deep chord that continues to become deeper and resonate with me today as I bring my own family to explore its wonders. I imagine what it would have been like for the miners out here a hundred years ago, the quiet peace, the struggles of day-to-day life so far from supplies and a pace of life that I have never known.”
Kristin Czech | Morongo Valley, CA | 3D - Joshua Tree Day & Night,, Moving Panorama 2'x1.5'x6" - $600
The Velaslasay Panorama in Los Angeles is a 1920s silent film theater that houses a 360-degree panorama complete with lighting and sound effects. It also has a moving panorama—a long image stretched across two rollers like a ribbon that moves with a hand crank. These were popular in the 1700s and early 1800s. This work is a small moving panorama. It's a long piece of film with a painted landscape stretched across rollers with a light in the back. A small knob at the top moves the panorama. It depicts a day-to-night scene in Joshua Tree National Park. Kristin Czech was born and raised in a small desert town in California called Lucerne Valley. She received her BFA in fine arts with a focus on painting and illustration from Humboldt State University. Currently she resides back in a small desert town, Morongo Valley, with her husband and two girls.
Vaughan Davies | Palm Springs, CA | Arch Rock, Watercolor 20x28 - $925
Vaughan Davies works in the creative fields of art, architecture, and urban design. He spent his early years in South Africa studying drawing and painting with Lois Breytenbach, Luis VanHeerden, and renowned artist Andre Van Zijl gaining an appreciation for line and pattern which continues to inform his work. Early in his career, as a Helen Gardener Travel Prize recipient, he travelled to Florence, Italy, and studied painting and ceramics under the mentorship of Maestro Jules Maidoff and Karin Palme at the Studio Arts College International (SACI). While at SACI he was the inaugural recipient of the “Premmio Vittoria” award for outstanding work. Davies recently received an Honorable Mention in the International 2021 Fusion Art – 2nd Watercolor Art Exhibition.
PD Davis | Woodland Hills, CA | Desert Solitude, Oil Pastel, 9-1/2 x 13-1/2 - $300
PD Davis is a Los Angeles based artist. Encouraged by her parents to draw, she took private lessons and enrolled in art history classes at UCLA. While in college she apprenticed in a commercial art studio doing illustrations, layout, and design for movie posters, book covers, and advertising campaigns. After leaving the art studio she worked for a heraldry company painting family crests on metal plaques and parchment. An admirer of Goya, Alexandre Hogue, and Irving Norman, she is drawn to art with sociopolitical implications but is equally at home with landscapes and portraiture. One of her landscapes was recently chosen by a California State Senator to hang in his office.
Mollie Doctrow | Camarillo, CA | Long Shadow, Woodcut 14x18 - $800
Mollie Doctrow has held art residencies at Mojave National Preserve, Petrified Forest National Park, Big Cypress National Preserve, Everglades National Park, and Archbold Biological Station. These residencies provided access to remote and pristine areas, inspiring much of her recent work. Her work has been exhibited nationally and internationally. She is the recipient of many awards and grants. May 2026, Doctrow will be an artist-in-residence at Joshua Tree National Park. Moving back to California seven years ago, Doctrow has been re-discovering her home state and native California habitats. She recently completed a public art commission for the city of Camarillo, a series of ten woodcuts depicting botanical and historical sites in Camarillo. Metal plaques created from the woodcuts will be displayed at Camarillo’s Central Plaza. Doctrow, MA, is Curator emerita, Museum of Florida Art and Culture, South Florida State College. Her studio is located at Studio Channel Islands, Camarillo, CA.
Susan Drake | Santa Barbara, CA | Tree, Photograph 12x24 - $500
Susan Kelley Drake was born and raised in Southern California. Her Father, John, was a photographer; he survived 35 bombing missions during WWII as a B24 Navigator, and when he returned home, he wanted to travel the whole length of California taking pictures. He did. A frequent family destination was the Joshua Tree area. His daughter, Susan, took her first photographs in Joshua Tree with a Box Brownie camera. They were crooked. Susan Drake is a frequently awarded member of the Santa Barbara Art Association and the Goleta Valley Art Association. She still takes photographs in Joshua Tree, most of them are not crooked.
Sue Feenstra | Joshua Tree, CA | Blooming Desert Road, Watercolor 12x16 - SOLD
FIRST PLACE, 2D. Sue Feenstra’s journey as an artist has expanded throughout commercial graphic design and fine art, acrylic painting, stained glass, mixed media, and wearable art. At a young age, her passion for art drew her into many forms of design. Feenstra’s creations have been celebrated at art festivals, gallery exhibitions, and published in a variety of publications. “My art tells a story of the beautiful landscapes that I encounter on the back of my horse. As an avid equestrian I have spent many hours in the saddle exploring beautiful desert and mountain landscapes that I recreate in my art.” Feenstra creates traditional media with enhancements of current digital technology, which gives her work a contemporary edge while maintaining the rich culture of traditional art. Married to an architectural designer, together they design and create in their desert home in Joshua Tree that they share with two horses, two dogs, and two cats.
David Flatt | Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada | Twilight Sentinel, Oil on Linen Panel 16x20 - $1,000
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 artist David Flatt’s inspiration. “Each rare encounter with wildlife informs my work. In the end my goal is to produce a piece that reflects these experiences.” Motivation for some of his paintings was the 35-day government shutdown in 2019 that affected Joshua Tree National Park, and the damage to the park that ensued. “These wild places are worth saving.”
Bradley Giles | Cathedral City, CA | Veil Between Worlds, Oil on Clay Board 16x20 - $6,500
Bradley Giles is a listed fine artist and has over 30 years’ experience in the custom fine art, themed entertainment, hotel, interior design, museum and private residential environments. His oil paintings range from the atmospheric, historical epic scenes, pastoral or ethereal landscapes, intimate portraits and emotional snapshots of our past and present...with a visionary portal to our future world landscapes. “This scene honors the spiritual and native origins of this painting and the context of the recent extraordinary experiences I physically and psychologically experienced during the production of this painting from June 10 to 21, 2025, and the deep emotional journey that created it. In Veil Between Worlds, I depict a young Native American man standing atop a sacred arched rock formation in what is now Joshua Tree National Park. Bathed in infinite starlight beneath the Milky Way, this solitary figure engages in a nocturnal vision quest...reaching into the darkness not with fear, but with openness.”
Lucy Gonzales | Fontana, CA | 3D - Eternal Shift, Joshua Tree in Motion, Mixed 16.5x9x7.5 - $600
As a black-and-white ink illustrator, Lucy Gonzales’ work is typically defined by bold lines and stark contrasts. “However, upon hearing about the Joshua Tree art competition, my imagination was immediately ignited. The desert—often mistaken for stillness—reveals, upon closer look, a constant pulse of life and movement. This revelation inspired me to explore beyond my usual medium. My submission is a mixed-media piece, incorporating clay mosaic tiles and paint, designed to rotate between night and day. Through this duality, I aimed to capture the desert’s ever-changing rhythm, from the quiet energy of moonlit nights to the vibrant color of sunlit days. As a passionate wildlife lover, I felt compelled to include key desert animals, highlighting the hidden biodiversity of this seemingly barren landscape. The use of various textures and materials reflects the complexity and richness of Joshua Tree, a place that is anything but empty.”
Rob Grad | Los Angeles, CA | There's Nothing Here Except Everything, Mixed Media on Wood 15x36 - $2,200
Rob Grad is a multimedia artist known for his layered, dimensional assemblages that fuse photography, painting, and sculpture. Drawing from over two decades of creative work—spanning music, visual art, and performance—Grad creates emotionally resonant pieces that explore identity, consciousness, and transformation. His process blends photographic imagery with laser-cut, hand-painted shapes and urban inspired textures, resulting in immersive works that appear to shift and evolve as the viewer moves. Often juxtaposing natural elements like desert landscapes with urban decay and vibrant abstraction, his art invites the viewer to reflect on the tension between inner and outer worlds. Grad’s works have been exhibited in museums, galleries, and commercial installations nationwide, and his TEDx talk “Finally Using My Own Eyes” reflects his ongoing mission: to see more clearly, feel more deeply, and spark connection through authentic expression.
Laura Green | Imperial Beach, CA | Coyote Spirit, Acrylic 18x14 - SOLD
Laura Green is a Southern California-based acrylic painter exploring the interconnection of California ecosystems—plants, animals, and humans. Drawing inspiration from hiking with her family, her work blends vibrant colors with loose brushstrokes to evoke the thrill of interacting with the wilderness. Green is a studio artist at The Studio Door in Hillcrest and represented by Cobalt Gallery in South Park, San Diego. She received a certificate in Art and The Creative Process at UCSD Extension 2022 and a post-bacc in Studio Arts from UC Berkeley Extension 2023. She regularly participates in projects to exhibit her work in public spaces, such as the City of Glendale and local libraries. She is especially interested in the conservation of wetlands and has sold bird paintings at Tijuana River Estuary Visitor Center since 2023. She believes experience in nature is critical for childhood development, and she is currently developing a new series exploring this theme.
Kim Halvorson | La Quinta, CA | The Tranquility of Last Light, Oil on Canvas 21x25 - $850
Raised in Southern California and Arizona, Kim Halvorson crafts vivid oil paintings that serve as homages to the American West. With a degree in marketing and a minor in art from college in Flagstaff, Arizona, she captures the drama of landscapes through masterful use of color, light, and shadow. Her work embodies her love for the region’s diverse landscapes, a passion kindled by childhood visits to the nation’s national parks. In a harmonious blend of art and life, her marriage to a landscape photographer provides an endless well of inspiration. Passionate about plein-air painting, these outdoor sessions serve as studies for her immersive studio pieces. She aims to go beyond mere observation; her art invites viewers to feel each scene, sparking a sense of discovery and connection to the land’s history and present. She is a member of SoCalpapa, California Art Club, Desert Art Center, Lapapa, Desert Plein Air Association.
Bonnie Hawthorne | Joshua Tree, CA | Rain, Photograph 14x11 - $250
Bonnie Hawthorne is the most successful failure you’ll ever meet. Always a traveler on the bumpy back road not taken, she defied conventional wisdom at every turn: skipped prom and high school graduation, dropped out of NYU film school despite a prestigious scholarship, never married, freelanced for most of her career, and spent her IRA on adventures. She bounced out of the Los Angeles TV scene to make a documentary film and soon found herself living full-time in the Mojave Desert. These days, she shoots timelapse films, explores new tech, is writing her first book, and rides a bike with very fat tires. A New Orleans fortune-teller once told her, “You are gonna be such a neat old bag.” That is her current goal.
Larry Hemmerich | Thousand Palms, CA | Timeless Twilight, Soft Pastels 24x24 - $2,300
Artist Larry Hemmerich is passionate about capturing the beauty of nature with his pastels. His work is the result of hiking in the desert and mountains surrounding his Palm Springs home, working 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.” Hemmerich is an Artist member of California Art Club, Elected member of American Artists Professional League (APPL), Pastel Society of West Coast, Pastel Society of Southern California, and an Associate member of Pastel Society of America. He recently opened his studio/gallery at Backstreet Art District in Palm Springs. He’s been juried into numerous exhibitions, including the 96th Grand National with the AAPL in New York City 2024, and he is recognized as one of the finest Pastelists in the Coachella Valley and beyond.
Doug Henry | Trabuco Canyon, CA | Cholla Garden Sunrise, Photograph 11-1/4x15 - $400
Doug Henry is a Southern California based visual artist. His sense of composition and color are influenced by a long career as a graphic designer working for many large and well-known companies. His images focus on the small elements within a larger frame that give a deeper sense of place. Working in both color and black and white, his work reflects both the everyday and his sense of wonder at the natural world. “I photograph what I see and try not to limit myself to any one style, genre or way of seeing. Stopping to be present in my surroundings allows me to see the small details of light, shape and color that are easily overlooked. When shooting I focus on subject and composition and let the final capture dictate whether it will be color or black and white.”
Andrew Hertel | San Diego, CA | Cradled by Stone, Photograph 16x20 - $1,200
SECOND PLACE, PHOTOGRAPHY. Andrew Hertel is a fine art photographer based in San Diego, California, specializing in black and white landscapes. His work emphasizes the quiet strength and raw beauty of nature, often highlighting the balance of light, shadow, and form in remote and rugged places. Drawn to deserts, mountains, and coastlines, Hertel frequently returns to iconic locations such as Death Valley, Yosemite, and the Sierra Nevada, seeking both sweeping vistas and subtle, overlooked details. His images invite viewers to step into the scene beside him, offering not just a photograph but a shared experience of stillness and presence. Hertel’s limited-edition prints are held in private collections, and his projects have been included in juried exhibitions. He also teaches, presents, and hosts workshops, encouraging others to discover their own creative connection with the natural world.
Tim Song Jones | La Crescenta, CA | Smile, Photograph 13x26 - SOLD
Photographer Tim Song Jones is interested in wide landscapes, night landscapes, astrophotography, nature photography and macro nature photography. He is a retired microphone boom operator for the film and TV biz and lives in the Los Angeles area now. “I have a degree in music composition from the University of California San Diego (1981). I got interested in photography way back when my dad had old Leica and Minolta cameras. He wasn't a great photographer really as his main interest was taking nature photos to show specimens to his high school biology students. As I had more artistic training and interests than he did, I've tried to improve upon what I learned from him (including his mistakes; granted, film isn't nearly as easy as digital photos, and it’s still possible to accidentally leave the cap on the lens).
Ed Keesling | Yucca Valley, CA | 3D - Hanging Out, Ceramic Sculpture 10x9x9 - $200
As a studio potter, Ed Keesling throws pots on the wheel, and creates ceramic tiles, murals, and sculpture. Most of his work is high fired to 2350 F in a propane gas kiln, to achieve the best marriage of clay and glaze. He also makes coil sculpture and pottery using the “Wedged Coil” process, the subject of his Master of Arts thesis. The Ed Keesling Clayworks Studio in Yucca Valley started in 1980. “My work reflects my love of the Hi-Desert open spaces, blue skies, wildlife, rock formations, and unique plant life. The rectilinear, spiraling helix of my logo is an asymmetrical design that radiates out from a central point as does the formation of a ceramic form thrown on a potter’s wheel. The asymmetrical balance of my work reflects the beauty of natural things as does the Golden Mean.”
Kathy Kleinsteiber | San Jose, CA | Ladder-backed Woodpecker in JT, Oil on Canvas 16x20 - $1,750
Kathy Kleinsteiber is a nature artist who likes to focus on the everyday plants and animals she sees along the trail. She wants to bring attention to those elements of nature that everyone might be able to discover and which are often overlooked. She hopes to inspire others to see the fragile beauty of the Earth and the need to actively protect it. With the ever-present threats to our beautiful planet and the species that reside here, Kleinsteiber wants her artwork to help create awareness of the need for providing solutions to these most pressing issues. She is a signature member of the international organization Artists for Conservation and has had her artwork featured in museums and galleries throughout California and beyond, including internationally. Her artwork was chosen for inclusion in the permanent collection of the Arizona Sonora Desert Museum and is in private collections throughout the country.
James Michael Knauf | Rolling Hills Estates, CA | Galactic Veil, Pinto Basin, Photograph 16x24 - $295
James Michael Knauf is a photographer and digital artist. Trained as an aerospace engineer with 35 years working on space programs, he is essentially self-trained in photography. Growing up, he experienced frequent moves across the United States, fostering curiosity about diverse places, landscapes, history, and cultures. At the same time, fascination with the technology, adventure, and precision of the Apollo moon missions and the awe-inspiring images from space exploration influenced his view of photography as a unique blend of technical precision with artistic expression. Knauf’s images explore our relationship with nature, the cosmos, and ourselves, seeking beauty and the “wow” factor in natural scenes and human creations in compositions and perspectives that evoke contemplation, curiosity, wonder, and emotion. Knauf is an active member of Photographic and Digital Artists, a collective of innovative artists specializing in the evolving art form of photography, affiliated with Palos Verdes Art Center in Southern California.
Jian Lee | Diamond Bar, CA | People There, Ink-Watercolor-Colored Pencil 11x14 - $800
Jian Lee is an artist and educator based in Los Angeles. As a teenager, she loved to draw comics and share those with her friends. Her interest eventually expanded to drawing, painting, and animation. She came to LA to study experimental animation at the California Institute of the Arts (Cal Arts). Her recent works use augmented reality to incorporate digital art into traditional art, and she has been showing her works in galleries and art festivals. She also works professionally as a character animator and a digital compositor in various films and theatre projects. Jian Lee currently teaches animation and drawing as an Assistant Professor at Cal Poly Pomona.
Alane Levinsohn | Joshua Tree, CA | Light of the Mojave, Oil on Gold Foil Panel 16x12 - SOLD
SECOND PLACE, 2D. Alane Levinsohn studied drawing at California College of Arts and Crafts (now California College of the Arts) in Oakland and continued her education at the Académie Royale des Beaux-Arts in Brussels. Her training in both classical and contemporary approaches informs her deep engagement with the natural world. Drawn to the austere beauty of the desert, Levinsohn paints landscapes that distill Joshua trees, native plants, and shifting desert light into elemental forms that reflect both resilience and transcendence. Her work has received recognition across the Southwest and beyond, including Best in Show at the Joshua Tree Art Gallery Invitational (2017) and First Place at the Joshua Tree National Park Expo (2018). Levinsohn has exhibited in juried and curated shows from Chicago to Southern California, with her art featured in American Art Collector magazine. Through her paintings, she celebrates the stark majesty of nature and its enduring power to inspire awe.
Dean Mayo | Indio, CA | Comet Over Joshua Tree, Photograph on Canvas 36x24 - $399
Dean Mayo is an award-winning fine art photographer known for capturing the dramatic landscapes of Joshua Tree and the surrounding desert. With over 20 years behind the lens, Mayo has developed a distinctive style that blends technical precision with an eye for mood, light, and storytelling. His photographs of Joshua Tree—from towering boulders and twisted Joshua trees to golden sunsets and vast, starlit skies—highlight both the rugged beauty and quiet spirituality of this unique desert environment. His work has been featured in Fodor’s Travel and sold worldwide through platforms including Fine Art America, Etsy, and World Market. Recognized as one of Pixoto’s Top Photographers of the Year in 2019, 2023, and 2024, he continues to draw inspiration from the landscapes of Joshua Tree, inviting viewers to pause, reflect, and connect with the natural world in a meaningful way.
Ilona Mercier | Yucca Valley, CA | Another Glorious Day, Alcohol Ink on Ceramic Tile 4x16 - SOLD
Artist Ilona Mercier has resided in the hi-desert since 1980 and recently retired from Copper Mountain College in Joshua Tree after 24 years of service. As for her art, she says: “My dad thought I had potential and would enroll me in art classes as a child…. It was way after he passed away that my sister-in-law introduced me to alcohol inks. The magnificent colors got my attention. They weren’t like a pencil where you can control every line. It is this lack of control on my part as an artist that I had to learn to embrace because my nature is to try and control them. My paintings generally embrace both learned control techniques mixed with the beautiful spontaneity of the inks.” Mercier is one of the featured artists in the book by Cathy Taylor, “Pigments of Your Imagination-Creating with Alcohol Inks” 2nd Edition, available on Amazon.
Mitch Miller | Joshua Tree, CA | Child of the Past, Photograph 16x24 - $2,400
Mitch Miller is a landscape and nature photographer whose creative process is deeply rooted in exploration. Based in Joshua Tree, he spends countless hours hiking remote trails and immersing himself in wild places, seeking out new perspectives and the subtle interplay of light that transforms familiar scenes into something extraordinary. Each photograph is the result of patient observation and a genuine connection to the land, capturing moments that evoke both wonder and tranquility. His work reveals the beauty and resilience of the natural world, from dramatic desert vistas to humble details to his ongoing project to capture the dimension of time through photography. “Wandering in wild places is my passion, and photography is my medium through which I share my experiences with whomever will listen with their eyes. I have hiked Joshua Tree National Park since 1980, and since relocating to Joshua Tree in spring of 2017, am learning it even better.”
Darlene Morris | Yucca Valley, CA | JTNP Rock Pile, Watercolor and Pen & Ink 12x9 - $450
Darlene Hansen Morris began her art career when she received her first new box of Crayola crayons at an early age from her artistic mother. Taking art classes each semester in high school, she sold her first watercolor painting to the high school secretary. Her work was exhibited in the annual student show at Balboa Park in San Diego when she was a high school senior. In the intervening years she continued her studies with well-known artists, including Roger Folk, Gerald Brommer, Katherine Chang Liu, Morten Solberg, Louise Cadillac, and Pat Dews. Her work has been exhibited in the Southern California area since 1983. Morris’ paintings have been juried into shows at the San Diego Watercolor Society, Carlsbad-Oceanside Art League, Fallbrook Art Association, San Diego County Fair at Del Mar, La Jolla Art Association, Western Federation of Watercolor Societies, and Joshua Tree National Park Art Expo juried exhibition.
Doyle Moyer | Yucca Valley, CA | Anasazi Rock in Snow, Pen & Ink and Prisma Color Pencils 8x10-1/2 - SOLD
THIRD PLACE, 2D. Artist Doyle Moyer started drawing as a child in the Southern California desert to entertain himself and grew a bond with the open spaces while learning to draw from the John Gnagy Art Institute Courses his mother had lying around. “This led me to develop pen and ink drawing skills for the rest of my life. After taking art classes in school, my ambition was to be an architect. That went south, and my interests developed with Time Warner Interactive doing digital art for ThePalace.com.” Moyer’s current artwork is developed from constant hiking in the abundant landscapes in the Southwest Desert. He started drawing desert life in Pen & Ink and Prisma Colored Pencils and now specializes in drawing and photographing the outdoor life of Joshua Tree National Park.
Eunice Oh | Diamond Bar, CA | Whispering, Photograph 12x18 - $800
California-based photographer Eunice Eunjin Oh specializes in capturing the beauty of nature and landscapes. She has dedicated years to photographing stunning moments in national parks and has been recognized for her work with awards in numerous group exhibitions and photography contests. “Capturing nature's wondrous moments. Through the lens, I capture the sunlight, the wind, and the seasons' flow, recording beautiful landscapes in a single photograph.”
Jenifer Palmer-Lacy | Joshua Tree, CA | The Barber Pole, Acrylic & Luminous 36x12 - SOLD
SUPERINTENDENT'S AWARD: Artist Jenifer Palmer-Lacy works mostly in plein air to capture the power of landscape and architecture, rendering scenes in Prismacolor pencil, acrylic, and watercolor, with accents in luminous paint. Much of her work has been in parks in California, where she was a long-time advocate for Runyon Canyon and produced an annual arts celebration. She holds a degree in Art and an MA in Humanities from Cal State Dominguez Hills.
Nya Patrinos | Los Angeles, CA | Petroglyph 1, Watercolor Collage 20x16 - $550
Nya Patrinos centers her art on giving voice to the voiceless, telling the stories of people and places that have been forgotten or left unexplored, and reinterpreting religious texts, myths, and folktales through a modern lens. As an artist and designer, she explores the realms of spirituality and identity, as well as cultural intersections. History, memory, light, wind, climate, temperature, the moon, and stars all form the tapestry of her artistry, weaving together to chronicle a cohesive story. Patrinos has worked as a decorator and designer in film and television since 1996. She received an MFA in Set Design from UCSD/La Jolla Playhouse, a BA in Design of the Environment from University of Pennsylvania, and a Certificate in Illustration from Otis College of Art and Design. Among her many artist residencies, scholarships, and credits, Patrinos received an Emmy nomination in Art Direction/Set Decoration for the TV series “Transparent.”
Randy Ranieri | 29 Palms, CA | 3D - JTNP Gourd, Acrylic Painting on Gourd 4" round - $150
Randy Ranieri’s interest in art started at an early age. He was exposed to art and architecture through his family’s travels in Europe where I saw art by the old masters. In Montana, he learned about hometown world famous artist Charlie Russell. While I loved art, I took a different route and took architecture classes and became an architect. “About 4 years ago my wife and I moved to Twentynine Palms. We had been long-time landowners here and decided to move here for the beauty of Joshua Tree National Park. Shortly after that we joined the Twentynine Palms Artists’ Guild and Art Gallery to meet artists and become more immersed in the local art community. I am currently transitioning to becoming a full-time artist. I hope to fully retire within the next 2 years. So, I am now starting on a new adventure in my life.”
Shae Zoe Reardon | Hermosa Beach, CA | Hidden Valley Cholla, Oil on Linen 16x12
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 the west, she gathers ideas and references to incorporate into her artistic endeavors. Reardon's fascination extends beyond the scenery itself; she is particularly intrigued by the details of plant life and holds a special interest in desert scenery and plants. Her artistic process involves intimately examining her subjects, capturing the essence of their organic forms, textures, and colors. As she works, she infuses her own artistic interpretation. Her creations have been showcased in numerous art exhibitions and private collections. She received the Best in Painting award in the juried show New Western Talent 2023 by Western Gallery, and 1st place in Gallery 4Percent’s Floral & Botanical juried show. Reardon was featured in Southwest Art Magazine’s 21 under 31, which presents up-and-coming artists.
Mark Robben | Rancho Palos Verdes, CA | Sculpture, Photograph 24x16 - $375
FIRST PLACE, PHOTOGRAPHY. Mark Robben is a 29-year resident of Southern California, by way of southwestern Ohio where he first began a lifelong love of outdoor photography. From Pacific Ocean vistas to the wide-open desert, he tries to capture the beauty of solitude in his landscape images. In recent years he has focused on capturing the beautiful night skies over Joshua Tree National Park, featuring many of the less traditional areas and rock formations as his foreground subjects. In addition to digital photography, Robben has rediscovered his love for analog photography and recently began introducing various film formats back into his workflow. When not wandering the park in search of his next composition, he works as a Visual Effects Artist in feature films, commercials, episodic television, and the occasional music video for various post-production facilities in the Los Angeles area. Robben is also a previous award winner in the JTNP Art Expo.
Alejandra Robles-Luna | Yucca Valleyt, CA | Black Sky Murder, Photo on Metal 20x20 - $350
Alejandra Robles-Luna is a Mexican photographer and musician currently residing in Yucca Valley, California. She holds a bachelor's degree in photography from LaSalle College International and furthered her studies in Fine Arts and Fashion Photography at the International Center of Photography in New York. She is a surrealist photographer who is more interested in bringing ideas to life rather than documenting reality. While she finds the world to be a little boring at times, most of her inspiration comes from nature. She enjoys using modern techniques to capture the images she sees in her dreams or nightmares. Each composition she creates forces her to consider each photograph as part of a collective thought, rather than just an individual moment.
Temi Roleff | Yucca Valley, CA | Galactic Heartbeat, Photograph 30x20 - $500
Tami Roleff has been taking photos all her life, starting with the 110 Instamatic camera, then digital point-and-shoot cameras, before her life was transformed by a digital Nikon camera. She is passionate about photographing the beauty of the desert and Joshua Tree National Park, especially the iconic Joshua trees and the animals who inhabit the Mojave Desert. Roleff has 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. Her work has received multiple awards including People’s Choice in 2024 for the California Welcome Center Art Contest, and Best Photo Taken Inside Joshua Tree National Park in 2011 from Joshua Tree National Park. Her photographs have been accepted into the juried Joshua Tree National Park Art Expo multiple times, as well as other exhibitions. Her photos are in private collections around the country and abroad.
Laurie Schafer | Yucca Valley, CA | 3D - Dusk at Willow Hole, Fabric Art, Mixed Media 48x30x2 - $4,000
SECOND PLACE, 3D. Initially studying fine arts, Laurie Schafer eventually received her degree in Clothing Design from the University of Minnesota. This evolved into creating her award-winning “Artwear,” a collision of art and fashion. Schafer’s focus has evolved from Artwear to Fiber/Mixed Media. “Water is life and Willow Hole in Joshua Tree National Park holds endless inspiration for me to create my fiber/mixed media work. The hike to Willow Hole initially seems like any other trek through the park…. Suddenly the sandy wash opens into a small canyon and a grove of desert willows surrounding an oasis. The lush green vegetation feels almost surreal after the dry hike. This version of Willow Hole features the flora that surrounds the pond. As Willow Hole expands and contracts with the seasons, the algae surrounding the edges of the pond clings tenuously to the willows. The pond scum becomes fabric-like weaving together verdant shades of green accented with jewel tones.”
Craig Schoenbaum | Culver City, CA | Cloud Catchers, Photograph 20x24 - SOLD
BEST OF SHOW AWARD. Ever since his first photography class at Loyola Marymount University more than 35 years ago, Craig Schoenbaum has loved creating artistic photographic images. There he learned how to control the image-making process from initial concept to the final print. “My photographic history began with my grandfather who was a still photographer for the movie studios in the Culver City and Hollywood areas from the 1930s to 1950s. I continued his legacy using digital cameras beginning in 2002 during a workshop in Yosemite National Park, and since then I have experienced a renewed enthusiasm and creativity for photography as an art form. Now a computer is my darkroom, giving me more control over the creative process to accurately convey memories and emotions. The magnificence of our national parks has become a favorite subject matter, with Joshua Tree exemplifying the beauty and wonder of desert life in California.”
Linda Shrader | Yucca Valley, CA | 3D - A Little Piece of Joshua Tree, Sculpture 20x15x12 - $2,995
FIRST PLACE, 3D. Linda Shrader is a sculptor, muralist, photographer, arts advocate, and arts educator. She has received numerous awards over the years, and her sculptures have been honored with first place in 3D at the Joshua Tree National Park Art Expo juried exhibitions (2022, 2023) and awarded first place and featured-artist placement at the California Welcome Center in Yucca Valley (2022). Every sculpture is unique, every spike individually hand-rolled, and each takes many hours to sculpt, prime, and paint. Some take well over 100 hours. A longtime resident of the Hi-Desert, Shrader is an advocate for public art and art in the schools and has taught classes to all ages. She was a founding board member of the Morongo Basin Cultural Arts Council, helped to create the original Hwy 62 Open Studio Art Tours, and currently serves on the Executive Board of Directors for the nonprofit community organization Hi-Desert Artists (HDA).
Jeffrey Skelly | Sunland, CA | A Desert Mystery, Oil on Canvas 16x20 - $1,600
Southern California artist Jeff Skelly graduated from Cal State Northridge in 1989 and continued his studies at the California Art Institute and UCLA. With over 20 years of experience and widely collected on three continents, Skelly continues to find expression in the beauty of our natural world. He has exhibited in numerous venues such as the Palm Springs Desert Art Museum, the National Arts Club in New York, and many other juried shows. Awards include the 1st place blue ribbon at Yosemite Renaissance XXVIII juried competition and twice winner of the Superintendent’s Award at the Joshua Tree National Park Art Expo juried exhibition. “With the use of bold brushwork and unique color harmonies, my paintings are not only faithful representations of places I’ve been but spiritual impressions as well.”
Cathy Snodgrass | 29 Palms, CA | 3D - Dawn Storm, Mosaic 15-1/2x12-3/4 - $350
Cathy Snodgrass fell in love with Twentynine Palms the day she first arrived. It was here she raised her family, here she immersed herself into the community, here she realized that dwelling deep inside her soul was an artist waiting to break free. “There is a oneness I feel when working on my art. A deep peace inside my soul. A ‘where have you been all my life’ moment.” That connection is clear in the art she creates. Her inspiration comes from the beautiful desert she calls home and that deep place inside her soul. She loves inspiring others to try something new and fill their soul. To her, few things are more rewarding. “We’re never too old to try something new. You might love it, you might not, but you tried.”
Barbara Spiller | Santa Monica, CA | 3D - Joshua Tree, Print-Paint-Collage on Wood 23x30 - $800
Barbara Spiller’s work is nature inspired and process oriented. Her artistic practice often returns to her childhood exploration of what was “underfoot,” finding and re-using materials found in nature and scavenged from deteriorating buildings. Materials, such as old nails, bricks, slate, wrought iron, twigs, moss, cicada shells, were gathered and used to create small worlds. In the same spirit, her present work is inspired by rocks and the tapestry of the desert floor photographed in Joshua Tree. These pieces, begun as encaustic monotypes and mounted on cradled wood, were later cut loose with a jigsaw and reassembled into freeform imagery. Spiller continues to be drawn to what is underfoot, which includes earlier work in the studio that becomes raw material for new work. Spiller holds degrees from Douglass College and NYU. She has exhibited in group and solo shows from NYC to Joshua Tree and has taught at institutions including NYU and The Lincoln Center Institute.
Michael e. Stern | Pasadena, CA | Pyramids in the Desert, Photograph 13x19 - $854.23
If it’s true that “creativity begins at the end of your comfort zone,” then photographer/artist/teacher Michael e. Stern has taken permanent residence there in a career that spanned more than four decades. Graduating from Art Center in 1979, Stern first escaped his comfort zone by taking on anything the Hollywood studios could throw at him. He enjoyed a long and lively creative collaboration with Disney’s many creative teams across the globe, enhancing their magic with a bit of his own legerdemain in photography, multi-media and video promotions of iconic feature animations. Stepping back from commercial art in 2022, Stern is now happily ensconced making fine artworks for the discerning collector and gallery. The commercial world waved a sad but appreciative goodbye.
Liv Stofko | Yucca Valley, CA | Yuccas Outside My Window, Pen & Ink Drawing 24x18 - $480
Liv Stofko, a Southern California native, has always found the most peace in solitude, enjoying the natural world. She soon found she could combine her love of art and the outdoors, capturing subjects in her notepad as ideas to draw into a more imaginative image later. Black and white ink drawings have always fascinated her, as layers allow unforeseen shapes to develop, and details are up to the imagination of the artist. By studying elaborate details and allowing her imagination to transcribe the uniquely delicate layers present within old-growth plants of the desert, she feels she can honor the environment around her. She’s been thankful to have naturally developed a style and embraces the time she spends outside with her pens and paper. Her ink drawings have been shown at the 2022 and 2024 Joshua Tree National Park Art Expositions, as well as art fairs in Joshua Tree.
Rick Strobaugh | Yucaipa, CA | Milky Way, Photograph 24x16 - $395
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 help newer photographers as the Mentor for the club.”
Cher Townsend | Yucca Valley, CA | 3D - Oasis, Clay and Glass Sculpture 9x12x9 - $650
Artist Cher Townsend loves making things, mostly figurative sculptures in clay. Some are fun pieces that are part animal and part human with a story for the viewer to figure out. Lately she’s been doing desert and western pieces, also making yard art. Her work is displayed at Middle Ridge Wine Tasting Gallery in Idyllwild, CA, where she’s been a permanent artist since 2016. Her sculptures are in the permanent collection at the Museum of Encaustic Art in Santa Fe and have been exhibited at 29 Palms Art Gallery, Borrego Art Institute, and American Museum of Ceramic Art, as well as galleries and events in Idyllwild and the Morongo Basin. Among her many credits, she won “Best of Show” in the April 2021 Art Alliance of Idyllwild “Here & Now” show and won 3rd place in the 3D category in the Joshua Tree National Park Art Expo in 2022.
Margie Trandem | Yucca Valley, CA | Northern Lights, Photo on Metal 18x12 - SOLD
Photographer Margie Trandem received her first camera at the age of 8 as a gift from her father. “I have taken photos all my life. I have been told by many that I have an ‘eye’ or natural ability to compose. After my father passed away 12 years ago, I bought my first real good camera. I went on a 6-week road trip across the US, and my passion for wildlife and landscape photography was reignited.” Trandem has traveled extensively in the southwest states of Arizona, Nevada, New Mexico, Utah, and up to Montana and Wyoming and Alaska. International travels include Africa, Antarctica, Norway, and Canada. “I simply enjoy capturing moments in nature, wildlife, and travel as the opportunities present themselves. My goal as a photographer and artist is for an image to connect with a person on an emotional level—when it inspires or reminds a person of something they care about.”
Raymundo Valdez | Cathedral City, CA | Orion Above Joshua Tree, Oil on Canvs 18x24 - $2,250
Raymundo Valdez is a Mexican-American fine artist known for his vibrant oil paintings that reinterpret urban and natural landscapes through a signature fractal, diamond-like style. Based in San Francisco and Palm Springs, his work draws from the geometric beauty of everyday life—transforming cities, deserts, and cultural icons into layered, rhythmic compositions. In 2024, his painting Joshua Tree earned the People’s Choice Award at the 12th Annual Joshua Tree National Park Art Exposition. That same year, he won second place at the Desert Plein Air Association’s “Paint the Desert” competition. Earlier in his career, he received second place in the Tom of Finland Foundation’s “Emerging Artist Competition” in 2009. Valdez is represented by Galería Arte Siglo XXI in Mexico City, and his work has been widely exhibited across the United States and Latin America. His paintings are held in private collections in San Francisco, Palm Springs, Mexico City, and beyond.
Juan Varela | Riverside, CA | Joshua Tree Tortoise, Acrylic, Mixed Media, Embroidery Art 26x21 - $1,450
Juan Varela is a talented self-taught artist. He gained recognition for his unique artistic style "Painting with Threads,” a technique he developed in his home-studio in Riverside for a year and a half until he found his own style in 2019. Thread painting, also known as needle painting, is a beautiful embroidery technique. Another innovation is the "inverted canvas." Varela is perhaps the only visual artist in the world to use the canvas upside down. Varela's unique artistic style has caught the attention of numerous art lovers and organizations, including The White House Historical Association. He is renowned for his innovative "Painting with Threads" technique, which involves a stunning fusion of embroidery art and 3D design, often creating visually and emotionally engaging pieces that leave a lasting impression. Varela’s work has been featured in prominent museums and cultural centers, including Ontario Museum, San Bernardino Museum, 1&2 Birthday at The Cheech Marin Museum, among many others.
Sharon Volcic | Yucca Valley, CA | Blue Moon, Acrylic 7x14- SOLD
Sharon Volcic loves to paint. She learned about "Fluid Art" while watching a video on You Tube and fell in love with it. She pours the liquid paint onto her canvas, then lifts the edges to allow the wet paint to flow across her canvas and make its magic, always a surprise of texture and colors. When the poured paint is dry, she uses brushes, a toothbrush, a straw, a sponge, or other tools and techniques of this art form to paint clouds, trees, mountains, stars, etc., and creates her own unique artwork. Sharon Volcic and her husband live in Yucca Valley, California, where they both went to high school, raised their children, and now live to experience and appreciate—and paint—the distinctive beauty of our California desert.
Valeree Woodard | Joshua Tree, CA | A Day in the Life, JTNP - Art Glass Mosaic 36x12 - $4,500
Valeree Woodard is a self-taught mosaic and stained glass artist. Working in hand cut art glass, she creates artwork that is on the contemporary side of design with classic techniques, and modern nuances. Influenced by the amazing landscape, beautiful skies, colors of the desert and living on the border of Joshua Tree National Park, color is her driving factor. Since moving to Joshua Tree 20+ years ago, Woodard became involved in efforts to save dark skies, animal protection, and the desert. A passion she finds very rewarding. "Save The Desert” is her motto! Surrounded by art as a child, her mother was a graphic illustrator and created art all her life, and they learned the art of stained glass together. Woodard acquired a degree in visual merchandising and worked in the field for 25 years. She appreciates the use of design, space, and color, which continues in her artwork today.
Kathryn Young | Cherry Valley, CA | Joshua Glow, Soft Pastels 12x16 - $575
Kathryn Young is a pastel artist working on impressionistic landscapes in Southern California. She loves working with soft pastels because of their pure visual dynamic colors and mark making ability. “Pastels give me freedom to make exciting marks—from sweeping bold strokes to small specks of pigment that kiss the paper. The vibrant hues express my joy of color. Mark making and overlapping of color convey emotion through my paintings and create exciting textures and new colors. I like to intensify and exaggerate the colors capturing everything from the beauty of nature’s grandeur to the simplicity of my everyday surroundings.” Young gained inspiration from her time traveling overseas and teaching for the Department of Defense. Her paintings have been juried into the Pastel Society of the West Coast, Pastel Society of Southern California, Red Rock Pastel Society of Nevada, Pastel Journal 100 - 2025, American Impressionist Society, and the International Association of Pastel Societies.
Mark Zucker | Newport Beach, CA | A Magical Milky Way Moment in Joshua Tree, Photo on Metal 30x40 - $1,500
Mark Zucker is an amateur photographer living in Southern California. His passion for photography first began 50 years ago in college. “For me there is nothing more fun and exciting than to creatively capture special moments of wonder and beauty in our natural world. I am now retired, happily dedicating most of my time to exploring and experiencing the natural world around us. It is my hope that by viewing my photography, others will enjoy the beauty and hopefully experience a similar sense of the wonder and appreciation of those special moments that I am fortunate enough to witness and capture through the lens of my camera.”
Media Release - Nov. 3, 2025 - Awards Announced
Congratulations to all our 64 juried artists for 2025! Thank you for sharing your art with us. The award winners were announced at the Awards Reception, Saturday, Nov. 1. The People's Choice Award will be announced at the end of the show, November 30, so we invite you to come to the 29 Palms Art Gallery and vote for your favorite.
PREMIER Sponsors
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.
Join us in supporting our local business sponsors by patronizing their businesses! PARTNERS & SPONSORS
