Friday-Sunday, April 3-5, 2009
Indian Wells Tennis Garden
Indian Wells, California

Story by Lauren Lunstrum
Photos by Cathy Jardine

For more Cathy Jardine photos of the Indian Wells Art Festival, click here.

A wide array of colors splashed across the desert at the Seventh Annual Indian Wells Arts Festival at the famous Indian Wells Tennis Garden in Indian Wells, Calif., during April 3-5, 2009. Although strong wind gusts hit Indian Wells on Friday, the festival continued successfully and was able to enjoy perfect weather on Saturday and Sunday. The Tennis Garden proved a great location for artists and festivalgoers from around the world to meet and exchange information as well as techniques.

Attendees said they were delighted to view the wide variety of art that the festival offered, consisting of exotic jewelry, soothing paintings, promiscuous sculptures, beautiful woodcarvings and more. Blown glass, metal sculptures and pottery were also popular among festival attendees. Artists sat near their work observing the people walking by and answered questions about how they created their art, and of course how much certain works cost.

“It was interesting to see artwork from Snake Jagger,” said La Quinta resident Keely Smith, who was wearing a long yellow cotton dress and holding a floral oriental umbrella over her head. “He let us borrow his 3-D glasses to look at his art. He is a from the Coachella Valley and has artwork displayed at the Blue Coyote in Palm Springs.”

Not only were art pieces sold, they were also created during the festival. A popular feature of the Indian Wells Arts Festival is the number of interactive activities offered to the guests throughout the day. Live displays of glass blowing, woodcarving, weaving, painting demonstrations and pot throwing were all available for people to watch. The artists even gave information and tips about creating art pieces efficiently, as well as new techniques.

Yucca Valley-based business Larger than Life Murals was a popular destination for guests who were able to see a large, colorful mural being painted right before their eyes. The mural was scheduled to take all three days of the festival and was halfway done Saturday afternoon. Linda Shrader, owner of Larger than Life Murals, said she was proud to represent her business at the Indian Wells Arts Festival for the second year in a row.

“The beautiful thing about the Indian Wells Arts Festival is that there is live art,” Shrader said gleefully as she stood in front of her 10-foot-tall mural. “The festival is great with sharing information and experience.”

Not too far from the mural was “Chalk Dreams,” a sidewalk mural by the Palm Springs Unified District students. Children knelt on the sidewalk, as they drew their own pictures with bright pink, yellow, blue and green sidewalk chalk. An activity offered to festivalgoers of all ages was painting the festival’s official car during the “Faces of Hope” exhibit.

Then there was the food and entertainment! Gourmet specialties made by local valley chefs were available for attendees to taste, as well as various types of wine. Music performances consisted of local valley musicians included College of the Desert’s well-known Vocal Performance and Appreciation Club.

After three days of eclectic art, gourmet food and wonderful spring weather, it’s no wonder that the Indian Wells Arts Festival attracts thousands of guests every year. The festival will continue to be a popular destination for artists from around the world, as well as be a beneficial activity for the community of the Coachella Valley.

For more Cathy Jardine photos of the Indian Wells Art Festival, click here.

For more about the Seventh Annual Indian Wells Art Festival, click here.

For more about the art of Snake Jagger, click here.

For more about Larger Than Life Murals, click here.

For more about the Indian Wells Tennis Garden, click here.