The Palm Springs Art Museum in California is more than Just a Gallery

The Palm Springs Art Museum in downtown Palm Springs, California is the only major museum in the Coachella Valley. Situated at the base of Mt. San Jacinto, this museum is a combination art gallery, natural history museum, and performing arts center, supplying the residents of the area with a variety of cultural experiences, all under one roof.

The museum was established in 1938 with the hopes of bringing fine works of art to the people who resided in Southern California's desert areas, with an emphasis on the history of the desert. Since that time, the mission and scope of the Palm Springs Art Museum has changed greatly. Today, the museum's permanent art collection concentrates heavily on international modern and contemporary painting and sculpture. Featured artists include Henry Moore, Barbara Hepworth, Robert Motherwell, Helen Frankenthaler, Duane Hanson, John Chamberlin, Anselm Keifer, and Anthony Gormley as well as a number of significant West Coast artists such as Sam Francis, Robert Arneson, Nathan Oliveira, Mark di Suvero, and Edward Ruscha.

The art portion of the museum features 28 galleries including American 19th Century Landscape Painting, American Contemporary Painting, American Contemporary Sculpture, American Desert Painting, American Indian works, American Indian Contemporary, American Graphics/Work on Paper, American Photography, American Modern Architecture, American Western Art, Contemporary Painting (other than American), Contemporary Glass Studio Art (featuring the works of Dale Chihuly), European Graphics, Mexican/Latin American Paintings, and several others.

In addition, guests can enjoy the Singer Miniature Room, a collection of twelve miniature interiors that depict the theme of laundry, a subject near and dear to MR. Singer's heart as he was one of the founders of Miracle White Laundry Detergent. The miniatures were produced by Eugene Kupjack, considered "the dean of American miniatures.''

The Palm Springs Art Museum also boasts an impressive Natural Science gallery. Here, visitors can view a variety of dioramas that allow the desert to come to life, educating museum patrons about animals and plants of the Palm Springs area.

The museum's 433-seat Annenberg Theater offers yet another dimension in the world of the arts. This excellent venue plays host to any number of different kinds of performances each year, including both music and theater. Classical and jazz concerts are commonplace here as are visits by regional, national, and international dance troupes. The Annenberg Theater has also hosted top-name comedians and been involved in the premiere of cutting-edge theater productions as well as classic plays.

Palm Springs Art Museum also hosts myriad classes, workshops, lectures, and symposia for a variety of ages. Most classes are offered year round and include such topics as painting, drawing, printmaking, and others. Kids in grades K to 8 enjoy hands-on activities and a variety of other gallery experiences. Four-day summer camps are also offered to children ages 3 through 12.

Palm Springs Art Museum's Museum Store features a variety of gifts from books and apparel to home d,cor and stationery. There's also a caf, on site that serves soup, sandwiches, and salads.