The Artists Council is over 350 members strong and supports the museum and local art & artists in a number of ways. The workshop program offers a variety of classes where adults can learn and enhance their skills in a number of disciplines, from beginning to advanced levels. The Artists Council Exhibition is a juried exhibition and auction of artwork created by AC members. 99 Bucks is a sale of small canvases, created by the famous and the infamous – but artists' names are not revealed until after the sale. Art Party provides free art instruction for kids and adults. In addition, there are member events, including demonstrations and lectures, given throughout the year. The Artists Council Center is located on the Lower Level of the museum and is a wonderful site for workshops and meetings.
Artists Council Member benefits include:
Discounted fees for AC Art Workshops
Discount card for purchase of art supplies at Venus Studio Art Supplies, Palm Desert
Priority announcements of all upcoming events
Opportunity to submit original artwork to the ACE Exhibition
Free events, such as lectures and demonstrations, and paid events, such as bus trips for members, etc
For more information, email AC Coordinator Gary Paterson at or call 760.322.4850.
Workshops – Art classes for adults at all levels of experience.
To see the current schedule, please contact the AC Coordinator or click here.
ACE – Artists Council Exhibition – A juried exhibition of artwork created by AC members. The 2011-12 exhibition ran from October 11 to December 4, and included artwork sales at artist reception and a successful online auction.
AC Sundays – Activities throughout the season for AC members. Included: a bus trip to the Walt Disney Music Hall and MOCA on Sunday, October 30; free movie double feature, focusing on David Hockney, on Sunday, November 20; Hi Desert Art Tour on Sunday, February 19; Curator tour of Backyard Oasis: the Swimming Pool in Southern California Photography on Sunday, March 16.
99 Bucks –The AC's biggest fundraising event will take place on April 21, 2012, at the Hotel Zoso in
Palm Springs. Hundreds of small canvases will be available for purchase – but you won't know if your
little gem was created by someone famous – or infamous! – until after purchase!
WorkshopWORKS – May 10 Opening Reception – Juried exhibition of artwork created in the AC workshop program.
Welcome to the Artists Council ONLINE GALLERY. We are delighted to be able to share the artwork of some of our members with you. When you are in the gallery, you will see a group of small images. A click on any image that interests you will bring up a larger view of the image and information about the artwork and the artist. We know that you will enjoy touring the ONLINE GALLERY! Begin your visit by clicking here.
Pat Kodet, Colors #1, Photography
Tim Robson, 98, Mixed media on wood
Mark Stephenson, Golden Grasses #8871, Photography, inkjet print on metallic acrylic on canvas
Bonnie Ruttan, Core, Mixed media collage
ACE Best in Show winner, Think Up, by David A. Clark
Each year, the Artists Council holds a special juried exhibition of artwork created exclusively by AC members, which has become the valley's premiere art event of the season, highlighting local talent and artistic trends. All artwork in the exhibition is available for sale, benefitting the museum and AC.
For 2011-12, ACE ran from October 11 to December 4, 2011. All artwork in the exhibition was available for sale, at the Artist Reception or during an Online Auction. The AC is grateful to the numerous people who purchased artwork in support of local artists and the museum.
The AC is proud to congratulate David A. Clark (Best in Show), Dennis Johnson (First Place), Uriel Romero (Second Place), and Jodie Rutzinski (Third Place), as well as all participants and award winners. A special award was begun this year, the Preston Ormsby Memorial Award, in honor of our friend and dearly missed AC member, Preston Ormsby. Many donations were made in Preston’s memory, to the point where this award will be an ongoing award for the foreseeable future. Congratulations to Tim Robson for winning this great award.
The Artists Council thanks Valerie and Scott Milano and Harold Matzner for their generous support of ACE
AC Sundays
The Artists Council Hi Desert Art Tour is coming up on Sunday, February 19, 2012. Please join us as our bus leaves the museum at 9 a.m. and takes us to tour the studio of well known artist Jackie Angove in 29 Palms. A boxed lunch is included, after which we’ll receive a tour of the 29 Palms Creative Center and a printmaking class, led by Gretchen Grunt. We’ll be back at the museum by 4:30. Cost for the day is $65 for AC members, or $80 for nonmembers.
Seats will be reserved on a first-come, first-served basis. Please reserve your spot as early as possible, but no later than Friday, January 27. If the bus does not fill by this date, we will refund payments received in full. For information or booking your place, please contact Gary Paterson, the AC Coordinator, at 760-322-4850 or at
Adult workshops are offered from January through April in the Artists Council Center. You may contact the AC Coordinator for a printed or emailed copy, or view the schedule by clicking here.
Life Drawing workshops take place two or three times per month, in the Sidonia Milano AC Center on the museum's Lower Level. These uninstructed sessions are meant for experienced artists and are held from 10:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. on Saturdays. Cost is $20.00 for AC members, $40.00 for nonmembers. Space is limited, and early sign-up is recommended. The schedule is available by clicking here.
For information, please call the AC Coordinator, 760-322-4850. To sign up for a session, please call the museum's Box Office at 760-325-4490.
Shown: Saturday Life Drawing Workshop in the Sidonia Milano AC Center.
Saturday, April 21, 2012
4:30 p.m.
Hotel Zoso, 150 S. Indian Canyon, Palm Springs
FREE admission
FREE hors d'oeuvres
Non-hosted bar
Evening hosted by Bella da Ball
Hundreds of small, original canvases for sale for just $99 each, at a very lively event!
99 Bucks offers quality artwork at an affordable price, created by generous donors from all walks of life. In previous years, these include Barry Manilow, Don Sutton, Suzanne Somers, Petula Clark, Ed Ruscha, Priscilla Presley, Virginia Madsen, Rex Reed, Bill Marx, Peter Marshall, Thom Bierdz, Steven Biller, Gloria Greer, Kurt Cyr, Ruta Lee, Ben Rothman, Elaine Paige, Lainie Kazan, Bill Feingold, Steve Maloney, Lee Appel, Scott Hennessee, Robert Dunahay, Carla Howard, Karen and Tony Barone – and more – PLUS – the talented members of the Artists Council and their supporters.
These 5 by 7 inch canvases are displayed in multiple galleries – and they are all shown ANONYMOUSLY! You won't know the identity of the artist until after purchase. So, finding a canvas by your favorite will be a great adventure. First come, first served for all sales! Your hostess Bella da Ball will be adding to the fun all evening.
Funds raised at the AC 99 Bucks event directly benefit the children, residents and visitors in the Coachella Valley through programs organized and delivered by the museum's Education Department. Interactive school tours bring over 6,000 children each year to experience art and expand their horizons. After-school programs, community events, specialized classes for children and adults, films, and an artist-in-residence program round out the offerings to reach well over 42,000 art lovers, young and old, annually.
Buy a little canvas that you love – and then after purchase, you may find that it was created by epochal artist Ed Ruscha or our valley's favorite citizen, Barry Manilow. In any case, you will have a unique souvenir to remind you of an evening of fun that supported a most worthwhile cause.
To see images from previous years, please click here.
WorkshopWORKS
The AC proudly presents WorkshopWORKS, a juried exhibition of artwork created in the AC workshops. This year’s exhibition will take place April 21 to May 8 in Zone 101 in the Hoover Gallery. Please join us between 4:30 and 5:30 to meet the artists at an opening reception.
To see examples of the beautiful work created in our workshops, please click here.
