Our Middle School Art Program is growing, and we’re looking for volunteers to help us support the students and instructors. If you’d like to give your time, we would be so grateful for your help!

We need volunteers for the following Saturdays:

First Term

• September 20, 2025
  
• September 27, 2025
  
• October 4, 2025
  
• October 11, 2025
  

Second Term

• November 1, 2025
• November 8, 2025
• November 15, 2025
• November 22, 2025

Third Term

• January 24, 2026
• January 31, 2026
• February 7, 2026
• February 14, 2026

Time Commitment

8:45 AM–12:15 PM (program runs 9:00 AM–12:00 PM)

Location

Desert Art Center (parking lot at Alejo & Indian Canyon)

Volunteer roles may include:

• Greeting and checking in students
• Assisting instructors with classroom needs
• Helping distribute and clean up art supplies
• Setting up and cleaning up snack area
• Serving as a hallway monitor or runner

If you’d like to volunteer, please reply to this email with your availability. Feel free to reach out with any questions at info@desertartcenter.org or call Cheyenne Poe – 760.895.8289.

Thank you for helping us keep the arts alive for our local students!

We have been very busy planning several improvements for the new season at the Desert Art Center. One change is to member levels and we want you to have a preview before renewal time in December.

Our intention was to create more ways for our community to connect with us. Whether you like to belong to or support a community built around art, or you’re actively promoting the art you create, we have a membership level that will support those goals. There is a small fee increase added to each level to reflect increases in our operating costs.

The new memberships are shown below and you’ll need to choose one when you renew your membership at the end of the year. It’s business as usual until then so you have plenty of time. This new information will also be published on our new website to be launched soon.

Supporting Member — $60/year

Supporting Members are the foundation of the Desert Art Center and receive invitations to all Desert Art Center programs, such as:

• Receptions for all art shows
• Fall and Spring luncheons
• Art Salon gatherings
• Bus field trips to museums and other art events
• Occasional special member pricing for programs

Artist Member — $75/year

The Artist membership is for those looking to publicly display and sell their artwork. Artist Members receive all Supporting Member benefits, plus:

• Invitations to display and sell your artwork in themed shows held in the Terry Masters Memorial Gallery approximately five (5) times per year – 2 more than last year!
• Participation in the Desert Art Center’s enhanced Artist Directory, an online portfolio to promote your artwork to the public.
• Invitation to submit your portfolio to the jury, held twice per year, to select Gallery members. See more details here.

Gallery Member — $125/year

Gallery members are those selected via the jury process to display artwork in our Main Gallery. Gallery Members receive all the benefits of Artist members, plus:

• Invitations to display and sell your work in the shows held in the Main Gallery four (4) times per year.
• Invitation to apply for a Featured Artist Show each season in the Terry Master Gallery.

Patron — $500/year

Patron members are those dedicated to ensuring the future of the Desert Art Center. In addition to Supporting Member benefits, Patron members receive:

• An exclusive invitation to the President’s Reception
• Two (2) tickets to the luncheon of your choice
• One complimentary invitation to an Art Salon
• Access to Artist Member benefits, if desired.
• Access to Gallery Member benefits, if selected by the jury.

We want you to be aware that these new memberships become effective on October 1, 2025, and we are changing to an anniversary renewal date twelve months from the join date.

If you have questions, we hope to see you at the first reception on October 3 or you can call the office 10am – 2pm at 760-323-7973.

Welcome to the 75th Season!  

We hope your summer was full of adventures. We are excited to launch a new season. 

The gallery officially opens this Friday, September 6 from 10am to 4pm. As you may know, this is the soft opening which means much of the work in this show was left in the gallery over the summer. The Gallery Committee has given it their magic touch and added some more work, so it is ready for our customers. 

When you visit, you'll see a new face in the gallery during the weekends. We'd like to introduce our new Gallery Volunteer Coordinator, Warren Becker. Warren will be working with the gallery hosts to ensure our gallery is a pleasurable experience for both volunteers and guests. 

Warren says he is looking forward to being around creative energy and partnering with volunteers to make the DAC gallery the most popular place to shop in the valley.

Warren was already familiar with the Desert Art Center. He attended our Mini Masterpiece fundraiser last year and is a collector of several DAC artists' works. Additionally, he comes with a lot of experience in Customer Service, management, and a little side note, among several other things, he was a baker and ran and owned a bakery. Please give Warren a warm welcome when you see him in the gallery. This year in celebration of our 75th Anniversary, there will be several special events. The first of the season is a collaboration with the Cathedral City Council and the Agnes Pelton Society where there will be a reception at the former home of Agnes Pelton.  In addition to being a successful painter of both landscapes and her abstract work, Agnes Pelton was one of the founders of the DAC. Prior to the formation of the DAC, Agnes held salons in her home where many well-known artists gathered to show and discuss their work. From there, the DAC was created.  The Desert Art Center was initially in Cathedral City close to the home of Agnes Pelton. She donated one of her paintings called "Smoked Tree in Bloom" to raise money to help fund the Desert Art Center.  Due to Palm Springs popularity, the DAC was relocated from Cathedral City in its early years.  Please join us at the home of Agnes Pelton to see where it all began at an Open House Sunday, September 15 from 10:00am - noon.