By Valerie Milano
Indian Wells, CA (The Hollywood Times) 4/3/17 – The 15th Annual Indian Wells Art Festival enjoyed a beautiful spring weekend with a balmy 85 degrees that stayed steady all three days. It was perfect for the artists and shoppers alike, providing a wonderful spot to decompress, admire the art and groove to the music. All the festivities took place at the beautiful Indian Wells Tennis Gardens, a spacious and state-of-the-art location that has hosted the event since its inception.
Every year visual artists come from all over the world to show and sell their uniquely beautiful creations. Event producer Dianne Funk has helmed this event since day one, gradually growing the show into its present incarnation. She observed the successful Beverly Hills and Sausalito Art Shows, and combined the best aspects of those shows into her own creation. With careful nurturing and the support of a great longtime staff, the Indian Wells Art Festival is now one of the best and most respected art festivals in the nation.
The artists who display their work here are some of the most forward-thinking and imaginative creators out there, always a cut above. The technique and beauty of the paintings, blown glass, jewelry, sculptures and a wide array of other media are inspiring and often breathtaking. Rated one of the top 100 fine art shows in the country, the show is always a cornucopia of colors and textures fashioned into something unique.
If you are looking for something more unusual there are artists that refashion old dolls into sculptures and lamps, old buttons into jewelry and clocks into art pieces. If you are looking for a large outdoor sculpture, a fountain, or perhaps something more practical like an unusual piece of furniture, it’s all here. Each year there is a Featured Artist as well as an awards show to honor some of the artists and allow all of these great creative folks to get acquainted.
While shopping for a new piece of art, attendees get to enjoy amazing live music all day. Folks visiting the festival can also simply take a moment to sit down and have some food and drink while listening to great contemporary music. The 2017 festival featured the music of international recording and touring “world guitar” group Incendio, who have played at the festival since its inception. Also in this year’s lineup was renowned keyboardist/composer Lao Tizer, as well as the area début of the swingin organ trio sounds of the Los-Angeles-based band Rumproller, who were wonderfully augmented by vocalist Dawn Bishop as well as vocalist/saxophonist Woody Mankowski.
This is an Art Festival around which you will want to plan future vacations. Come 2018, come enjoy the rare opportunity to revel in highly sophisticated artistry and great music in a beautiful and majestic desert setting.
