Desert X turns the Coachella Valley into a canvas of public art installations

We are a place like no other, and you only have to look at the many festivals, events and opportunities that our valley offers and showcases to realize how lucky we are to live in this abundantly rich environment.

Art plays a huge part in the overall positive and inspiring perception of our community. Music, dance, theater and the applied arts. Many artists choose our desert as their home for the light, the landscapes … the people.

Desert X was birthed here in 2017 by the very talented Susan Davis.

It was her brainchild to use the entire Coachella valley as a canvas for various artists who would contribute public art installations. It has since become an international phenomenon attracting visitors from all over the world every other year to witness the unique event.

"The very first Desert X included 16 artists who created works for locations from Whitewater Preserve to Coachella," Davis says. "I'm so proud to say the exhibition and each of the artists received unanimous and great acclaim."

Since then, a total of four biennial exhibitions have taken place in the Coachella Valley, welcoming an audience of more than 1.7 million.

Davis knew she wanted to expand the outreach and include an up close and personal educational component for local school children, so the Desert X Art Club was created.

The art club is being offered for the first time outside of the Desert X biennial exhibition and includes 14 after school clubs in DSUSD during the 2023-24 academic year.

"It's an amazing opportunity for young people," Davis says. "They get to meet and talk to some of the artists and get to see how their art is created. They have incredible opportunities to view and have access to installations around the valley like the Coachella music festival and then they are encouraged to create their own art. And what they are creating is really incredible."

On May 31, an exhibit of some of the art the students have created in partnership with the Desert X Art Club will be displayed at the Walter N. Marks Center for the Arts at College of the Desert.

"The students are so excited, and I am thrilled to see this important Desert X educational outreach a reality," Davis says. "It's been a long-time dream of mine to inspire young people with the beauty of art."

It's for this exceptional program that we award this week's Jordan Schnitzer Family Foundation Power of Community $1,000 grant to Desert X so it can continue its inspirational art club to local students.

"Who knows?" Davis says. "One of these young students may eventually become a future Desert X contributor. Wouldn't that be a beautiful gift to our valley?"

Absolutely, Susan. We will look forward to that!

Learn more at desertx.org.

Sandie Newton is an award-winning broadcast journalist who began her career in Los Angeles as cohost of the nationally syndicated show "PM Magazine." She went on to host many local and national shows like "Hollywood Insider" before becoming one of the original anchors for E! and a regular on Hallmark Channel's "Home & Family." In 2017, she moved to the desert, creating and hosting NBCares for six years. She is currently the host of "Desert Chat," a half-hour lifestyle show spotlighting all the good people, events and news in the Coachella Valley. Watch it Sundays at 6:30 p.m. on KESQ, at 10:30 p.m. on FOX 11 and noon Mondays on CW5.

This article originally appeared on Palm Springs Desert Sun: Desert X turns the Coachella Valley into a canvas of art installations