2016 Indian Wells Arts Festival, Your Passport to Global Perspectives

April 1-3 event presents an International Palette at Indian Wells Tennis Garden

Book a virtual trip around the world and head right down the road to the Indian Wells Arts Festival, where you can absorb how ancient crafts are fueling 21st century thoughts over a RumChata cocktail or be transported to the future through the digital creations of an ambitious generation under the swaying palms of a classic desert venue.

Art is about setting things in motion, and that buzz of activity will saturate the Indian Wells Tennis Garden April 1-3, where you can stroll among the art, dance before the stage or dive deep into the wells of inspiration with artists traveling thousands of miles to bring the world to your backyard.

The 200 artists from more than 30 countries bringing their paintings, sculptures, wearables and other creations together at the festival provide a literal example of art on the move, but the festival is unique in how it emphasizes that what makes art essential is how it can win multiple roles in society as a whole.

Art certainly occupies a place in the worlds of design and decor, but it owns equally important domain in the realms of how we hold communities together, how we educate future generations and how we maintain a healthy quality of life as well.

The Indian Wells Arts Festival is a celebration of this multifaceted role played by art, in all its fascinating forms. With artist demonstrations, live music, gourmet food and cocktails, the festival is a lively opportunity to enjoy creativity in a vibrant, positive atmosphere.

By bringing the participating artists together with the festivalgoers, a deeper connection is forged.   “The best thing about the Indian Wells Arts Festival is that it’s a celebration; celebrations naturally bring people together. A gallery exhibition is a one-way experience, a festival is much more,” says sculptor David Falossi of Yucca Valley, who will be giving a demonstration of rock carving with his son Chris, 16.

The festival does more than bring together artists and public, however. It also connects the past with the present, whether with weaver Antonio Mendoza’s demonstration of 2,000-year-old Zapotec loom techniques with his modern creative sensibilities, or Hong Kong-raised Caroline Young using the millennia-old gongbi technique to tread the cutting edge in silkwork. Both artists draw upon the ancient lineage of their heritage to enhance the multipolar sensibilities of the 21st century.

“Through my art, I hope to share Chinese history and mythology with others, to bridge the cultural divide between East and West,” says Young. “In today’s fast-paced, technology-driven world, there should be a place in our lives for simple reflection and love of a good story.”

In a similar vein, the Indian Wells Arts Festival also moves to help shape this accelerated future. Partnerships with the Ophelia Project national teen mentoring program, headquartered in Palm Desert, as well as Rancho Mirage and Cathedral City high schools, give local youth an opportunity to delve into the art world that is all-too-rare in today’s educational environment. Festivalgoers will be able to see the work of the next generation of artists in painting, performance and the digital realm from these exceptional young people.

The draw toward the future is also evident in the festival’s eye toward sustainable living. Further partners include the solar provider Hot Purple Energy and the California Air Resources Board’s Clean Vehicle Rebate Project.

Photographer Zeny Cieslikowski describes his goal as “to capture that fleeting moment of the convergence of light, texture, color and form in a composition that transcends the split second and endures for one to see and feel.” Participating in the Indian Wells Arts Festival allows anyone to fully be in that kind of moment, that kind of movement as art is created all around.

To help savor that experience, there will be Eggs + Champagne in The Garden brunch menu until noon on Saturday and Sunday; cocktails at the RumChata Bar and the Champagne Circle Bar; as well as live music from Incendio – World Guitar, organ trio Rumproller featuring vocalist Dawn Bishop, and trumpeter Steve Madaio who has played with legends from David Bowie to Stevie Wonder.

The Indian Wells Arts Festival is a global crossroads, enabling festivalgoers to take its essence home with them in the thousands of one-of-kind works of art available for purchase from among the worldwide representation of art and perspective.

AT A GLANCE

The 14th annual Indian Wells Arts Festival, held on the Tennis Garden’s East Plaza Grass Concourse (Enter from Washington Street between Highway 111 and Fred Waring Drive, Indian Wells, California), opens Friday through Sunday, April 1-3, from 10:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. (Gates close at 4:00). Adults $13; Children FREE. Free parking and valet available. For more information visit, www.IndianWellsArtsFestival.com