By Angela Romeo
Art is constantly changing – that is the challenge and beauty of art. Even the institutions that are home to the arts are always evolving and changing. The Palm Springs Art Museum under the leadership of Elizabeth Armstrong is also making changes. One of those changes is separating the 50-year-old Artist Council from the museum fold.
What made the Palm Springs Art Museum unique was the various councils open to the membership. With the councils, members could find that special group that spoke to them and heightened their museum experience. Separating the councils will change the museum experience. That loss of community takes something away from all of us.
As the Artist Council continues its 50-year journey, it will retain much of what made this Council important to the art community. As the Council journeys into its own nonprofit status, it remains committed to the signature ACE Show. The 2018 Artist Council Exhibition will be held for the final time at the art museum.
The exhibition will open at the Palm Springs Art Museum on October 20, 2018 run through December 9, 2018. The Awards Ceremony will be held on October 27, 2018, in the museum’s Annenberg Theatre. This year’s ACE jurors are Chip Tom, Curator at Heather James Gallery in Palm Desert; Cybele Rowe, High Desert artist and professor; and Anne M. Rowe, Director of Collections and Exhibitions, Sunnylands Center & Gardens.
Chip Tom is originally from Chicago. He studied architecture, art history, studio arts and business at Yale University. He has worked with museums around the world and has curated art exhibitions throughout North American and Europe,
High Desert resident Cybele Rowe began her career in her native Australia. After completing her postgraduate studies in Australia, Cybele was awarded a scholarship that allowed her to relocate to NYC. Her work has been shown in galleries across the United States. In 2016, Cybele moved her studio to Yucca Valley. In 2018, Cybele’s large-scale sculptures were the centerpieces of the Los Angeles Art Show and The Palm Springs Art Show, as well as the featured work for a new Wexler home in Palm Springs.
Anne Rowe joined Sunnylands in 2009 as the Director of Collections and Exhibitions. She oversaw the formation and organization of the archives, library, and museum collections and curates the exhibitions. Anne is a former Palm Springs Public Arts Commissioner and is the incoming President of the Board of Governors for the Western Museums Association. She received her master’s degree in Organizational Development from the University of San Francisco and a master’s degree in Museum Studies from Harvard University.
The ACE is open to all Artist Council members who are in good standing throughout the term of the exhibition. Like many juried shows, entries are submitted through the on-line CaFE system. There is an entry fee of $50. Most importantly, all entries must be submitted by August 1, 2018.
This year participation in the ACE is crucial. “As we head into an uncertain future, it is best to gather all our strengths and talents closely,” said current Board Member Terry Hastings. “For it is together that we will survive.”
Board Member Ulrike Maria stated “Participating this year is more important than ever, because we are evolving as a group, moving forward with the motto, “Expanding the Vision- we want artists to be involved from the beginning.”
For more information contact the Artists Council Coordinator at psartistsinfo@gmail.com
To access the ACE entry on CaFE, visit www.callforentry.org/festivals_unique_info.php?ID=5527
