By Crystal Harrell
As the cold of February comes to a close, early spring emerges with a season of new possibilities. Start the month off in the most artful way with the La Quinta Art Celebration from March 3-6 at the La Quinta Civic Center. As a community steeped in pride for the arts, the La Quinta Art Celebration features a trifecta of visual, performing, and culinary arts all at one event, sponsored by the City of La Quinta.
The four-day art event will be an outdoor showcase of 200 world-class, jury-selected artists hailing from 31 states and six countries to exhibit their original artworks. Their styles range from classical to whimsical and span 11 media categories including: 2D Mixed Media, 3D Mixed Media, Ceramics, Drawing & Pastel, Fiber, Glass, Jewelry, Painting, Photography, Sculpture and Wood.
The La Quinta Art Celebration will offer patrons a variety of upscale amenities that include live music, gourmet dining from popular local restaurants, and premium top-shelf beverages.
There will also be an eclectic lineup of celebrated Southern California musicians to add the special touch of live music performances to complement the art experience.
Daily live entertainment will feature favorite local performers Scott Carter (10 a.m. to 1 p.m. on the Amphitheater stage) and Michael Anthony Gagliardi (10 a.m. to 5 p.m. at the Oasis Lounge). Headlining on the Amphitheater stage from 2 p.m. to 5 p.m. are Southern California music legends Shaken Not Stirred on Friday, The Art of Sax on Saturday, and The Smooth Brothers on Sunday.
Although COVID mandates have changed since the beginning of this year, SCOPE Events, LLC is committed to following all local and state coronavirus health & safety guidelines and will clearly communicate current requirements to ticket holders before the festival.
La Quinta Art Celebration is now ranked as the #1 Fine Art & Craft Event in the Nation by Greg Lawler’s Art Fair SourceBook “Elite 10 Fine Art Events 2022”. The ranking is based on average sales as reported per fine art exhibitor as well as artist’s evaluation of the venue, sophistication of art patrons, artist’s amenities and overall experience at the event.
“We are delighted to be ranked #1. It further motivates us to continue producing a spectacular and fresh show. It is important to continue what is working well while enhancing each show with new creative elements” shared Event Producer, Paul Anderson.
The ranking of #1 in the Nation for both Fine Art and Fine Craft is significant for the La Quinta Art Celebration, seeing as this lofty goal was achieved with only producing two art events in the Coachella Valley—going beyond the expectations of Kat Hughes, the Event Director for SCOPE Events , LLC. Although SCOPE Events was striving for this achievement, it was thought it would take three years to be recognized and voted in the Top Ten Elite Art Events in the Nation.
“To make it with our second event speaks volumes about the patrons that attend the event and purchase the art and the community support we have received since launching the Art Celebrations. The City of La Quinta is an amazing Premier Event Sponsor and our partnership is significant with long range goals. We are so fortunate to have been chosen to produce this event on their behalf. The ranking is made by artists who evaluate the best art events in the country. Each of them is worthy of being #1 and many have had that title in the past,” stated Hughes.
A favorite part of Hughes’ job is building relationships and friendships with artists from across the country and abroad. As the Event Director, to have artists participating from 31 states and six countries who travel great distances to come to La Quinta commands her respect. The setting of the event at the Civic Center Park also impresses her with its beauty and the fact that the city is constantly investing in the park to make it spectacular for this art event.
“The participating artists are worthy of our best efforts to create an art event that showcases their talent and draws art patrons who literally fly to the desert from across the country to see this show. I also enjoy the vitality and vision of Paul Anderson, our CEO, who encourages all of his team to chase our dreams and continue to step out of the box. He also makes us laugh every day which is such a special gift!” shared Hughes.
Visitors will have a second chance to experience world-class art in the Coachella Valley if they cannot attend the March Celebration. The dates of November 10-13, 2022, will be reserved for the ENCORE Celebration. The hours for this fall event are 9 a.m. to 4 p.m., to take full advantage of autumn desert sunshine. The City of La Quinta and Scope Events decided to make the ENCORE Celebration another annual event by popular demand.
The La Quinta Art Celebration hours are 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. and admission is 20 dollars for one day, or 30 dollars for a Multi-Day Pass. Children under 12 are admitted for free. Parking options include free parking throughout the Village of La Quinta, paid self-parking for 10 dollars, or valet parking for 15 dollars. For more information or to purchase tickets early and avoid long lines at the gate, visit LaQuintaArtCelebration.org.
