Indian Wells Arts Festival Forges An Innovative Path Forward

Press release from the Indian Wells Arts Festival: Amid all the uncertainties of the Hows and Whens the Coronavirus pandemic has wrought, the Indian Wells Arts Festival applied the artistic spirit of creativity and resourcefulness to build a new and engaging way to access art. Teaming up with Eventeny, an online event hosting platform startup founded by a former epidemiologist and high tech developers, the renowned art show will present its traditional showcase of fine art as a live virtual event.

Free for the public to attend, the virtual art show will feature 50 world-class artists presenting fine art across painting, jewelry, sculpture, wearable-art fashion, photography, pottery and more, with the live portion of the show beginning Friday, October 9 through Sunday, October 11 from 9:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. PST, and remaining open to shop through October 18, 2020. Art enthusiasts will enjoy artist demonstrations, music from Incendio – World Guitar, studio tours and live video chats via Zoom with the artists. Attendees will have access to artist shops where they’ll be able to peruse and purchase art directly from the artists with shipping and delivery preferences coordinated.

“If patrons can’t come to the show, we thought, we’ll bring the show to them,” said Dianne Funk, who has produced the festival independently for the past 18-years. “Our mission has always been to create opportunities for working artists to maintain a livelihood through their craft. Each year we build a show that transforms an open space into a spectacular art-filled environment. This year that space is virtual, making it as fun as it is safe to attend from the comfort and convenience of a computer, tablet or smart phone.”

Also featured will be festival community partners CREATE Center for the Arts, Desert Arc and Old Town Artisan Studio, non-profit organizations whose outreach ranges from mobile art programs to entrepreneurship serving people with developmental and intellectual disabilities.

Presented by Palm Springs Life, a luxury lifestyle publication that has celebrated art, architecture and fashion since 1958. A longtime supporter of the show, Palm Springs Life has notably given out the festival’s International Award to artists who travel from abroad to showcase in the event, and have granted internships to DATA Digital Imaging students at Cathedral City High School, another of the festival’s community partners.

The Indian Wells Arts Festival 2020 Virtual Show is a free, live online art show opening October 9, 10 and 11 from 9:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. PST, open to shop through October 18, 2020 at http://bit.ly/IWAF2020VirtualShow or through www.IndianWellsArtsFestival.com.

This press release was produced by Indian Wells Arts Festival. The views expressed here are the author's own.