ONE OF THE CENTERPIECES... of a California warm-weather season is the sunny sprawl of booths full of leather goods and handkerchief purses and beach-themed watercolors and funky bottlecap earrings and art, lots and lots of fine art.
But a large-scale fair devoted solely to the visual arts is something else, especially when paired with a dry and perfect springtime morning and a roadtrip to the desert. And while fine arts affairs flourish on the cultural calendar all year, around the state, the Indian Wells Arts Festival is a spring staple of the most popular sort. "Most popular" meaning a lot of people turn out to see the some 200 artists -- make that over 200 artists -- and their contemporary paintings, sculptures, metalwork, glass-swirly vases, and other renderings of an artistic sort. Whether you're in the mood to buy whimsy in glass, or just to see glass-blowing in action, or you just want to look, admire, and enjoy, head for the Indian Wells Tennis Garden from April 4 through 6.
ELEVEN STATES: The artists on the grounds of the tennis garden shall hail from 11 states, and the art'll run the gamut. Be on the watch for fine jewelry, photography, painting, and more. Plus? Found objects shall create wonders in the Objet Trouve Found Art Festival and jazz, blues, and more live tunes will round out the proceedings.
ADMISSION: It's twelve dollars for attendees over the age of 12 and parking is free. The sunshine? That's free, too, and plan on it being lusciously warm and delightful, as the desert tends to be over the first weekend in April. Call it the perfect time to soak in rows and rows of excellent fine art.
