After a year of membership drives, construction and planning, the new Hi-Desert Artists nonprofit is slated to open its new gallery during the next Yucca Valley Art Walk.
The space, a former vintage shop in Yucca Valley, is being operated by dozens of desert-based artists who took matters into their own hands following the closure of the Joshua Tree Art Gallery. The Morongo Basin Cultural Arts Council voted to close down the gallery, also known as JTAG, about a year ago in order to focus its budget and resources on the annual Highway 62 art tours.
Snake Jagger, a local painter who is serving as the marketing director for the new collective, said JTAG had been a longtime community fixture that offered artists a year-round place to show their works. A group of artists, helmed by Ed Keesling, attempted to take over the lease; while their efforts were unsuccessful, the group decided to take its momentum elsewhere, leading to the creation of the Hi-Desert Artists (HDA)
“That was probably one of the best galleries for artists up here,” Jagger said about JTAG. “It was a nice little gallery, and we really loved that place in the art community.”
What has cropped up in the wake of JTAG’s closure is more than just a gallery. HDA operates as a nonprofit corporation with a membership structure that accommodates patrons and professional artists. Keesling serves as the group’s executive director, with Jagger, Robert Grajeda, Karen Skiba, Linda Shrader, DeAnna Valdez, Mindy Kittay and Holly Rae Wind rounding out the executive committee. The mission statement says the goal is to advocate accessibility to the arts, with the aim of hosting workshops, lessons and events in the new center.
So far, HDA has amassed 140 members. Those who are professional artists can sign up for $300 a year, giving them increased access and a variety of perks like free entry for invitational shows, and opportunities to have their work sold in exhibitions in the gallery’s shop.
Once the group had gotten its bearings, it was time to find a place to call home. Fortunately, a rural area like the Morongo Basin only has so many commercial properties to comb through—and enough people had their ears to the ground on behalf of HDA to score a prime space.
The chosen spot had been recently vacated by Rt 62, an antique and vintage shop. The owners decided to shut down after about 20 years in business and move on to other ventures. But the high-visibility spot on the main highway—including a parking lot—became the perfect blank canvas.
To close the deal, though, HDA had to get creative. As a new organization with no tax status or grant support, it received a donation from a benefactor to purchase the building via a 501(c)(3) called Affordable Housing for Artists. That nonprofit is serving as an umbrella group and fiscal sponsor for HDA as it continues to ramp up, with HDA planning to become fully independent in a couple of years.
The deal closed in December, and HDA has been in rehab and renovate mode at its new space ever since. That included structural work like new plumbing and HVAC—plus tearing down and rebuilding walls to construct a gallery-friendly floor plan, and adding new lighting. Like any construction project, there were delays and surprises. A 10-day work stoppage was required to obtain the proper permits. Contractors also discovered the roof needed replacing.
“We had to tear it all down and rebuild it, and it’s definitely a lot different than it was,” Jagger said.
The inaugural community-style show will feature 74 artists. There’s also a featured gallery space that will feature painter Paul Donaldson in its inaugural exhibit. Moving forward, HDA intends to host arts-oriented events and workshops, and open up to live performances in a spacious backyard event space. All professional members of the group will be required to staff the gallery for a few hours and can volunteer to teach classes.
Jagger said HDA wants the gallery become a hub for emerging artists looking to show their work. The visibility of being in a show can provide experience and foster new connections—in addition to the sweet and surprising high of knowing people are viewing your work.
“It’s going to be a meeting place,” Jagger said. “It’s going to be a great place for the community, and to come and learn and grow as an artist.”
Jagger has typically worked as a solo artist across his 45-year career, and he finds himself getting a new perspective as part of a collaboration. Getting a group of artists from disparate backgrounds to agree on a goal, a message and a plan of action is no small feat—one that requires board meetings, agendas, permitting processes and significant coordination. But the collective drive to make the gallery a reality was strong enough to get the effort under way—and create a new community in the process.
“We’ve been very excited, watching this thing come together,” he said.
Hi-Desert Artists will celebrate its grand opening at 5 p.m., Saturday, June 15, during the Third Saturday Yucca Valley Art Walk. Hi-Desert Artists is located at 55635 Twentynine Palms Highway, in Yucca Valley. For more information, visit www.hi-desertartists.com.
