Intersect Palm Springs Returns for Its Second Edition, February 9-12, 2023

Investigations: Zombie Forest, a special exhibition about the plight of the Joshua tree, threatened by climate change; Art but Make it Sports, an exhibition organized by the creator of the eponymous Instagram; The Desert and the Human Spirit, a panel discussion organized by writer Scarlet Cheng; a performance and spoken word series organized by Shana Nys Dambrot, and much more!

INTERSECT PALM SPRINGS RETURNS
FOR ITS SECOND EDITION WITH NEW EXHIBITORS AND
REGIONALLY FOCUSED SPECIAL PROGRAMMING

The Art and Design Fair Will Take Place from February 9 through 12, 2023

Intersect Palm Springs returns for its second edition in February 2023, welcoming a dynamic mix of contemporary and modern art and design galleries and a full slate of special programming. The 2023 edition of the Fair begins with an VIP Opening Night Preview on Thursday, February 9, and will be open to the public from Friday, February 10 through Sunday, February 12. Works from the Fair will be online at Artsy.net from February 9 through February 28, 2023.

The Fair will include returning exhibitors such as Andrew Rafacz, Berry Campbell Gallery, Catharine Clark Gallery, HOHMANN, Louis Stern Fine Arts, Melissa Morgan Fine Art, Nancy Hoffman Gallery, and New Discretions, along with such first-time galleries as Chambers Fine Art, K Contemporary, Kopeikin Gallery, Morgan Lehman Gallery, Philip Martin Gallery, Praise Shadows Art Gallery, Sapar Contemporary, Tandem Press, The Pit, and Walter Maciel Gallery. The full list of exhibitors will be announced in early 2023.

Says Becca Hoffman, Managing Director of Intersect Palm Springs, “For our second edition of Intersect Palm Springs, we are continuing to build our dynamic community engagement and our curated focus on art and design in the desert. It’s great to see our cultural partnerships grow, with participation from institutions, curators, collectors, and others in the Coachella Valley and Los Angeles. We are looking forward to welcoming visitors to experience our galleries’ artistic and design presentations along with our satellite programming and events.”

Adds Tim von Gal, CEO of Intersect Art and Design, “We are proud to present our second edition of Intersect Palm Springs. Returning exhibitors are coming with new presentations and fresh ideas, and we look forward to welcoming first-time exhibitors to the Fair. We will also have special exhibitions, panel discussions, performances, and other exciting programs—many of which respond directly to the Coachella Valley region.”

Following are programming highlights of the 2023 Intersect Palm Springs art and design fair:

Intersect Palm Springs will present special exhibitions and talks taking place throughout the run of the Fair, as well as off-site events in collaboration with regional arts organizations in the Coachella Valley. The fair will continue its partnership with Palm Springs Art Museum with collaborative events to be confirmed.

The official Intersect VIP Program will include select collector home tours, artist studio visits, and more. For instance, there will be an exclusive visit to Sara Genn’s studio, followed by cocktails with the artist. Separately, there will be a guided tour of A-Z West with Andrea Zittel and High Desert Test Sites.

High Desert Test Sites will also display items on site at the Fair, sourced from their West Works studio store—which contains handmade functional objects including ceramics, furniture, and textiles produced in the studios at A-Z West.

Investigations: Zombie Forest is a special exhibition at Intersect Palm Springs 2023, curated by Sant Khalsa, artist, educator, and activist, and Andi Campognone, Director of the Museum of Art and History (MOAH) in Lancaster, California. Including approximately 30 artworks by 16 artists, the show presents an introduction to the larger forthcoming exhibition at MOAH from Sept 14, 2024 – December 29, 2024 which focuses on the plight of the unique and iconic Joshua trees and the vital and sensitive Mojave Desert ecosystem that supports them. Zombie Forest explores diverse ideas, depicting Joshua trees and their habitat in a variety of media, approaches, and styles in works by established and emerging artists. The Joshua tree is threatened by climate change, as well as development, industrial solar and wind, and wildfires. The California Fish and Game Commission will decide in February 2023 whether to list the Joshua tree as threatened under the California Endangered Species Act.

Art but Make it Sports is an exhibition at Intersect Palm Springs curated by LJ Radar, creator of the @artbutmakeitsports Instagram account. This group exhibition will feature artists who have found inspiration in sports and sports imagery in juxtaposition with work by former athletes who now make art.

The Desert and the Human Spirit is a panel discussion organized by writer Scarlet Cheng, who prefaces the discussion as follows: “Despite the inhospitable nature of the desert, artists have long been drawn to it. It’s partly because of the affordability of space in more remote areas, but also due to the spiritual connection they feel to the environment. This panel will explore that connection with artists who have moved there in recent decades. We’ll discuss what drew them here, what they get out of their environment, and what makes them stay. Has their work fundamentally changed or been influenced? If so, how?”

Desert, Light, Art! A talk with Steven Biller, editor of Palm Springs Life magazine. “The history of art is the history of depicting art,” James Turrell once said. In this lecture—with an eye-popping slideshow—Steven Biller shows and tells why artists have been drawn to the distinctive light of the California desert for 125 years and counting. From the early landscape painters who arrived with the railroad in the late 1800s to today’s innovative contemporary artists working in a variety of media, this visually stunning trip will forever change the way you look and see.

A performance and spoken word series organized by Shana Nys Dambrot (Arts Editor, LA Weekly) will present works by Los Angeles and Coachella Valley artists. Explains Nys Dambrot: “I am truly thrilled to be working with Intersect Palm Springs again, this time curating an as-yet-untitled performance and spoken word series across the opening night and all regular Fair dates, activating key points in the main exhibition hall, entrance lobby, outdoor portico, and cactus garden across from the entrance with an eclectic group of artists, ranging from multilingual spoken word, to sound bath, to site-specific dance, and augmented reality installations.”

Foregrounded: Contemporary Abstraction in the Desert, an exhibition curated by Bernard Leibov (Founder and Director of BoxoPROJECTS) will feature such artists as Luc Bernard, Diane Best, Ryan Campbell, William Cokeley, Burzeen Contractor, John Luckett, David Mackenzie, Kim Manfredi, Aili Schmeltz, Julie Weiman, and Judy Wold.

An exhibition of work by young and emerging LA-based artists, curated by artist Devin Troy Strother, will be a nod to the infamous California light, using the theme of sunsets both physical and allegorical.

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Visitor Information
Intersect Palm Springs | February 9-12, 2023
Palm Springs Convention Center
277 N Avenida Caballeros
Palm Springs CA 92262
https://intersectpalmsprings.com/

Opening Night Preview | Thursday, February 9: 5-8PM (VIP + All Access Pass only)

Open to the Public:
Friday, February 10: 11AM – 6PM
Saturday, February 11: 11AM – 5PM
Sunday, February 12: VIP Closing Brunch: 10-11AM; General Admission: 11AM – 3PM

Health and Safety
To ensure the safety of all visitors, participants, and staff, Intersect Palm Springs is closely monitoring the news, and state and local CDC guidelines, to inform our safety protocols. Please visit the City of Palm Springs website for the most up-to-date information, here.

View the Fair on Artsy, Intersect’s Online Marketplace Partner
Intersect Palm Springs has partnered with Artsy, the largest global online marketplace for buying, selling, and discovering fine art by leading artists. Artsy will provide a unique opportunity for exhibiting galleries to promote their virtual booths to Artsy’s global audience of over 2 million collectors and art lovers. Collectors can experience Intersect Palm Springs on Artsy to discover artists, save favorite works, view works on their home walls through Artsy’s AR mobile tool, and directly purchase work from galleries.

Visit Palm Springs Art Museum
Palm Springs Art Museum will offer complimentary admission to Intersect Palm Springs pass holders during the Fair, and will host special events at the Museum for Intersect VIP pass holders. Says Luisa Heredia, Chief Education and Community Engagement Officer, “Palm Springs Art Museum is delighted to partner with Intersect Palm Springs, and we look forward to welcoming fair attendees to both of our museum locations. Our winter exhibitions will be of particular interest to contemporary art lovers as they cover the disciplines of light and space, new media, and architecture. Our relationship with Intersect plays an important part in fulfilling the museum’s mission of sharing exciting art experiences with the entire Coachella Valley.”

Lead Logistics and Transit Partner
The Art Collective Fine Art Services

Media Partners
American Art Collector / American Fine Art Magazine
Artsy
Contemporary Art Review LA
Coachella Valley Independent
Curate.LA
Palm Springs Life

Cultural Partners
ArtTable
Palm Springs Art Museum
Palm Springs Chamber of Commerce

Intersect Fairs
Intersect Aspen is an art fair taking place each August in the heart of one of the nation’s most prestigious collector communities. Formerly known as Art Aspen, it has been running since 2010.

Intersect Palm Springs is an art and design fair taking place each February in the Coachella Valley. Formerly known as Art Palm Springs, it has been running since 2012.

SOFA Chicago focuses on three-dimensional artworks that cross the boundaries of fine art, decorative art, fiber arts, functional art, and design. It has been running since 1993.

About Intersect Art and Design
Intersect Art and Design produces Intersect Aspen, Intersect Palm Springs, and SOFA Chicago, cultural events that connect galleries with art lovers and collectors, highlighting art and design locally, regionally, and globally. Overseen by Managing Director Becca Hoffman, the Intersect team is committed to building community and connectivity in the locations of the fairs. Through cultural partners, programming, and curatorial vision, Intersect offers year-round opportunities for dialogue, engagement, and inspiration. Visit the website at IntersectFairs.com and follow along on social media @IntersectArtandDesign.

Leadership
Intersect is a partnership of brothers Tim and Dirk von Gal, who are event industry veterans with more than 50 years of combined experience creating successful trade shows and conferences for business, consumer, and art industry sectors. The three fairs had been under the umbrella of Tim von Gal’s former company Urban Expositions (founded in 1995), which was acquired by Clarion in 2015. The von Gal brothers’ launch of Intersect in April 2020 brings the fairs back under their management once again. Intersect is part of vGMgt LLC, which is a team of dedicated professionals focused on customer service, integrity, and the experiential value of Intersect Art and Design.

Managing Director Becca Hoffman, who joined Intersect Art and Design in April 2020, was the Director of the Outsider Art Fair from 2013 – 2020, and was formerly the director of Peter Findlay Gallery, and Andrew Edlin Gallery. Hoffman received her B.A. in Fine Art Photography from Dartmouth where she helped start the first student art gallery and worked at the Hood Museum of Art. From there, Hoffman achieved her M.A. in Contemporary Art at Sotheby’s in London.

Website
Visit us at IntersectPalmSprings.com for updates on programming, cultural partners, exhibitors, events, and more.

Join the Conversation
Connect with us on Instagram and Facebook @IntersectArtandDesign and hashtags #IntersectPalmSprings and #IntersectFairs.