Palm Springs Art Museum, Palm Springs

The modern art shines at this jewel in the desert. Visitors are "greeted" outside by a several stories tall sculpture of Marilyn Monroe. Inside the collection spans modern, native American, glass, and photography.. There is a cafe with adjoining sculpture garden for outdoor dining. The 1968 Chevy Malibu suspended vertically above the ground is thought provoking.

I went on a Sunday, and they were having an issue with their ticketing system so they let me in for free, a fun surprise, and thank you. Peaceful inside, exhibits on display are timely and interesting. Dwayne Hansen‘s Old Couple on a Bench was particularly well done and disturbing… At least for me. When I walked around the corner I thought this older couple was just tired and sitting, looking forward and disconnected from each other. As I stepped closer I realized that they weren’t real. Hansen captured an older couple so bored and disconnected, seemingly unfulfilled and out of time, out of shape, from what I gather neither having found passion… it made me cry because it captured an incredibly real fear of mine. To get to that stage of my life not having realized dreams or passion with intensity sounds too horrible to bear, and I found that I just couldn’t look at the older couple for the rest of my time in the museum. I’d like to spend at least one other afternoon at this museum reading through the exhibits again. I was in such a bad place after looking at the older couple that I didn’t appreciate some of the other lighter works.