Last weekend I was in Los Angeles and thinking about the La Quinta Arts Festival, and MapQuest said it was only 138 miles away, but as we had three pre-schoolers with us, it wasn't high on the list of activities. Nonetheless, I have two cool reports from the desert, a Home Host program where the festival matches artists with free lodging and a strong art in public places program from the City of La Quinta.
1. "La Quinta Arts Festival participants traveling from across the state and country were offered a solution to high-priced accommodations through the foundation's Home Host Program," from the Desert Sun.
Los Angeles contemporary sculpture artist James Hill was offered a private bed and bath at no cost.
“The market's down more so this year and I was nervous about how I could afford lodging on top of renting a van and paying for gas,” said Hill, 46. “The thought of staying in a complete stranger's home is hard to swallow before you get there because you never know what you'll get.”
The Home Host Program has been providing an alternative to hotel stays for more than 10 years, according to Christi Salamone, La Quinta Arts Foundation executive director. She said the personal welcome....the rest of the story.
More art fairs need to be in touch with the folks at La Quinta. Such a nice idea, congrats to you!
2. City of La Quinta buys $10,000 sculpture at festival
"A new 8-foot-tall ceramic sculpture will soon be displayed at La Quinta’s Civic Center Campus. The $10,000 art piece, created by Damien Jones of Berkeley, was purchased Friday morning at the annual La Quinta Arts Festival by the appointed Art in Public Places Committee."
Read the article at this link: http://www.mydesert.com/article/20090316/NEWS01/90316021/1263/update
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