In the last days of January 2026, I took a much needed vacation to the Joshua Tree area of California. What started as a nature adventure morphed into more of a desert art adventure. It’s safe to say, I’m a sucker for odd and unusual art installations in the desert!
29 Palms and Joshua Tree are two small towns situated just north of the Joshua Tree National Park. Both could be considered a gateway into the park, each having a main road that goes directly into Joshua Tree. Both feature a wide assortment of restaurants, art galleries, independent shops, and other sites to see.
If you’re travelling through New Mexico, Arizona, Southern Utah, Nevada or California, you may notice some odd shit along the way. What is it about the American Southwest that draws artists to create such strange and unusual art installations? Is it the constant exposure to the sun? Do they hear a calling from the wide open spaces? Aliens?
We may never know, but that won’t stop me from enjoying the hell out of desert art. Seriously, I love this stuff!
Before leaving Las Vegas, I scoped out some interesting spots on Atlas Obscura, a sort of repository for strange travel locations. With a few items on my list, I set out. Unfortunately, the first on my list wasn’t in great shape. The giant “End of the World” installation, located east of 29 Palms on Amboy Rd, had several letters knocked over. My guess is it was a windstorm. Hopefully they’ll be set back up at some point.
There are more spots around 29 Palms, but I’ll come back to that. I was trying to get to Joshua Tree before the sun went down. Checking into my motel, I walked out to find this great old pickup. Assuming it was part of the The Station souvenir shop, I took a few photos only to find out the truck belonged to local sign maker Derek McDonald of Golden West Sign Arts He was very kind about letting me taking pictures of his truck, so I figured the least I could do is give him a shout out. Judging from his website, he does incredible work!
Sun Alley Shops and the Crochet Museum
Next on my list was the world famous Crochet Museum, which would have to wait until the next day because I ran out of light. Day two, I woke up early to try and film a time-lapse of the sunrise in Joshua Tree, then headed back to town.
Much to my surprise, the Crochet Museum was part of a larger artist market called Sun Alley Shops. Within the same courtyard was an assortment of galleries, shops and art installations. Several shops were in old converted trailers, something that reminded me of The Georgetown Trailer Park Mall in Seattle. Here are some photos of what you'll find if you visit.
If you would like to explore the Joshua Tree art scene in more detail, visit during the Joshua Tree Art Walk that happens on the 2nd Saturday of every month. I'll likely align my next trip to Joshua Tree to align with this event.
Noah Purifoy Outdoor Desert Art Museum
Next on my desert art tour was the Noah Purifoy Outdoor Desert Art Museum, a ten-acre plot of land on the northern end of town. How do I even describe this place? Built by Noah Purifoy during the last fifteen years of his life, you’ll find art installations using junked objects and playground-sized structures that look like something out of a post-apocalyptic film. The scale of this place is inspiring and takes a considerable amount of time to see it all.
Glass Outhouse Art Gallery
My final stop on this trip was the Glass Outhouse Art Gallery. Again, how does one even describe this place? It’s a non-profit art space situated in the desert just east of 29 Palms. Artist Laurel Siedl owns the property and created the gallery nearly twenty years ago, as of this writing.
The Joshua Tree Voice did a nice writeup in 2023, here: https://joshuatreevoice.com/the-glass-outhouse-29-palms-eccentric-art-apex/
The property consists of two gallery buildings, Laurel’s home, and a large art garden with walking paths. But this description doesn’t do this space justice. Walking around, you’ll find a chaotic collection of sculptures, lawn decorations, old junk, and hundreds of bottles used to create the pathways. It’s almost too much to take in, and just when you think you’ve seen it all, you’ll notice something new.
Unfortunately, it was getting late and I needed to head out, so I mostly explored the outdoor areas. I did look in the galleries, but I didn’t take photos. I plan to visit again and take more time later down the road.
Here is some of the wonderful chaos.
While I was driving back to Las Vegas, I started thinking about art in the desert. It’s unique in that you don’t see nearly the same kind of art elsewhere. Not to say there isn’t strange art elsewhere in the world, but there is something unique, and possibly manic, about art that is created specifically to live out in the desert. The upcycle use of found objects (I.E. junk) feels like a middle finger to our corporate capitalist world. It often feels like a statement of defiance mixed with an obsessive need to build something. Yet, these sculptures and structures are often left to decay in the merciless son, as if the artist moved on, satisfied to simply leave something behind to befuddle and amuse the curious tourists who happen upon it.