Call for Entries for the 2027/2028 El Paseo Sculpture Exhibition

The City of Palm Desert invites artists to be part of one of Southern California's most celebrated public art showcases — the El Paseo Sculpture Exhibition. Located in the heart of the Coachella Valley, El Paseo is a vibrant destination known for its blend of art, culture, fine dining, and luxury shopping. This biennial exhibition transforms the center median of El Paseo into an outdoor gallery featuring eighteen large-scale sculptures by distinguished and emerging artists from across the nation.

Selected works will be on display for two years, viewed by thousands of residents and visitors who stroll, shop, and attend events throughout the district year-round. Each selected artist will receive a $6,000 honorarium, paid in two installments: $5,000 upon installation and $1,000 upon removal. The honorarium is intended to offset costs related to transportation, fabrication, and delivery. The City covers all expenses for installation, lighting, maintenance, insurance, and promotion during the exhibition. Artists benefit from professional installation, lighting, insurance, and citywide promotion through print, digital, and regional media.

The exhibition is open to all U.S.-based artists, galleries, museums, and nonprofit arts organizations. Sculptures must be original, suitable for outdoor display, and able to withstand the desert's environmental conditions. Seventeen pads measure 8' × 8' with a usable footprint of 7' × 7', and one pad measures 8' × 25' for larger works. Sculptures must have a minimum height of 8 feet and maximum height of 13 feet, with a maximum weight of 3,000 pounds. All works must be designed for in-the-round viewing and constructed of durable, weather-resistant materials.