29 Palms Art Gallery

Twentynine Palms Artists’ Guild is the oldest arts organization in the Morongo Basin. It was founded in 1951 by eight distinguished artists: John Hilton, Merritt Boyer, Evelyn Hutchinson, Michael Malloy, Kirk Martin, Vera Martin, Edna Onderdonk, and Fritiof Perssons. The 29 Palms Art Gallery opened in 1963 in a historic adobe built in 1936 by the Stubbs brothers for western author Tom J. Hopkins. The mixture for the original adobe bricks was brought from the Mesquite Dry Lake. The fill dirt was made up of gold tailings from the Gold Crown Mine, and the plaster for the exterior walls came from the Anaconda Mine. Some of the support beams were railroad ties used during the construction of the Los Angeles Aqueduct in 1913. The spikes in these ties can still be seen in the lintels over the doors and windows. From 1956 to 1963, the Guild leased the nearby Charlton Adobe for an art gallery. Irene Zimmers Charlton was a longtime artist with the Guild. After being sold to 29 Palms Inn, this adobe became known as Irene’s Adobe. In 1963, the Guild leased the current historic adobe (Tom Hopkins adobe) and purchased it from Edward and Margaret Schiller for a community art gallery. An extensive remodeling project began in July 1963 when the original adobe plaster was stripped off. The bricks were then replastered with stucco to protect the original adobe bricks. The first art show opened in the building in October 1963. The Guild obtained its non-profit status in 1963 and then, by 1967, had paid off the mortgage. The ashes are in a gold casket mounted on the fireplace mantel of the East Gallery room. Since acquiring the old adobe, the Artists‘ Guild has converted an old garage into a Gift Shop, financially supporting the Gallery over the years. In 1972 the Gallery added the Lee Lukes Pickering room, and in 1992 the West Gallery was built, all from generous community support. The 29 Palms Art Gallery is a landmark in the City of Twentynine Palms. They continue to provide exhibitions, art receptions, seasonal events, paint-outs, and art classes for all ages to desert locals, visitors, and snowbirds. Twentynine Palms Artists’ Guild is an all-volunteer, 501(c)(3) non-profit organization that owns and operates the 29 Palms Art Gallery. They are fully supported by memberships, donations, contributions, and grants.