Palm Springs has a way of turning everyday spaces into art experiences. One of the city's most distinctive examples is Pillars of Palm Springs, a collection of six large-scale public artworks installed along the median of East Tahquitz Canyon Way between Palm Canyon Drive and Palm Springs International Airport.
Commissioned by the City of Palm Springs Public Arts Commission, the installation brings together six artists and six themes: Creativity, Serenity, Diversity, Civility, Community, and Equality. Together, the works create what the project describes as a seventh and overarching theme: Identity.
The Pillars are especially easy to experience because visitors can see them while traveling along Tahquitz Canyon Way, offering an unexpected introduction to Palm Springs' creative personality.
A Public Art Welcome to Palm Springs
The Pillars of Palm Springs project was unveiled on World Art Day in April 2024 and represents one of the most ambitious projects initiated by the city's Public Arts Commission. The six works replaced the previous Art of Taming Horses installation in the Tahquitz Canyon Way median.
Each pillar was created by a different artist and interprets one of the six themes in a distinctly Palm Springs way. Some draw inspiration from the city's midcentury architecture and car culture, while others explore the desert landscape, water, identity, inclusivity, and community.
The result isn't a collection of matching sculptures. Each pillar has its own personality, materials, colors, and story.
The Six Pillars
Creativity — Roger Reutimann
Roger Reutimann's Creativity pillar takes inspiration from Palm Springs' love affair with automobiles and midcentury design.
The sculpture incorporates the recognizable form of a 1959 Cadillac with stylized cactus elements. At night, the tips of the cactus illuminate like automotive taillights, adding another dimension to the work after dark.
Reutimann is a multidisciplinary artist with a background that includes sculpture, music, and popular culture. His work reflects Palm Springs' long-standing connection to design, cars, and creative experimentation.
Serenity — Anne Faith Nicholls
Serenity, by Palm Springs-based artist Anne Faith Nicholls, reflects the relationship between water and the desert.
The sculpture explores Palm Springs as an oasis and the peace water has historically provided in an otherwise arid landscape. Its colors change when illuminated at night, creating a different experience after sunset.
The work also reminds viewers of the importance of protecting the region's precious water resources.
Diversity — Bernard Stanley Hoyes
Palm Desert-based artist Bernard Stanley Hoyes created Diversity, a colorful and kinetic sculpture featuring two hummingbirds.
The birds move with the wind and come together visually to suggest a strand of DNA—a reminder that beneath our individual differences, humanity shares a common foundation.
The word DIVERSITY is illuminated at night, making the piece particularly striking after dark
Civility — Jessup + Cooning
Artist team Kate Jessup and Celeste Cooning created Civility, drawing inspiration from one of Palm Springs' most recognizable characteristics: its architecture.
The artists viewed architecture as a foundation of civilization and used the city's distinctive built environment as inspiration for their contribution to the collection.
The piece encourages visitors to think about civility not simply as politeness, but as a shared practice that helps communities function.
Community — MIDABI
Community, by artist MIDABI (Michael Daniel Birnberg), uses text and sculpture to create a simple but thoughtful statement about Palm Springs.
The work suggests that community exists in every direction—in every street, neighborhood, and corner of the city.
That idea fits naturally within a public-art project designed to celebrate the qualities that make Palm Springs more than a collection of buildings and attractions.
Equality — Scott Froschauer
Artist Scott Froschauer created Equality, a sculpture inspired by the original Rainbow Flag designed by Gilbert Baker.
The work incorporates the word EQUALITY, illuminated in neon, and reflects Palm Springs' long-standing connection to LGBTQ+ culture and inclusion.
Froschauer's broader body of work explores communication, connection, and empathy, making his contribution a natural fit for a project centered on shared community values.
See the Pillars After Dark
Several of the Pillars take on an entirely different character at night. Illuminated words, colors, and sculptural elements make the installation particularly interesting after sunset, when Palm Springs' public art becomes part of the city's evening landscape.
If you're driving between downtown and Palm Springs International Airport after dark, keep an eye out for the illuminated works along Tahquitz Canyon Way.
A Different Way to Experience Palm Springs Public Art
The Pillars of Palm Springs are part of a much larger public-art collection throughout the city.
Palm Springs has more than 100 public-art installations, ranging from monumental sculptures to murals, benches, and unexpected works integrated into parks, streets, and other public spaces.
The Pillars are particularly interesting because they connect art to ideas central to Palm Springs' identity. Creativity, diversity, community, equality, serenity, and civility aren't just abstract themes—they reflect many of the qualities visitors encounter throughout the city. And they're a reminder that you don't always have to walk into a gallery or museum to experience Palm Springs' art scene. Sometimes, you just have to look out the window.
Plan Your Palm Springs Public Art Adventure
The Pillars pair easily with other Palm Springs art experiences.
Continue your exploration with the Palm Springs Art Museum, visit the Architecture and Design Center, explore the city's art galleries, or follow a self-guided public-art walking tour downtown.
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