Honoring the life, the art, and the legacy of Agnes Pelton.

Agnes Pelton, Return, 1940, oil on canvas, 30 x 26".

The Pelton House

Photograph by Peter Palladino, courtesy of the Agnes Pelton Society.

The Pelton House Sculpture Garden

Photograph by Peter Palladino, courtesy of the Agnes Pelton Society.

Karen Barone and a friend in front of her mosaic portrait.

Photograph by Peter Palladino, courtesy of the Agnes Pelton Society.

The Pelton House Sculpture Garden

Photograph by Peter Palladino, courtesy of the Agnes Pelton Society.

New Year’s card from Agnes Pelton, 1935.

Agnes often sent handmade postcards with custom photos and kind words. A small ritual of staying connected from the desert she loved. Courtesy of the University of New Mexico Art Museum.

We invite you in, to experience the light

Explore the Home, History, and Spirit of Agnes Pelton

Agnes Pelton was drawn to the desert for its quiet intensity, luminous skies, and the watchful presence of the San Jacinto and San Gorgonio Mountains. Here, she created a home and studio shaped by that same sense of wonder.

That home still stands today, tucked into the Cathedral City Cove and held gently by the land she loved. The surrounding sculpture garden extends that spirit, lush with bamboo and dotted with public art. It’s a welcoming setting for gatherings, conversation, and connection. Sculptural works, including pieces by artists Karen and Tony Barone, are woven throughout, adding to the garden’s sense of discovery.

Inside, the home reflects Pelton’s way of living and making as one. Her studio sits at the center, and original works by Pelton and her creative circle once again fill the walls, returning the home to its artistic roots. The house itself is modest and thoughtfully designed, marked by details that held meaning for Pelton.

Diamond patterns appear in the hand-scored concrete floors, while simple materials, white walls, exposed brick, and quiet architectural touches create a calm, intentional space. The doorways have been restored based on historical photographs of the originals, which Agnes first modeled after those in her windmill studio.

Throughout the home, small but powerful traces remain, postcards she once sent, and other personal items that have found their way back home, reconnecting the space to her life and relationships. The home brings together its original character with thoughtful restorations and evolving creative additions. We continue her spirit by opening its doors to visitors, neighbours, artists, and the curious alike. Not only to experience how she lived, but to feel what she found here.

Plan a Visit , Interested in scheduling a tour or hosting a thoughtful gathering?

HISTORIC ROOTS

The Artists, the House, and the Beginning of Something More

In Agnes’s time her home studio became an informal salon, a place where painters gathered to exhibit work, share ideas, and deepen their connection to the desert’s mystique.

Many of those artists would go on to shape the cultural landscape of the region and beyond, while others came simply to be part of something meaningful, a shared devotion to creative expression and to one another. This small but vital circle helped lay the foundation for what would become the Desert Art Center, with Pelton’s own home serving as its earliest expression.

Today, that legacy continues. Through ongoing efforts, the Agnes Pelton Society has worked to acquire artworks by Agnes Pelton and her circle, returning them to the very walls where they were once exhibited and reintroducing these artists to the desert community they loved.

What remains is more than history; it is a living thread of creativity, still woven into the house and the desert itself. We invite you in, to experience the light, the stillness, and the story for yourself.

Plan a Visit , Interested in scheduling a tour or hosting a thoughtful gathering?

LIVING CANVAS

Chuperosa Lane &
Agnes Pelton Way

Agnes’s home has continued to grow beyond its walls, spilling gently into the neighbourhood around it, like the desert bougainvillea: fast-growing, heat-loving, and resilient, blooming vividly even in the harshest conditions. What was once a simple shortcut between homes became something more, a shared space shaped by the people who live here. Through the work of the Agnes Pelton Society, neighbors and artists came together to honor Agnes, support working artists, and celebrate the Cove’s deep creative roots. Walls were offered, murals were painted, and the alley slowly transformed. Early works paid tribute to Agnes and her artist neighbors. Over time, mosaics and murals followed—honoring Latino culture, Chuperosas (hummingbirds), and figures like Frida Kahlo.

One of the most meaningful additions is the Elder Wall, where emerging artists portray past and present community elders, a living tribute to the families who have shaped Cathedral City Cove across generations. Many of the homes here are passed down like a family quilt, each generation adding its own story. Today, Chuperosa Lane feels woven into that same fabric, connecting past and present through art, memory, and shared pride.

Agnes’s presence continues to shine here. Stewards of the home, Peter Paladino and Simeon Den, have helped bring her spirit to life through festivals, open studios, and performances, welcoming others to experience the creative energy that still surrounds her home.

In recognition of this collective effort, the city officially named the surrounding area Chuperosa Lane & Agnes Pelton Way, a lasting tribute to both the artist and the community that continues to carry her forward.

Credits listed elsewhere. Event photos courtesy of Peter Palladino, Agnes Pelton Society.