The Tour began with a simple idea to foster the Coachella Valley arts community.
Featured artwork by Warner Graves.
2026 Tour
January 23–25, 2026
11AM–4PM Daily
Free, self-guided tour
160 artists
69 studio spaces
9 desert cities
Now in its sixth season
The very popular Desert Open Studios Tour provides an opportunity for Coachella Valley artists to open their studios and behind-the-scenes spaces to the public, shining a light on their unique creative processes and practices.
Developed by Artists for Artists
Desert Open Studios was created in 2020 by three Coachella Valley based artists; Lynda Keeler, Anne Bedrick, and Kim Manfredi, together with art supporter and our current executive director, Chris Blades.
The highly-anticipated annual tour is intended to deepen and broaden the relationship between artist and art-loving audiences and is a unique way for the public to interact with artists: observe their process, purchase artwork, watch demonstrations, and explore spaces usually not open to the public.
Our Team of Advisors
Desert Open Studios happens thanks to the tireless work of our volunteers and advisors.
Chris Blades Executive Director
Chris Blades is an original Founder of Desert Open Studios, and is now leading the DOS tour along with our advisors and volunteers. Formerly, Chris was a tenured scientist at the Space Telescope Science Institute, Baltimore. He worked on the Hubble Space Telescope and led a large scientific team responsible for instrument servicing & calibration. chris@desertopenstudioscom .
Kim Manfredi Advisor
Kim Manfredi is an American artist and MICA graduate (1988, MFA 2009). She studied under Grace Hartigan and Joyce Kozloff. Her career includes representation by C. Grimaldis Gallery, residencies at RUC, Vermont Studio Center, VCCA, and Maryland Art Place. Recently, she held a solo exhibition, Lady Lazarus, at Royale Projects in Los Angeles and was featured in Tutto a Tempo at the Camus Museum in Italy. She received a fellowship from the Torrance Art Museum for the Cycladic Arts Residency in Greece and is a co-founder of the DOS Tour.
Bill Schinsky Advisor
Bill Schinsky was the Executive Director of the Coachella Valley Art Center, Indio, and is now Director of the Coachella Valley Art Projects. He is an active artist working under the pseudonym wm marquez. He has held leadership positions in galleries, museums and arts programs in Los Angeles, Atlanta and North Carolina. bschinsky@gmail.com
Bernard Leibov Advisor
Bernard Leibov is the Founder and Director of BoxoPROJECTS, a residency and programming initiative based in Joshua Tree, CA. He is also co-founder and co-curator of the Joshua Treenial. Prior to moving to California, Bernard was Deputy Director of Judd Foundation in New York and Marfa. bernard.leibov@gmail.com
