Local artists shine at Palm Desert gallery

When Leila Namvar visited the villages around Yazd, Iran, eight years ago, she says she wanted to capture the faces of people there, but ran into a small problem.

"When I went here, first, they were really closed. They didn't want anybody from the outside in," the La Quinta resident said.

But she stayed for a few days and began to assimilate into the community.

"I started doing chores with the females and they started opening up,'' Namvar said, adding that they soon allowed her to take photos uninhibited.

"They started letting me. They were not shy with the camera,'' she said.

The collection’s photographs tell the stories of the people she met using an old 35 mm Pentax camera that she inherited from her father.

This is the first time the photos have been on display. The photographs will be at the Palm Desert Community Gallery, which is located at Palm Desert City Hall, through Oct. 7.

The exhibit also features two other artists -- Arnold Familian and Meridy Volz, of Desert Hot Springs.

Volz said she tries to capture color in her paintings.

Familian -- a self-taught photographer and artist -- relates a visual narrative by merging digital photography, painting, and giclée, also known as fine art digital prints.

His subject matter ranges from family and friends to people and graffiti he has photographed during his extensive travels.

The Palm Desert Community Gallery, located in Palm Desert City Hall at 73510 Fred Waring Drive, is open Monday through Friday from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.