Palm Desert Couple Spearhead New Museum

For Jerry and Georgia Fogelson, there was much to celebrate at the 6th annual “Meet the Museum” event held Friday at the Palm Springs Art Museum. For starters, after two years of negotiations and planning, their dream of bringing the museum to Palm Desert is coming to fruition.

The couple, along with Indian Wells Councilman Ed Monarch, were the principal moving force behind creating the Palm Springs Art Museum, Palm Desert. The museum will include 8,500 square feet of interior space and over five acres set aside for a sculpture garden.

Jerry Fogelson, a real estate developer, took it upon himself to underwrite the demographic study. The results were clear to him.

“There was no way to satisfy the need for art and culture for the residents of the east valley with the location of the Palm Springs Museum, by itself,” he said, adding that the east valley was growing more rapidly than Palm Springs.

After facing some resistance, for financial and other reasons, the team succeeded in convincing the more Palm Springs-centric museum board to consider the benefits of expanding the brand and world-class status of the museum.

“I love this museum!” beamed Georgia Fogelson, who has served as a museum Trustee for eleven years and has volunteered as a docent for ten. “We did not need another museum. But by extending this one, we can take advantage of all that our museum has to offer, the administrative and creative staff, not to mention the docents and our dedicated team of volunteers.”

Mrs. Fogelson is also the museum's vice chair of educational programs, which will have a larger presence at the Palm Desert location.

“One-third of the interior space of the museum will be dedicated to educational programs,” she said.

Greg Polzin, Director of Donor Acquisitions, described the particulars of the building as located in the former Palm Desert Visitors Center at the corner of Highway 111 and El Paseo.

"It will be leased from the City of Palm Desert for $1 a year. The structure, which was built in 2007, is significant in its use of recycled materials in construction and reliance on solar panels for energy.”

Over 1300 guests attended the "Meet the Museum" event and were treated to cocktails, hors d'œuvres and entertainment.

“Membership will include both locations. And when it opens in 2012, the Palm Desert entity will be called the Galen Center, in honor of our patron Helene Galen for her contribution of a million dollars,” Polzin said.

Other naming opportunities remain available. If you would like to have the privilege of naming the five acre sculpture garden, or other elements of the new museum, contact Greg Polzin at the museum.

For many, the creation of the new museum will go a long way to bridge the divide that seems to exist between the desert cities. And as Georgia Fogelson wants everyone in Palm Desert to remember: “The drive will be much shorter.”