Ed Ainsworth (1902-1968) inspired this exhibit. He was the City Editor, State Editor, and Chief Editorial Editor of the Los Angeles Times and has written numerous magazine articles.
He and his wife Katherine had a passion for the desert, and knew many of the painters who captured the desert's life and beauty. The couple loved to travel the Southwest and in northern Mexico and owned a ranch on the shores of the Salton Sea. Ed once published a newspaper below sea level which he named the Coachella Desert Barnacle. They knew many of the desert artists personally and counted some of them among their best friends.
Not surprisingly, their home became Western art gallery in its own right. In his book, Painters of the Desert, published in 1960, Ed praised the work and lives of 13 desert artists, among them the featured artists in this exhibit, John W. Hilton, Jimmy Swinnerton, Conrad Buff, Victor Clyde Forsythe, Orpha Klinker, and Paul Lauritz.
Below are thumbnails of the exhibit's paintings.
Each is linked to an individual page with enlarged photos.
Enjoy the preview, and we hope to see you at the gallery to enjoy them in person.
