Rules for Painting at the Desert Museum
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Catherine Nash
Artists are allowed to paint on museum grounds only during our regular hours.
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All of our visitors are extremely important to us and we, therefore, ask you to not block the views of any of our exhibits. We appreciate your patience and courteous behavior.
Some of our guests are using wheelchairs, strollers, and walkers while our staff frequently needs to use electric carts to do their job so we ask that you allow room for people to get around you and your gear.​
Please respect all safety cones, chains, cables, gates and "staff only" signs: keep your easel and your gear away from these areas.
The Desert Museum is also a botanical garden and our vegetation is fragile. Refrain from hanging your jacket on the shrubs and avoid stepping in our gardens or on any of our plants.
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For the safety of our animals and visitors: take away everything you brought with you, mineral spirits, turpentine, paints, paper towels, used paint tubes, etc. While you paint, please avoid drips or spills. Water miscible oils, colored pencils or watercolors are a good choice for our environment. Use caution with all artist materials.
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The staff asks that you not interact with the animals in any way; do not feed them, coax them into moving or attempt to influence their behavior.
Painting is not permitted inside the hummingbird aviary.
A few of our exhibit animals (javelinas and coyotes, in particular) become highly stressed by anything out the ordinary and may become upset by artist activity. Please choose another location if a keeper should ask you to do so.
Feel free to ask questions and interact with the docents and staff.