An unconventional art exhibition called the High Desert Art Fair took place recently in the high desert of Southern California. Located near Joshua Tree, the event boasts lower costs than typical high-brow art fairs and, thereby, has the potential to bring in a new audience.

High Desert Art Fair

The HDAF’s co-founder, Nicholas Fahey, says the organizers’ aim is to give dealers a distinctive setting without punishing overhead. The rooms for galleries were priced at $3,500, which is well below the cost of a stand at most major art fairs.

“We started this because gallerists were in such a strange space in terms of how much (fairs) cost and how much you have to sell just to break even,” Fahey said to The Art Newspaper. “It allows established and mid-career galleries to show things they want to develop and get excited about to an audience. And it allows new galleries to take a chance and take risks.”

Visitors at the event explored 19 rooms at the Pioneertown Motel, with prices for the works ranging from a few hundred dollars to five figures. The event also features publishers selling books, zines, and works on paper.

“I want all different types of people to walk away from here and have something that they can have as a part of their experience,” Fahey said.

The success of the fair reflects a broader market shift, as a 2025 Deloitte survey revealed that millennials are spending on travel, dining, and live events, rather than traditional assets. This shift has led to the growing popularity of “destination fairs”, where visitors can enjoy both the fair itself and the surrounding area and attractions.

“It’s really seeped in local lure and knowledge, and has the history of being home to artists,” says the Los Angeles-based dealer Megan Mulrooney about the high desert. “There’s this incredible sensibility out here, and a love for the making of things. I was really attracted to it for that reason, but I also love showing in an unusual space—the unusual topography, and being in the high desert is one of those things.”