HWY 62 ART TOURS . HISTORY

• One million years BCE - Geological landscape of the basin forms.
• Late Pleistocene Era - One of the earliest Southwestern tribes, the Pinto people, populate the region.
• Holocene Era - Local Cahuilla tribe refers to the dominant tree in the area as "humwichawa." (In the 1840s,    Mormon missionaries rename it after the prophet Joshua, for its outstretched limbs.)
• 1600s - The Oasis of Mara is settled by the Serrano people, who plant twenty-nine palm trees.
• 1867 - The newly arriving Chemehuevi tribe easily mingles with the Serrano at the Oasis.
• 1895 - Desert Queen Mine established in Queen Valley, part of what is now Joshua Tree National Park.
• 1909 - 29 Palms Chemehuevi Indian, William Mike, is killed by his cousin, Willie Boy, after Willie falls in love    with Mike's daughter, Carlota. The tragedy shakes California and inspires numerous books and films,    including "Tell Them Willie Boy Was Here," starring Robert Redford.
• By 1913, the Chemehuevi and Serrano people are driven from the area by non-Indian settlers.
• 1918 - William Keys brings his bride to Desert Queen Ranch (now called Keys Ranch).
• Post World War l, the climate of the Oasis attracts veterans suffering from mustard gas inhalation.
• 1936 - Lobbying by socialite Minerva Hoyt pushes FDR to establish Joshua Tree National Monument.
• 1941 - Mentalphysics Center opens, with buildings designed by Frank Lloyd Wright and his son. Edwin    Dingle (Ding Le Mei) teaches breathing exercises derived from Tibetan teaching and Christian Mysticism.
• 1946 – Yearly Joshua Tree Turtle Races begin the first weekend each May, using native desert tortoises.
• 1946 - Pioneertown is built as a movie set for western movies, with living quarters for crews and actors.
• 1951 - 29 Palms Art Guild formed by distinguished local artists: John Hilton, Merritt Boyer, Michael Malloy,    Kirk Martin, Vera Martin, Evelyn Hutchinson, Fritiof Perssons, and Edna Onderdonk.
• 1952 - 29 Palms Marine Corps Training Center, now the largest in the world, opens on August 20.
• 1954 - Test pilot George Van Tassel begins building Integratron based on plans given him by Venusians.
• 1954 - "Them," an atomic age sci-fi thriller, is filmed in Joshua Tree National Monument.
• 1972 - Francis Aleba and husband John open outlaw biker bar The Cantina in Pioneertown.
• 1973 - Singer/songwriter Gram Parsons dies of an overdose in Room 8 of the Joshua Tree Inn on    September 19. Parsons' road manager Phil Kaufman then unsuccessfully attempts to fulfill Parsons' wish to    be cremated and have his ashes scattered at Cap Rock in Joshua Tree.
• 1987 - Renowned assemblage artist Noah Purifoy begins work on his monumental outdoor museum.
• 1987 - Irish rock band U2 releases its album Joshua Tree, bringing world-wide attention to its namesake.
• 1982 - Harriet and Claude "Pappy" Allen, open Pappy & Harriet's Pioneertown Palace.
• 1992 - Landers earthquake on June 28th is largest in the contiguous US in 40 years. It is preceded by a    6.1 magnitude Joshua Tree earthquake on April 23 and followed three hours later by a 6.5 quake in Big    Bear.
• 1992 - Jeremy's Cafe gives international tourists and locals a place to come together. Later, as Beatnik     Cafe, open mics draw musicians from the isolation of the desert to a community gathering spot.
• 1993 - Rancho de la Luna recording studio is founded by musician Fred Drake.
• 1994 - Desert Protection Act adds 234,000 acres and promotes the status of Joshua Tree to National Park.
• 1996 - To mark what would have been Gram Parson's 50th birthday, the first of many Gramfests is held.
• 1995 - SunRunner Magazine is established to promote the culture of the hi desert.
• 1999 - Performance artist Elia Arce debuts "Unchanging Evidence of Identity" at Hi Desert Playhouse, later    touring "The Fifth Commandment" with U.S. Marines from 29 Palms.
• 2001 - The first of the modern Open Studio Tours features 24 local artists in a basin-wide arts festival.
• 2002 - Morongo Basin Cultural Arts Council is formed.
• 2002 - High Desert Test Sites founded in 2002 by Lisa Anne Auerbach, Shaun Caley-Regen, John    Connelly, Andy Stillpass, and Andrea Zittel.
• 2003 - Joshua Tree Music Festival inaugurated by Barnett English and Kris McDowell in the spring.
• 2006 Joshua Tree Roots Music Festival launched in the fall, and webcast radio show "Peacenik at the    Beatnik" hosted by cultural activist/musician Ted Quinn. Local radio station Z107.7 FM launches a local    music radio show with host Mindee Jaye. Quinn will replace Mindee Jaye on the broadcast in 2010.
• 2008 - Arts Council opens Donation = Creation Art Store in downtown Joshua Tree.
• 2011- Second Saturday monthly Gallery Crawl begins in Joshua Tree. The number of Art Galleries in the    area officially overtakes the number of bail bonds offices in a major cultural victory.

A BRIEF HISTORY OF THE ART TOURS Conceived in 2001 as a festival for all the arts, with 24 participating artists, the Hwy 62 Art Tours now features close to 200, including those working in music, literary, performance and visual arts. For the tenth anniversary, Art Tours organizers have put together an ambitious program to showcase a variety of the arts in the Morongo Basin. "Open Studios" are still the main feature. A steadily growing number of artists open their homes and studios to an ever-expanding public. Each reflects the unlikely growth of the arts in this remote desert community. Along with the growing Art Tours, this past decade has seen the rise of a thriving arts community, where cultural events occur year-round. Hwy 62 Art Tours is the premiere arts event of the year in this unique place, when the local community welcomes the world to have a look. A BRIEF HISTORY OF DESERT TIME • One million years BCE - Geological landscape of the basin forms. • Late Pleistocene Era - One of the earliest Southwestern tribes, the Pinto people, populate the region. • Holocene Era - Local Cahuilla tribe refers to the dominant tree in the area as "humwichawa." (In the 1840s, Mormon missionaries rename it after the prophet Joshua, for its outstretched limbs.) • 1600s - The Oasis of Mara is settled by the Serrano people, who plant twenty-nine palm trees. • 1867 - The newly arriving Chemehuevi tribe easily mingles with the Serrano at the Oasis. • 1895 - Desert Queen Mine established in Queen Valley, part of what is now Joshua Tree National Park. • 1909 - 29 Palms Chemehuevi Indian, William Mike, is killed by his cousin, Willie Boy, after Willie falls in love with Mike's daughter, Carlota. The tragedy shakes California and inspires numerous books and films, including "Tell Them Willie Boy Was Here," starring Robert Redford. • By 1913, the Chemehuevi and Serrano people are driven from the area by non-Indian settlers. • 1918 - William Keys brings his bride to Desert Queen Ranch (now called Keys Ranch). • Post World War l, the climate of the Oasis attracts veterans suffering from mustard gas inhalation. • 1936 - Lobbying by socialite Minerva Hoyt pushes FDR to establish Joshua Tree National Monument. • 1941 - Mentalphysics Center opens, with buildings designed by Frank Lloyd Wright and his son. Edwin Dingle (Ding Le Mei) teaches breathing exercises derived from Tibetan teaching and Christian Mysticism. • 1946 – Yearly Joshua Tree Turtle Races begin the first weekend each May, using native desert tortoises. • 1946 - Pioneertown is built as a movie set for western movies, with living quarters for crews and actors. • 1951 - 29 Palms Art Guild formed by distinguished local artists: John Hilton, Merritt Boyer, Michael Malloy, Kirk Martin, Vera Martin, Evelyn Hutchinson, Fritiof Perssons, and Edna Onderdonk. • 1952 - 29 Palms Marine Corps Training Center, now the largest in the world, opens on August 20. • 1954 - Test pilot George Van Tassel begins building Integratron based on plans given him by Venusians. • 1954 - "Them," an atomic age sci-fi thriller, is filmed in Joshua Tree National Monument. • 1972 - Francis Aleba and husband John open outlaw biker bar The Cantina in Pioneertown. • 1973 - Singer/songwriter Gram Parsons dies of an overdose in Room 8 of the Joshua Tree Inn on September 19. Parsons' road manager Phil Kaufman then unsuccessfully attempts to fulfill Parsons' wish to be cremated and have his ashes scattered at Cap Rock in Joshua Tree. • 1987 - Renowned assemblage artist Noah Purifoy begins work on his monumental outdoor museum. • 1987 - Irish rock band U2 releases its album Joshua Tree, bringing world-wide attention to its namesake. • 1982 - Harriet and Claude "Pappy" Allen, open Pappy & Harriet's Pioneertown Palace. • 1992 - Landers earthquake on June 28th is largest in the contiguous US in 40 years. It is preceded by a 6.1 magnitude Joshua Tree earthquake on April 23 and followed three hours later by a 6.5 quake in Big Bear. • 1992 - Jeremy's Cafe gives international tourists and locals a place to come together. Later, as Beatnik Cafe, open mics draw musicians from the isolation of the desert to a community gathering spot. • 1993 - Rancho de la Luna recording studio is founded by musician Fred Drake. • 1994 - Desert Protection Act adds 234,000 acres and promotes the status of Joshua Tree to National Park. • 1996 - To mark what would have been Gram Parson's 50th birthday, the first of many Gramfests is held. • 1995 - SunRunner Magazine is established to promote the culture of the hi desert. • 1999 - Performance artist Elia Arce debuts "Unchanging Evidence of Identity" at Hi Desert Playhouse, later touring "The Fifth Commandment" with U.S. Marines from 29 Palms. • 2001 - The first of the modern Open Studio Tours features 24 local artists in a basin-wide arts festival. • 2002 - Morongo Basin Cultural Arts Council is formed. • 2002 - High Desert Test Sites founded in 2002 by Lisa Anne Auerbach, Shaun Caley-Regen, John Connelly, Andy Stillpass, and Andrea Zittel. • 2003 - Joshua Tree Music Festival inaugurated by Barnett English and Kris McDowell in the spring. • 2006 Joshua Tree Roots Music Festival launched in the fall, and webcast radio show "Peacenik at the Beatnik" hosted by cultural activist/musician Ted Quinn. Local radio station Z107.7 FM launches a local music radio show with host Mindee Jaye. Quinn will replace Mindee Jaye on the broadcast in 2010. • 2008 - Arts Council opens Donation = Creation Art Store in downtown Joshua Tree. • 2011- Second Saturday monthly Gallery Crawl begins in Joshua Tree. The number of Art Galleries in the area officially overtakes the number of bail bonds offices in a major cultural victory.