Press Release
Media Contact:
Meredith McKee
e: meredithbrettco@gmail.com
p: 303-641-3674
Paula Crown Atelier to Debut New Artwork at Intersect Palm Springs, February 12-16, 2026
Crown’s THE REVERSE SIDE, a Cast Bronze Bell, to Spark Conversations On Utilizing Sound and our Voices as Catalyst for Change
Media Gallery
Palm Springs, CA – January 14, 2026 – Intersect Palm Springs Art + Design Fair, February 12-16, 2026, is honored to debut pivotal new work from artist Paula Crown. Crown debuts new work, a stunning bronze bell commission and a series of dimensional drawings developed with Factum Arte in Madrid. Crown merges tradition and technology with THE REVERSE SIDE, a cast bronze bell. The work was first exhibited in 2025 at Sunnylands, the Annenberg Estate in Rancho Mirage, California. Along with the bronze bell, Crown introduces dimensionalized iPad works that extend the language of drawing and painting by incorporating advanced printing techniques.
“Intersect Art + Design creates a vital space for meaningful dialogue and collective awareness through art,” says Paula Crown. “I’m honored to debut new work here, including THE REVERSE SIDE, a bronze bell that holds ideas of remembrance, resonance, and presence. The work invites calm through an intentional moment of sound—offering space to reflect on what is heard, what endures, and what might otherwise be lost. In the desert, time feels expanded—creating room not only to reflect, but to consider how we move forward.”
Paula Crown was commissioned to create a bronze bell to support the effort to save the London Bell Foundry in Whitechapel. The art of bell making in bronze goes back to 2000 BCE. The London Foundry made the most important bells in Europe, including Big Ben and St. Paul’s Cathedral. It also produced the Liberty Bell and the National Cathedral bells for America. Crown’s new bell, produced in an edition of four, is titled THE REVERSE SIDE.
Crown was inspired by a Japanese epigram and Tibetan prayer wheels. She paired contemporary 3D scanning with traditional drawing and casting (using the lost wax method) to realize the bell. It was technically difficult due to the complex layers of text and fine detail and took over two years to complete. It is an extraordinary feat of bell making and explores themes of hidden and nuanced meaning. Around the bell, there is embossed and debossed text, creating a visual and acoustical rhythm.
Paula Crown, THE REVERSE SIDE (with detail), 2025, bronze bell, 26.75 x 10.625 x 10.625 in Ed 1/4. Made in collaboration with Factum Arte, Madrid. Courtesy of Sunnylands, the Annenberg Estate in Rancho Mirage, California, and Paula Crown Atelier.
The bell is struck from the outside with a wooden clapper. The sound is mesmerizing, rising, falling, and resonating in a hypnotic way. THE REVERSE SIDE embodies themes that resonate with history, especially the destruction of bells during World War II. Hitler removed 190,000 bells from towns across occupied territory, stripping them of their clappers and rendering communities silent. The bells were then melted down for armaments.
As we approach America’s 250th anniversary, Crown offers THE REVERSE SIDE as a metaphor for each voice in a democracy and the importance of never being silent.
“We are thrilled to have Paula Crown and her beautiful, thought-provoking work in this special exhibition at Intersect Palm Springs, says Tim von Gal, CEO, Intersect Art + Design. “There is a subtle but deep complexity to Paula’s work. Much of her work - including the public debut of Crown’s THE REVERSE SIDE - shares an important message of social consciousness; which also happens to be presented in an alluring and approachable medium and manor. We are excited for the Palm Springs audience to experience this very special exhibition.”
In addition to her artwork presentation, Crown will also speak on a panel alongside Craig Drennen (artist and curator) on creativity as a force for change under the theme of Art as Catalyst. This will be a powerful conversation exploring how art intersects with activism, community, and global awareness. In this thought-provoking panel, Crown and Drennen, will discuss how their creative practices have sparked dialogue and inspired action—from advocacy to reshaping social narratives.
More about Intersect Palm Springs:
In its fifteenth year, Intersect Palm Springs will feature international, national, and regional galleries showcasing modern and contemporary works. Collectors, curators, and art enthusiasts will enjoy curated tours, thought-provoking talks, notable activations, and immersive events designed to inspire discovery, dialogue and engagement.
Paula Crown
Photo: John Russo, courtesy of Paula Crown Atelier
Dates and Times:
VIP Opening
Thursday, February 12: 4—8 pm
(4—6 pm VIP/All Access Pass Only)
General Admission
Thursday, February 12: 6—8 pm
Friday, February 13: 11 am—6 pm
Saturday, February 14: 11 am—6 pm
Sunday, February 15: 11 am—6 pm
Monday, February 16: 11 am—5 pm
Location:
Palm Springs Convention Center, 277 N Avenida Caballeros, Palm Springs CA 92262
Entrance:
Use the East Lawn entrance off N Avenida Caballeros.
Media contact:
Meredith McKee
meredithbrettco@gmail.com
303-641-3674
For more information, visit intersectpalmsprings.com
Paula Crown Biography:
Paula Crown is a multimedia artist with a practice encompassing drawing, painting, video, and sculpture. Crown rigorously incorporates cutting-edge technology, social activism, collaboration, and a commitment to sustainability in her studio practice.
Crown earned her M.F.A. in painting and drawing in 2012 from the School of the Art Institute of Chicago. She has had solo exhibitions at the Aspen Institute, Aspen, CO (2013); Dallas Contemporary, Dallas, TX (2014); Marlborough Gallery, New York, NY (2015); The Goss-Michael Foundation, Dallas, TX (2016); 10 Hanover, London (2017); Studio Cannaregio, Venice, concurrent with the 16th Venice Architecture Biennale (2018); Fort Gansevoort, New York, NY (2018); Hebrew University, Jerusalem, Israel (2020); and Sunnylands, The Annenberg Estate, Rancho Mirage, CA (2025).
She has participated in international group exhibitions, including Civilization and Its Discontents, School of the Art Institute’s 150th Alumni Exhibition, Chicago, IL (2015); For Freedoms at Jack Shainman Gallery, New York, NY (2016); IN THIS HOUSE, curated by Michelle Grabner at the Elmhurst Art Museum, Elmhurst, IL (2018); For Freedoms: Where Do We Go From Here? at the International Center of Photography, New York, NY (2019); Sculpturally Distant at Anderson Ranch Arts Center, Aspen, CO (2020); This Is America / USA Today at Kunsthal KAde, Amersfoort, NL (2020); and The Nature of Women, Art She Says (2021).
Crown’s public art installations include TRANSPOSITION: Over Many Miles, Miami Design District, Miami, FL (2014–16); JOKESTER, Aspen, CO (2018) and Sculpture Milwaukee, WI (2020); JOKESTER 2, Miami Design District, Miami, FL (2018); FREEZING RAIN, Aurora: Future Worlds, Dallas, TX (2018); Thoughts & Prayers with For Freedoms, Chicago, IL (2018); Thoughts & Prayers, Hurt People Hurt People, LIAR LIAR, Humble Hubris, For Freedoms Congress, Los Angeles, CA (2020); #solotogether (Messages for the City), Times Square Arts, New York, NY, which traveled to the Mint Museum, Charlotte, NC (2020); What Are You For, For Freedoms Awakening Billboard, Boston, MA (2020); Branded, CowParade, New York, NY (2021); Chalice, SPRING/BREAK Art Show, New York, NY (2021); and EMANARE, Intersect 21, Palm Springs, CA (2021), which traveled to Rockefeller Center, New York, NY (2021) and New World Symphony’s WALLCAST, Miami, FL during Art Basel Miami Week 2021.
She has engaged in several high-profile collaborations, including The Little Nell; The Limelight Hotel Collection in Snowmass, CO and Ketchum, ID (2017); Holly Hunt Showroom, “The Paula Crown Affair” (2015); Sam’s Restaurant at The Limelight Hotel, Snowmass, CO (2016); Christy Rilling for The Wide Awakes (2020); and Prada for ASPENX (2022).
Her works are held in numerous public and top-100 private collections, including the Agnes Gund Collection, New York, NY; Tishman Speyer Collection, New York, NY; The Goss-Michael Foundation, Dallas, TX; and The Booth Collection at Paradox Cove, Austin, TX.
In 2009, President Barack Obama appointed Crown to the President’s Committee on the Arts and the Humanities. She is a member of the Board of Trustees of the Museum of Modern Art in New York and a Trustee of the Aspen Institute. Born in Marblehead, MA, the artist lives and works in Aspen, CO and New York, NY.
UPCOMING EXHIBITIONS – 2026
Intersect Palm Springs Art + Design, February 12–16, 2026
Aspen Institute Campus, June–August 2026
About Intersect Art and Design:
Intersect Art and Design produces cultural events that connect galleries with art lovers and collectors, highlighting art and design locally, regionally, and globally. Presented by Tim von Gal (CEO) and Dirk von Gal (President & COO), the Intersect team is committed to building community and connectivity in the locations of the fairs. Through cultural partners, programming, and curatorial vision, Intersect offers year-round opportunities for dialogue, engagement, and inspiration.
Intersect Aspen Art and Design Fair is an annual art and culture event taking place each August in the heart of one of the nation’s most prestigious collector communities. Formerly known as Art Aspen, it has been running since 2010.
Intersect Palm Springs Art and Design Fair takes place each February and presents modern and contemporary art and design. Formerly known as Art Palm Springs, it has been running since 2012.
Visit the website atIntersectFairs.com and follow along on social media @IntersectArtandDesign.
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