Exhibiting my artwork at Palm Springs Modernism Show 2026
When I applied to exhibit at the Palm Springs Modernism Show during Modernism Week, I knew it would be big. I’d never done an art show before. I didn’t know it would force me to learn so many things and change me for the better.
The number of obstacles in logistics alone stressed me out from the beginning. How was I going to get 20 paintings from Oregon to Palm Springs, California? After hours of research, I realized my best bet was to get a 48 x 48 x 48-inch crate, fill it with my artwork, and hire a freight company to take it for me. After getting quotes, I hired a local shipping company in Portland to build and deliver the crate to me.
For this, I decided to rely on my friends. I asked two of my friends for their opinions on which paintings to bring to Palm Springs. Both are artists with creative eyes, and I trust their opinion. Then, I enlisted another friend to help me pack my crate. It took about 7 hours total to pack. By itself, the crate weighed 208 lbs, and with my artwork, it weighed 360 lbs.
After the art was shipped, I still wasn’t done preparing for the show. I created museum-style price tags to hang in my booth, because presentation matters. I hired an artist coach who was well-versed in art shows; she is the lead curator for one of the country's largest. I picked her brain on pricing, customer engagement, and making lasting connections.
I flew to California.
Unloaded the crate with someone I hired to be my assistant for the day.
Stretched and framed canvases, and then, according to a well-planned map of my works, we hung them to make the greatest impact.
Unloaded the crate with someone I hired to be my assistant for the day.
Stretched and framed canvases, and then, according to a well-planned map of my works, we hung them to make the greatest impact.
Showing Mid-Century Modern Abstract Art at the Palm Springs Modernism Show
For four days, collectors stepped into my booth and asked:
“What inspires your work?”
“Are these aerial views?”
“What is the story behind these paintings?”
So I told them.
About how music becomes color in my brain, and I’m inspired by other forms of media.
How, no matter what my inspiration is, my work comes out as if I planned to make aerial views of cities.
How each painting not only tells a story, but each has a story behind it.
And I waited.
Because no matter how much you prepare, showing your art in a major show like Modernism Week means opening your heart in public and hoping it resonates.
It did.
There was nothing more validating than opening your heart about your inspiration, showing my artwork, and having people come back to my booth to collect the painting that resonated with them the most.
What I Learned Exhibiting at Modernism Week
I learned how to ship freight across state lines.
How to trust my pricing.
How to hold eye contact without shrinking.
How to belong in rooms that once felt out of reach.
How to trust my pricing.
How to hold eye contact without shrinking.
How to belong in rooms that once felt out of reach.
Most of all, I learned that risk expands you.
You don’t grow by waiting.
You grow by taking the leap
By buying the booth.
By saying yes.
You grow by taking the leap
By buying the booth.
By saying yes.
I manifested this all by saying “It’s Now or Never,” and then by saying Yes, over and over again.
Art Commissions Are Now Open
After the response to my work at the Palm Springs Modernism Show, I’m opening a limited number of custom commissions.
If you love Mid-Century Modern Design, architecture, bold lines and shapes, and artwork that feels deeply personal to your space, this is your moment.
Commissioning art isn’t just about filling a wall.
It’s about creating a future heirloom, a timeless centerpiece hand-crafted for your home.
Whether you’re an intentional decorator designing a room around a statement piece or a collector who connects emotionally first and measures later, I would love to create something for you.
If you’re ready to take the leap:
👉 Inquire about a commission here.
The life you want is built one brave decision at a time, just like how mine was.
Yours in paint,
Leah
Leah
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