Arts & EntertainmentLocal NewsPioneertownYucca Valley

Art openings in Pioneertown and Yucca Valley tonight (4/18)

Jef Harmatz Send an email April 18, 2026

Local artist Cher Townsend debuts a new show in Pioneertown. The artists new work is described as anthropomorphic pieces made by combining clay sculpture with repurposed materials in a folk art style featuring upcycled materials. Townsend’s work will be displayed at the outdoor sculpture garden in Pioneertown at 53626 Mane Street. There’s a reception featuring the artist herself Saturday night from 4:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m.

And due to popular demand, the joint exhibition by Paul Donaldson and Snake Jagger, “We Ain’t Messin’ Around,” at the Hi-Desert Artists Gallery has been extended for another month. And to celebrate, the gallery is hosting a second reception for the show, featuring an artists talk with both artists. Donaldson’s portraits of local residents and artisans, alongside Jagger’s “whimsical surrealism” desert landscapes and portrait work, continue to draw strong community interest and engagement.

The reception runs Saturday from 5:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m.The Hi-Desert Artists Gallery is located at 55635 Twentynine Palms Highway in Yucca Valley. 

Jef Harmatz Send an email April 18, 2026
Jef Harmatz

Jef Harmatz

Jef Harmatz is the co-host of Z107.7’s “Morning Show with Cody and Jef” and Z107.7’s News Director. He has worked as a journalist, cartoonist, chef, and delivery driver. He is known nationally for his writing and comics in publications like TimeOut, Popula, Roadtrippers, Solrad and Spiralbound, and for his album covers for Third Eye Blind and Sir Sly. He is known locally for his pop-up barbecue restaurant Hot Dog Panic. He remains unknown in the field of beekeeping, because he is too afraid of being stung to try it. When not on the radio, he draws comics and self-publishes little books. He lives with his partner and his dog Sunday in Yucca Valley, where he cooks them both elaborate meals.