If you spent any time driving in the Morongo Basin, you’ve likely seen large metal sculptures on medians, along Highway 62, in front of buildings and on private properties. These iron giants come from the hand of one artist, Simi Dabah, who no longer creates with industrial scrap metal but is alive and well at age 98.
For those who are not alive and well, there is the 20-acre Twentynine Palms Public Cemetery, though it’s hard to say how many art lovers exist(ed) there. One fan for sure is General Manager Emily Helm who has welcomed the new Simi Dabah sculptures with open arms and a mind to the future.
“So we were very lucky when I first came here in January of 2020, we were very lucky to get six sculptures from Simi Dabah. And then as we have progressed here, people have commented on how much they like to see the sculptures. They are also maintenance-free which is what we are going for here,” said Helm.
“And being in a desert cemetery the plants take a lot of water so we’re trying to do more natural landscaping – boulders, the sculptures, that type of thing. And it just gives another level of architectural value to the cemetery which is traditionally flat land.”
While the cemetery did officially pay for two of the sculptures at a total of $3,000, the remaining eight were donated outright.
The Simi Dabah Sculpture Foundation (SDSF) often donates sculptures to public spaces and businesses with 501(c)(3) status. The sculptures are also available for sale to the public.
The foundation is located at 5255 Sunfair Road in Joshua Tree and open to the public on Saturdays. For more info about the foundation, call Larry Bowden at 760/501-1718.
