Simi Dabah Sculpture Garden

Jan 18

Have you spotted the giant metal sculptures that adorn the high desert? At nearly every cultural center, nonprofit organization, municipality and church in our city, you are likely to find a Simi Dabah artwork that has been donated through his foundation. You will even see them donning the highways in the Morongo and Coachella Valleys.

Simi Dabah, a self-taught artist/welder, has created steel sculptures from industrial scrap for more than fifty years. In the early 1970’s, Dabah acquired a 8.5 acre parcel in Joshua Tree where he made a second home with the likes of other scultptors such as Noah Purifoy.

Simi created just over 2000 sculptures since the seventies but officially retired from welding in 2018. There are 487 sculptures left on the Joshua Tree site (at Sunfair + 4th), and all are for sale. The Sculpture Garden is open to the public on Saturdays from 9 am until 4 pm. Those sculptures may be purchased from the Foundation today. All proceeds support the program and provide funds to other qualified nonprofit organizations in their fundraising efforts. The majority of the foundation’s cash donations have been right here in the Morongo Basin.

At the garden you will also find a number of Ben Allanoff pieces