“Cactus Blossom” (at left) and a sculpture inspired by natural forms (right) are the two final pieces being considered for a San Pablo Avenue location.
The Palm Desert Cultural Arts Committee on Wednesday voted unanimously to advance two artists as finalists for a sculpture to be placed at the San Pablo Phase 2 roundabout, located at the intersection of San Pablo Avenue and the east entrance to College of the Desert.
The committee selected DeWitt Godfrey and Gordon Huether as the top two finalists after hearing presentations from four artists who had advanced from an original pool of 214 applicants.
The city issued a Request for Qualifications on July 1, 2025, for the roundabout sculpture. A subcommittee appointed in October reviewed and scored the submissions, selecting five finalists to advance to the proposal phase. One finalist later withdrew.
The remaining artists — including Godfrey and Huether — presented detailed concept proposals and maquettes to the committee during the meeting. Proposals were required to address site-specific conditions including visibility, scale, lighting and technical constraints.
Godfrey, a sculptor with about 30 years of experience, proposed a Corten weathering steel sculpture inspired by natural forms and mathematical geometry known as Voronoi shapes. His design features organic, irregular cylindrical forms that reach roughly 22 feet high. Godfrey told the committee the Corten steel requires virtually no maintenance in a dry climate and would not need repainting.
"As it corrodes, it forms a layer of rust that prevents further oxidation," Godfrey said during his presentation.
Huether, who lives and works in Napa, presented a proposal called "Cactus Blossom," featuring Corten steel elements topped with a mirror-finished stainless steel sphere. He told the committee the sculpture would stand just under 17 feet tall and could be completed in as little as six months.
"When we install this, if we were to install this, in 100 years from now, it will look exactly the same," Huether said. "You're never going to have to touch it. You're never going to have to clean it."
Huether noted he has previous work in Palm Desert, including a sculpture on Fred Waring Boulevard that he said has remained in pristine condition 23 years after installation.
The two proposals that did not advance were "Nopali," a colorful steel sculpture inspired by the prickly pear cactus, standing about 18 feet tall and weighing approximately 4,000 pounds and "Desert Beacon," a 20-foot sculpture with perforated panels and a community engagement process to develop the cutout designs.
All finalists presented proposals within the $200,000 budget. Each received a $1,000 honorarium for proposal development.
Staff said the two finalists' proposals will next go out for community input through Engage Palm Desert and outreach to schools before the City Council makes a final selection in April.