Delicious Meals Served With A Side Of Art
LULU and Acqua feature an eclectic collection of murals, photographs, sculpture, and of course, Papa’s paintings.
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Almost everyone knows that Lulu California Bistro in Palm Springs and Acqua California Bistro at The River in Rancho Mirage serve the best breakfasts, brunches, lunches and dinners in the Coachella Valley just by the number of awards they’ve received over the past eight years, but not everyone may realize that both restaurants house one of the most eclectic collections of artwork found in any dining establishment here.
The display of art begins before you enter: in Palm Springs, the 15’x15’ mural, “Love & Peace-Roses”, by Curry Mendes portrays one of the city’s iconic and frequent visitors, Marilyn Monroe, with a beautiful, multi-colored flower crown of roses. This mural is placed along the side of Lulu on Arenas Road.
At Acqua, along the front of the restaurant on Highway 111, the custom sculpture “Forks on their Way to Nirvana” by artists Tony and Karen Barone is a vibrant display of over-sized and brightly-colored metallic forks in flight.
Their gorgeous sculpture flows into a playful installation dancing across the building and is one of the most popular Instagram-able attractions in the Coachella Valley.
This is just the beginning of the journey.
“We created Lulu and Acqua with a good measure of fun,” says founder Jerry Keller.“Barbara and I love collecting and sharing art that we enjoy and the pieces we’ve acquired are a reflection of the happy times and good feelings found in our restaurants.”
The art at Lulu and Acqua is also a showcase of local artists. Curry Mendes is a Palm Springs resident who, in addition to his mural at Lulu, has four other pieces hanging in the restaurants, including images of Lucille Ball and Desi Arnaz, Marilyn Monroe and Elizabeth Taylor from his Big, Bold and Beautiful series, and an oversized version of “Love & Peace-Roses” greets guests as they arrive at Acqua.
Tony and Karen Barone, native Chicagoans who came to live in Rancho Mirage via New York and Venice Beach, have their metal sculptures placed throughout the Coachella Valley in prominent locations like the Palm Springs Animal Shelter and the El Paseo shopping district in Palm Desert. A personal friend of the Keller’s, famed portrait photographer and Rancho Mirage resident Michael Childers, has some of his classic images at Lulu which include Raquel Welch, Demi Moore, Olivia Newton-John and John Travolta, Cher among other Hollywood celebrities, and a recent photo of actress Lucie Arnaz hangs at Acqua.
But perhaps the most beautiful art featured at Acqua is a family affair. Many areas of the restaurant house “Papa’s Walls” -- galleries of bright contemporary and modernist paintings by Barbara Keller’s 106 year old father, Marvin Cohn. Now numbering more than 30 paintings, Papa’s art is an inspiration to all who see it.
The art collections at Lulu and Acqua are available for viewing seven days a week. The restaurants are centrally-located in Palm Springs and Rancho Mirage and are close to several of the site-specific installations of the art biennial, Desert X, which is being held through April.
More info:
www.currymendes.com
www.baroneart.com/about-the-artists
www.instagram.com/elisabeth_anisimow
The display of art begins before you enter: in Palm Springs, the 15’x15’ mural, “Love & Peace-Roses”, by Curry Mendes portrays one of the city’s iconic and frequent visitors, Marilyn Monroe, with a beautiful, multi-colored flower crown of roses. This mural is placed along the side of Lulu on Arenas Road.
At Acqua, along the front of the restaurant on Highway 111, the custom sculpture “Forks on their Way to Nirvana” by artists Tony and Karen Barone is a vibrant display of over-sized and brightly-colored metallic forks in flight.
Their gorgeous sculpture flows into a playful installation dancing across the building and is one of the most popular Instagram-able attractions in the Coachella Valley.
This is just the beginning of the journey.
“We created Lulu and Acqua with a good measure of fun,” says founder Jerry Keller.“Barbara and I love collecting and sharing art that we enjoy and the pieces we’ve acquired are a reflection of the happy times and good feelings found in our restaurants.”
The art at Lulu and Acqua is also a showcase of local artists. Curry Mendes is a Palm Springs resident who, in addition to his mural at Lulu, has four other pieces hanging in the restaurants, including images of Lucille Ball and Desi Arnaz, Marilyn Monroe and Elizabeth Taylor from his Big, Bold and Beautiful series, and an oversized version of “Love & Peace-Roses” greets guests as they arrive at Acqua.
Tony and Karen Barone, native Chicagoans who came to live in Rancho Mirage via New York and Venice Beach, have their metal sculptures placed throughout the Coachella Valley in prominent locations like the Palm Springs Animal Shelter and the El Paseo shopping district in Palm Desert. A personal friend of the Keller’s, famed portrait photographer and Rancho Mirage resident Michael Childers, has some of his classic images at Lulu which include Raquel Welch, Demi Moore, Olivia Newton-John and John Travolta, Cher among other Hollywood celebrities, and a recent photo of actress Lucie Arnaz hangs at Acqua.
But perhaps the most beautiful art featured at Acqua is a family affair. Many areas of the restaurant house “Papa’s Walls” -- galleries of bright contemporary and modernist paintings by Barbara Keller’s 106 year old father, Marvin Cohn. Now numbering more than 30 paintings, Papa’s art is an inspiration to all who see it.
The art collections at Lulu and Acqua are available for viewing seven days a week. The restaurants are centrally-located in Palm Springs and Rancho Mirage and are close to several of the site-specific installations of the art biennial, Desert X, which is being held through April.
More info:
www.currymendes.com
www.baroneart.com/about-the-artists
www.instagram.com/elisabeth_anisimow