If you look on the map of A-Z West you will see that the north east corner of the property is a High Desert Test Sites parcel. This is one of several pieces of land between Pioneertown and Wonder Valley that we use for HDTS, a non-profit organization that I co-founded in 2002 with the goal of supporting and drawing attention to works that engage directly with everyday life.

One of the underlying philosophies of HDTS is to “learn from what we are not.” This is the idea that there are many ways to live, and learning from others can offer new insight and perspectives on ourselves, and environments or situations that we may think we already know well. This mission is inspired by some of the visionary individuals who live in the desert who have made their work their life practice — who create intellectually rigorous and culturally relevant work regardless of the market or other outside factors.

High Desert Test Sites is known for our big “events” which are held every other year and feature immersive artworks that are installed (mostly) outdoors, in very diverse locations, with many miles in between. Originally these events were always held in the high desert, but in recent years they have expanded to locations as far away as New Mexico and Utah. But there are a lot of other programs too. Kip hosts a monthly desert book club and we do workshops, solo artist’s projects and help disseminate information about interesting locations in the high desert. All of these activities are connected by a desire to help support artworks that function as part of everyday life — and to connect diverse groups of people in ways that are respectful and mutually beneficial.

Many HDTS projects are short term or temporary. The upcoming schedule is listed on the HDTS website so you can plan your next trip to the desert, but if you are in the area when there aren’t any scheduled programing there are still lots of other things to check out. The HDTS HQ at the Sky Village Swap Meet distributes maps to some of our current installations, as well as the area’s “greatest hits.”

A lot of people ask what the difference is between A-Z West and HDTS. A-Z West is my home and land in Joshua Tree, dedicated to my own practice and projects like the Wagon Station Encampment. High Desert Test Sites is a support entity for artists whose practices explore the intersection between contemporary art and life at large. The HDTS sites include many different areas and pieces of land scatted throughout Pioneertown, Joshua Tree, and Wonder Valley.