The Glass Outhouse Art Gallery is named for its latrine, a fully functional flush toilet in an outhouse built with two-way mirrors. The two-way mirror walls allow the user to look out upon the vast desert landscape in every direction while those waiting their turn see only their own reflection in the landscape. This glorious oasis of modern comforts is open for visitors to the art gallery and outdoor sculpture park located in Twentynine Palms.

The owner, Laurel Sidle, exercises a non-discriminatory first come first serve gallery booking process. She claims that the inspiration came from her own struggles to find places to show her artwork. She wanted a gallery that gave everyone a chance. After her husband passed away, she converted the former barn they used to raise and sell rabbits into the white walled gallery with three large rooms and track lighting. Two of the rooms feature solo exhibitions and the third hosts group shows. Laurel does not preview the artworks prior to booking the exhibition. If someone is interested in showing she’ll put them on the schedule. The artists are responsible for hanging their work, sitting some of the open gallery hours, and providing refreshments for the opening reception. Exhibitions are up for one month with openings that feature live music on the first Saturday of the month. Artists have the option to keep the full payment for any works sold or to donate a percentage to help with general operating costs of the gallery.

Rows of solar powered bobble heads at the front desk introduce the whimsical treasures installed along a trail that meanders away from the gallery, around Laurels house , and to a storyland sized Chapel. With humorous installations of skeletons using exercise equipment, oversized scorpions, and a cowboy armadillo bandit holding up a frog and rabbit, the place feels like a desert fun house or a loony Terminator-themed miniature golf course.

The Glass Outhouse Art Gallery opened its doors in 2009 and as of April 2015 is booked through 2017. When we visited, Laurel was sitting the gallery herself because one of the artists whose work was on display is a truck driver and had to be on the road. She says that she loves the time she gets to spend with the exhibited artworks.

77575 Twentynine Palms Hwy, Twentynine Palms, CA 92277