A $25,000 grant from the H.N. and Frances C. Berger Foundation will allow Cabot’s Pueblo Museum in Desert Hot Springs to expand its unique educational programs, cultural events, and exhibitions of artifacts.
The endowment is part of the monthly Coachella Valley Spotlight, a partnership between the Berger Foundation and CBS Local 2, to benefit local charities.
Cabot’s is a Hopi-inspired pueblo that draws tens of thousands of visitors each year. The sprawling complex was built over more than two decades in the 1920s and ’30s with scrap wood, sheet metal and other materials Cabot Yerxa collected throughout the desert. Shortly after homesteading 160 acres in 1913, Cabot dug a well with pick and shovel, discovering the now famous hot mineral waters of Desert Hot Springs.
“We are so grateful for this grant, which will help us preserve Cabot Yerxa’s legacy and the Native American and Alaska Native artwork he collected, while also helping inspire the next generation to appreciate the distinctive nature of the desert,” said Irene Rodriguez, the museum’s executive director.
The funding will be used to cover tours of the pueblo for every second-grader from five elementary schools in Desert Hot Springs, up from two schools. The grant also covers entertainment and art supplies for free public programs on the Day of the Dead and Earth Day, and the reopening of the Pueblo Gallery and the “Untold Stories” exhibition.
“The Berger Foundation is pleased to be able to help expand programming at this Coachella Valley landmark, which is so rich in cultural heritage,” said Catharine Reed, program director for the Berger Foundation.
“It is nice to see community resources being used to benefit a place of historical significance that also draws tourists to the area, and CBS Local 2 is proud to be a partner in this effort,” said Mike Stutz, general manager of Gulf California Broadcast Company, the owner and operator CBS Local 2.
Cabot’s Pueblo Museum is located at 67616 E Desert View Ave., Desert Hot Springs. For more information about the museum, its programs and events, go to www.cabotsmuseum.org or call 760-329-7610.