Public artLa Quinta
Roadrunner Sculpture
Discover the monumental Don Kennell roadrunner created for the 2014 Coachella festival and later installed as a permanent La Quinta landmark.
At the intersection of Jefferson Street and Avenue 52 in La Quinta stands a monumental metal roadrunner with an unusual journey from temporary festival artwork to permanent city landmark.
New Mexico artist Don Kennell created the 12-foot-tall, 18-foot-long sculpture for the 2014 Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival. Its original festival installation included a porch swing beneath the bird’s beak, turning the work into both a sculpture and a place for visitors to pause.
After the festival, a partnership between the City of La Quinta and Goldenvoice brought the roadrunner to La Quinta. Installed within the traffic circle near Jefferson Street and Avenue 52, it now connects the city’s public-art landscape with the creative history of the Coachella festival.
The sculpture is especially striking against the Santa Rosa Mountains. Its scale, recycled-metal construction and highly visible setting have transformed a once-temporary festival piece into one of La Quinta’s most recognizable examples of public art.
Related Desert Oasis Insider research
- Explore La Quinta, California
- Read the complete history of the Coachella festival
- Explore the Coachella Music & Arts Festival
- Discover public art at La Quinta Civic Center Campus