Monthly Archives: May 2026

May 4th

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A Birthday Wish for the Man Behind the Steel Posted by the Simi Dabah Sculpture Foundation May 4, 2026 May 4th is a special day in Joshua Tree. It's the birthday of the man who spent decades turning raw steel into enduring art — who shaped not just metal, but an entire landscape, a legacy, and a community. When Larry Bowden, the Foundation President, once asked Simi Dabah how old he was, Simi replied simply: "I'm old”. A few years later, that still holds true. And somehow, it still makes us smile. The Man Behind the Sculpture Garden Simi Dabah has never been one for ceremony. He is a maker, first and always — someone whose hands have told more stories than his words ever needed to. Over the course of his career he has created more than 2000 sculptures of which only 350 are now on display across 8.5 acres of Joshua Tree desert, standing in concert with the wind, the rocks, and the sky. Each piece is forged in steel. Each piece is rooted in community. That is not a tagline. It is a description of who Simi is. Time Spent Well Larry and Dana have had the privilege of spending time with Simi and Julie — moments that can't be quantified on a balance sheet or catalogued in a database. They are the kinds of moments that make the work of preservation feel less like an obligation and more like honor. "He is an inspiration to me” Larry wrote this morning, in a simple, quiet tribute posted to our web site. What It Means to Preserve a Legacy The Simi Dabah Sculpture Foundation exists because great art — and the lives that produce it — deserve to be protected, shared, and passed forward. Every sculpture donated to a public institution carries Simi's vision into a new community. Every visitor who walks the Sunfair grounds encounters something that cannot be manufactured: the presence of simple creativity. On this birthday, we pause from the work of preservation to simply say: “Happy Birthday, Simi. Thank you for making things that last.” Want to visit the sculpture garden or learn more about our donation programs? Contact Larry or explore our on line catalog to see Simi's remaining sculptures. The Simi Dabah Sculpture Foundation is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit based in Joshua Tree, CA. We preserve the legacy of Simi Dabah through stewardship of his outdoor sculpture garden and an active program of institutional donations. Sent from my iPhone

A Birthday Wish for the Man Behind the Steel
Posted by the Simi Dabah Sculpture Foundation
May 4, 2026
 
May 4th is a special day in Joshua Tree.
It’s the birthday of the man who spent decades turning raw steel into enduring art — who shaped not just metal, but an entire landscape, a legacy, and a community.When Larry Bowden, the Foundation President, once asked Simi Dabah how old he was, Simi replied simply: “I’m old”.
A few years later, that still holds true.
And somehow, it still makes us smile.

The Man Behind the Sculpture Garden
Simi Dabah has never been one for ceremony. He is a maker, first and always — someone whose hands have told more stories than his words ever needed to. Over the course of his career he has created more than 2000 sculptures of which only 350 are now on display across 8.5 acres of Joshua Tree desert, standing in concert with the wind, the rocks, and the sky.
Each piece is forged in steel. Each piece is rooted in community.  That is not a tagline. It is a description of who Simi is.

Time Spent Well
Larry and Dana have had the privilege of spending time with Simi and Julie — moments that can’t be quantified on a balance sheet or catalogued in a database. They are the kinds of moments that make the work of preservation feel less like an obligation and more like honor.
“He is an inspiration to me” Larry wrote this morning, in a simple, quiet tribute posted to our web site.

What It Means to Preserve a Legacy
The Simi Dabah Sculpture Foundation exists because great art — and the lives that produce it — deserve to be protected, shared, and passed forward.
Every sculpture donated to a public institution carries Simi’s vision into a new community. Every visitor who walks the Sunfair grounds encounters something that cannot be manufactured: the presence of simple creativity.

On this birthday, we pause from the work of preservation to simply say:
“Happy Birthday, Simi. Thank you for making things that last.”

Want to visit the sculpture garden or learn more about our donation programs? Contact Larry or explore our on line catalog to see Simi’s remaining sculptures.  

The Simi Dabah Sculpture Foundation is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit based in Joshua Tree, CA.

We preserve the legacy of Simi Dabah through stewardship of his outdoor sculpture garden and an active program of institutional donations.