About Us

The Under the Sun Foundation is inspired by the work of Dennis Avery, the late landowner of Galleta Meadows in Borrego Springs, and his passion for bringing art to the local community and its visitors. Mr. Avery had 130 large scale, free-standing, metal sculptures produced by artist Ricardo Breceda, and referred to them as Sky Art. Spread over 1500+ acres of undeveloped desert land, these larger than life creations welcome the public to discover and enjoy art outdoors, surrounded by the rich and diverse desert environs of Borrego Springs.

The Under the Sun Foundation seeks to breathe new life and meaning into the existing sculptures. The Candlewood Arts Festival marks the Foundation’s first new programming endeavor and will enjoy its inaugural year in 2019.

We at the Under the Sun Foundation are excited to see where our evolution might take us. We use Dennis Avery’s work and Borrego Springs as a point of inspiration, and expect to add new geographies, artistic endeavors, and ways to engage with our environment and one another over the coming years.

We invite you to take part in the journey!

Board Members

HALINA AVERY

Halina’s dedication to the arts, and interest in bringing business knowledge to the nonprofit world, have informed her wide ranging professional pursuits. Halina holds a Bachelor of Music degree from University of Texas at Austin, a Master of Music degree from Yale University, and a Master of Business Administration from Columbia University.

CHRIS AVERY

Chris received his B.A. in Cultural Anthropology from the University of Redlands. As a part of his degree, he participated in archaeological field work and relations building with the Hopi cultural preservation office in Northeastern Arizona. He now hopes to apply his life experience to the world of philanthropy.

THEO AVERY

Theo works as an attorney in Palm Desert, California. He graduated from University of Redlands with a B.A. in Philosophy and obtained his law degree from the University of California, Los Angeles School of Law.