Georgia O’Keefe’s groundbreaking depictions of the desert in the 1930s made the art world sit up and take notice of the potential of this landscape. Today, the desert is attracting a growing number of artists from all disciplines. So much so, that there’s even an annual conference in San Bernardino County devoted to harnessing that creative output.

Trying to make sense of the national monument review process is like trying to avoid stepping on a scorpion in the dark.