Josh Otten and Josh Paquette
Owners, J. Willott Gallery
J. Willott Gallery, a leading contemporary art dealer on El Paseo in Palm Desert, had its genesis in a New England preschool decades ago. Owners Josh Paquette and Josh Otten — a.k.a. “the two Joshes” — likely first bonded over Play-Doh and coloring books while growing up together in Maine. “We’ve been involved in the arts our entire lives,” Otten says. “Our families began collecting fine art in the 1920s and have been deeply involved in the arts ever since.”
At the tender age of 30, the pair opened their gallery here in 2007, featuring museum-quality art in a relaxed, approachable setting — a gamble Otten calls their “massive leap into deep waters.”
It paid off. “In 2016, we moved into an amazing, brand-new, state-of-the-art gallery a block from our initial location,” he says of the shiny, 5,000-square-foot space with the 22-foot ceilings. “We have enjoyed tremendous success and the new environment has allowed us to continue our growth. Our artists have grown in accomplishment and stature every year.”
Their clientele encompasses a mix of visitors and residents, plus an increasing number of young collectors. “We thrive in the desert,” Otten says. “With the appropriate work ethic, business morals, and transparency, there is tremendous opportunity to succeed here. It is a fantastic area with an incredible infrastructure. The schools are fantastic. The dining is world-class. And there is at least one world-class art gallery.”