My Own Two Hands art on display

A My Own Two Hands art exhibit is at Sisters Art Works beginning this week. The show will continue until the art pieces are displayed at stroll locations on April 15 and finally auctioned off on April 16.

A variety of pieces will be shown in the Sisters Art Works foyer. Steve Mathews and Roger White's latest wood-and-neon creation is hung inside the Sisters Folk Festival's Performing Arts and Americana Studies Center.

"Some of the pieces will change during the show," said SFF Development Director Katy Yoder. "As pieces are taken to stroll locations throughout Sisters, we'll replace them with additional donations."

Artwork on display includes a one-of-a-kind, intricately carved elk antler by Steve Frandsen, a turquoise-inlaid jewelry box by Les Cooper and a school of Common Canvas fish, decorated by local artists. The show includes paintings by Norma Holmes, Dennis McGregor, Glen Corbett and Janice Druian and are all stellar examples of their work.

"The quality of work this year is astounding," said Yoder. "We are truly blessed in this community with the generous artists who live here and throughout Central Oregon."

My Own Two Hands is the annual event produced by Sisters Folk Festival to raise money for the Sisters Americana Project. The theme for the 2011 fundraiser is "In The Current." The Community Parade, Art Stroll and Performing Arts evening will be held April 15 in downtown Sisters with the Art Auction and Party April 16 at Ponderosa Forge & Ironworks.

My Own Two Hands was awarded "Fundraising Event of the Year" in 2006 by the Oregon Festival and Events Association, and is the primary funding source for art programming in the schools, including building and playing guitars, recording, artist guest appearances, student scholarships, teacher trainings in arts education and many other year-long arts-education offerings through the Americana Project.

Hundreds of students in Sisters participate in the My Own Two Hands celebration with the guidance of the Americana instructors Brad Tisdel, Kit Stafford, Gary Bowne and Clay Warburton.

For more information visit http://www.sistersfolkfestival.org.

Sisters Art Works is located at 204 W. Adams Ave. The show will be open from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday.