Black Butte Ranch celebrates the arts

Black Butte Ranch is celebrating the arts - and supporting arts in the Sisters community - with its annual Art at the Ranch show on September 1 and 2.

The event kicks off Friday evening with an artist reception and silent auction at the BBR Lodge, starting at 5:30 p.m. The Lodge is displaying works by several artists who are featured in the next day's art fair.

One of those is wood sculptor Jon Stark, who has several pieces ready for the show.

"I'll have a whole new set of pieces that I'll be taking out to the Ranch," he told The Nugget.

Stark's work features local woods - ponderosa and lodgepole pine and juniper. Stark is the son of nationally recognized Sisters artist Paul Stark, whose work is also on display in the show. Sculpture in wood is a family art form.

"I started cleaning up sawdust in Dad's shop when I was just a kid," Stark recalled.

After working with his father, he started sculpting on his own and now makes his living at it.

Also featured is the work of show poster artist Jill Neal.

Famous for her images of Wild (Tasteful) Women of Rubenesque proportion - art that is featured on everything from greeting cards to wine labels, Neal has an extensive background in the fine arts.

Jill's education includes a bachelor of arts degree in art from Oregon State University as well as graduate studies in sculpture with Frederick Lipman at Portland State University.

She exhibits extensively in galleries and participates in numerous art festivals throughout the Northwest, and is represented in many private and corporate collections.

Neal was recently the featured artist for a curated show at the Millard Sheets Gallery in Los Angeles.

Saturday's art fair on the Lakeside Promenade runs from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. and features a wide variety of Northwest artists and craftsmen displaying their work. Children's activities are featured from 2 to 4 p.m.

There will be live music throughout the day, including Marv & Rindy Ross of Quarterflash and Oregon Trail Band fame playing from 1 to 3 p.m.

Paula Perkins, one of the show's organizers, encouraged the public to come out and enjoy the music.

"It's a free concert, so people can come out and see the concert and walk around," she said.

Perkins noted that the annual plein air paintout will start at 9 a.m., even though the landscape may still be partially obscured by wildfire smoke. Painters will station themselves at different points on the Ranch and paint till noon. The People's Choice winner will be announced at about 1:30 p.m., Perkins

said.

The paintings will be for sale, with 20 percent of the proceeds going to the Black Butte Ranch Art Guild's scholarship and community outreach funds.

The Guild provides significant scholarships for Sisters High School graduates; last year one student received a $5,000 scholarship. Funds raised through the event also support Sisters School District visual arts programs and a portion goes toward art acquisition for the Ranch.