Sisters kicks off arts celebration

My Own Two Hands - the annual celebration of the arts and major fundraiser for Sisters Folk Festival - kicks off on Friday, April 27, at the Fourth Friday Art Stroll.

My Own Two Hands (MOTH) is in its 17th year and includes a parade, art stroll, free concert and auction as part of the community celebration of the arts. This year's theme is "Take Flight," and more than 100 artists have donated work for the fundraising auction that caps off the celebration on Saturday, May 12. Funds raised through the MOTH auction support arts & music education and programs in the Sisters schools and community.

The first opportunity to view the MOTH artwork is this Friday, from 4 to 7 p.m., in two locations during the Fourth Friday Art Stroll: in the lobby and downstairs gallery at Sisters Art Works, 204 W. Adams Ave., and at 142 E. Main Ave. Refreshments will be available and you can enter the Sisters Arts Association "Quick Draw" for a chance to win a pair of tickets to the My Own Two Hands Art Auction & Party. Information about the Fourth Friday Art Stroll is available at www.sistersartsassociation.org.

The MOTH parade on Friday, May 11, launches the weekend celebration of the arts. Students in all three schools participate, parading their "Take Flight"-themed artwork westward on Hood Avenue, starting at 4 p.m. at Spruce Street and ending at Oak Street. The My Own Two Hands Art Stroll is the second opportunity to view the donated art in 13 stroll-sponsoring businesses throughout downtown Sisters. The stroll runs from 4 to 7 p.m. and each of the stroll locations will feature live music. After the stroll, people can head over to The Belfry for a free concert featuring Seattle-based Kuinka.

This year's MOTH award-winners include Kathy and Frank Deggendorfer, receiving the Spirit of Giving Award for their support of Sisters Folk Festival over the years and their generosity toward building an arts-based culture and economy in Sisters.

Steve Mathews, artist, arts advocate, generous MOTH donor and guiding hand for young artists is awarded the Ben Westlund Advocate for the Arts Award.

The "Take Flight" Theme Award goes to Dan Rickards for "Final Approach." Awards of Merit were given to Helen Brown, Clifford Scharf and Carol Grigg.

Caroline Stratton received the Americana Folk Award and Moriah Jones, Sisters High School senior, was honored with the inaugural Pamela Hulse Andrews Student Achievement Award.

New this year is the "Community Choice Award," which will be given to one of the artists whose donation is entered in the MOTH silent auction. Select up to three of your favorites for the award, and if you can't make it to the art stroll, you can view the silent-auction donations on the website, where you'll find a link to submit your vote. Voting will continue through the MOTH Art Stroll on May 11 and the winner will be announced at the auction.

This year's Common Canvas project is inspired by the continuation of the art installation on the elementary school fence under the guidance of artist Laura Campbell (see story, page 8). "Alpine to Desert" will feature hundreds of art pieces depicting the flora and fauna of the high desert, including many species of birds. For this year's Common Canvas project, local artists applied their talents to 11 of those birds which are on display and available for bidding at Sisters Art Works. The silent auction on these 11 pieces is open to the public. The bidding closes at 6 p.m. on Friday, May 11.

Tickets to the Saturday, May 12 auction at Ponderosa Forge are limited. For ticket information, contact SFF Development Director Steven Remington at 541-588-7063.

Proxy bidding is available for the Common Canvas and live and silent auction artwork. To view all the donated artwork and for more information about proxy bidding, My Own Two Hands, Common Canvas, Community Choice Award voting and the arts and music programs of Sisters Folk Festival, visit

www.sistersfolk.org or call 541-549-4979, ext. 1.