Sisters Folk Festival is ‘Holding Hope’

Artists are invited to share their finest work in the virtual My Own Two Hands (MOTH) fundraiser art auction is scheduled for May 10-15.

Sisters Folk Festival staff and board have announced this year’s theme: “Holding Hope,” offering the encouragement of the prospect of better days ahead and a closer connection to community in our near future.

SFF invites artists to consider contributing artwork to help support SFF’s arts programming and mission in the community.

“The past year has been immensely challenging for everyone in our community and beyond. The COVID-19 global pandemic has shuttered businesses, created difficulties in connecting with family and friends, and cut us off from some of the things we hold dear as a community,” said SFF Creative Director Brad Tisdel. We are “Holding Hope” that we can continue to support one another, bring folks together and share our profound value of artistic expression and creativity.”

Sisters Folk Festival is much more than just a music festival. The educational outreach in the Sisters School District includes 20 years of music and arts education through the Americana Project, 12 years of building handmade guitars and ukuleles in the high school’s luthier program, visual arts support and a completed five-year Studio to School Grant for arts programming grades K-8.

In addition to the Americana Project and luthier program, SFF’s partnership with the Sisters schools has guaranteed that every child in the district has equitable access to visual arts education grades K-6, and multi-disciplinary art classes as an elective class in the middle and high schools for all students. Sisters Folk Festival has also hosted creativity camps and summer concerts, virtual classes and workshops, and the virtual Song Academy for Youth over just the past several months.

Artists who wish to donate need to ensure delivery of their completed pieces to SFF no later than March 25:

• Hand deliver to the Sisters Folk Festival office Monday-Thursday, 10 a.m.-4 p.m .; 204 W. Adams Ave., Ste. 101, Sisters, OR, 97759.

• Send via U.S. mail to Sisters Folk Festival, P.O. Box 3500, PMB 304 Sisters, OR 97759.

• Ship via UPS or FedEx using the physical address above.

• Contact Kate Kittell to coordinate a local pick up (Sisters, Bend, Redmond) at [email protected]; 541-588-7064

The SFF MOTH committee will be selecting one piece they believe best represents this year’s MOTH theme — “Holding Hope” — for the promotional artwork. This selected piece will be used in virtual and print marketing to promote all the happenings of My Own Two Hands. To be considered, artists must submit their artwork no later than March 15.

A few details for visual artists to consider and calendar:

• March 15 — promotional artwork consideration deadline.

• March 25 — last day to submit artwork to SFF to allow time to jury pieces for award selection, photograph the art, and prepare the online artwork spotlights.

• May 10-15 — Virtual My Own Two Hands art auction.

For more information or to contribute to My Own Two Hands 2021, visit www.sistersfolkfestival.org.