News and Opinion from Sisters, Oregon
News and Opinion from Sisters, Oregon
Art in the High Desert is returning to Bend at Riverbend Park.
Art lovers across Central Oregon are preparing for a feast of top-tier art in a wide range of media as Art in the High Desert returns to Bend August 23-25.
The show will run Friday evening through Sunday afternoon at Riverbend Park across from the Old Mill District. The venue marks a return to Bend after 2023's show ran in Redmond, a development welcomed by both organizers and patrons.
"Bend is where we've been for so many years, it seemed like the right place," said board member and graphic designer Brian O'Neill.
Some 135 to 140 artists will display their work on an expansive grassy area alongside the Deschutes River.
"It's a pleasant place to be," O'Neill said.
Many patrons make a full day - or multiple days - of what amounts to a festival celebration of the highest quality art. Organizers have consistently sought out the finest work for the show.
"They're serious about it being the highest-end show it can be, so it has a pretty serious jury process," O'Neill said.
High-end does not equate to exclusive though, O'Neill notes.
"I wouldn't call it an exclusive show," he said. "Most artists have a range of price points. There is something for everybody. It's quite a spread actually."
The range of art is staggering - from ceramics and sculpture to wearable and non-wearable fiber art; painting; digital art; multi-media creations; photography; printmaking.
All the work must be original, created by the artist, and not mass produced in any way. Patrons who attend the show year in and year out tend to be looking for unique art that displays a high level of skill and creativity. Attendees at the show will be interacting with the artist who created the work.
"We have a lot of collectors who come, interior designers, people who are looking for quality art that can go in a home or a business area," O'Neill said.
Art in the High Desert welcomes serious collectors and those who simply enjoy and appreciate art. The venue is conducive to spending a day browsing the artists booths, and there will be food and refreshment available on-site. The show opens on Friday, August 23 at 5 p.m.
Jim Cornelius is editor in chief of The Nugget and author of “Warriors of the Wildlands: True Tales of the Frontier Partisans.” A history buff, he explores frontier history across three centuries and several continents on his podcast, The Frontier Partisans. For more information visit www.frontierpartisans.com.
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