Many come to Bend for the sheer beauty of the high desert terrain — from the juniper-studded outback to the abundant birdlife to the mighty Deschutes River. But there’s plenty of culture to experience here, too. The High Desert Museum takes an interdisciplinary approach, combining history, art and wildlife — sometimes all in one exhibit. From paintings highlighting the relationships between humans, wildlife and the environment to community shows that make it easy to take a piece home, here’s what’s coming up at this beloved Bend institution.
View Animals (and Humans) in Action
Creatures in transition: That’s one of the prominent themes in renowned Oregon artist Rick Bartow’s work, which often depicts figures that are neither fully animal nor fully human. But in the moments these forms are captured on canvas, on paper or in wood carvings, they seem to be deeply connected as one striking being.
Born in Newport, Bartow is one of the country’s most celebrated Native American contemporary artists. “Bartow’s work has a significant connection with wildlife,” says High Desert Museum executive director Dana Whitelaw. “He uses recognizable species — coyotes, birds, bears — in some of the most powerful and creative ways.”
In “Rick Bartow: Animal Kinship, from the collections of Jordan D. Schnitzer Family Foundation,” visitors can expect to see nearly two dozen compositions from the final three decades of Bartow’s career. That includes a mixed-medium painting from the museum’s collection called “For Roger” that melds man and hawk. Just as you’ll sometimes spot more than one species in Bartow’s art, the exhibit will feature multiple techniques and mediums.
“Instead of walking into a gallery where the tone and the feeling are similar between all the work of an artist, this is a riot of color and materials and energy,” says Whitelaw, “which is a profound way for his connection with animals to come across to the visitor.” The exhibit is on display starting Sept. 20, 2024 through Feb. 9, 2025.
Reframing the Eternal Search for Sasquatch
Another of the museum’s temporary exhibits also falls into the animal-human hybrid category but focuses on one being in particular: Bigfoot.
“Sensing Sasquatch” is devoted to the Pacific Northwest’s most famous folkloric resident. However, it’s not the campy archetype you’re picturing that’s now been used as a pitchman for everything from beer to beef jerky. Highlighting the Bigfoot we know from pop culture was the initial idea, but that changed after museum leaders discussed the exhibit with Indigenous advisors.
“Our partners started sharing stories of how their relatives, their elders, talk about Sasquatch,” says Whitelaw. “Many tribal members will provide offerings for Sasquatch. We know that when we’re creating our exhibition ideas, that if we’re captivated by something, our visitors are going to be as well.”
At the entrance to “Sensing Sasquatch,” visitors are asked to leave their preconceptions behind — literally, by slapping a ’Squatch-themed bumper sticker on the rear of a Subaru Outback disappearing into a thick forest. Inside the gallery, you’re immersed in the Indigenous experience with the elusive man-ape, who some revere as a protector and respect as kin. Five Native artists contributed to the exhibit, which includes everything from an 8-foot-tall statue of the bipedal beast encircled by a curtain of golden strands to an oversized wooden mask with eyes that appear to gleam and an unruly mop of hair. “Sensing Sasquatch” runs through Jan. 12, 2025.
Get Art for a Steal
Patrons walking away with museum artwork is typically the stuff of heist films. But for one week, an annual exhibition at the High Desert Museum actually celebrates doing so — for the low, low price of $20.
That’s the basic premise of the The 20-Dollar Art Show, where both amateur and professional creators submit pieces that are no bigger than 36 square inches. Visitors then walk the venue and simply pluck the work that they want from its display, making for an event that is both spontaneous and visceral.
More than 6,000 pieces will be up for grabs this year. The 20-Dollar Art Show will be on the gallery walls starting on Oct. 14, 2024. Then what’s now known as The 20-Dollar Art Show Extravaganza gets underway at 5:30 p.m. on Oct. 18, when the buying frenzy begins. Ticket sales go live on the venue’s website on Sept. 25. Art remaining on the walls will be available through Oct. 21 for — you guessed it — $20.
If you want to secure your spot to the Extravaganza, keyboard hovering is advised. “It usually sells out within the first 10 minutes,” adds Whitelaw. “It is a beloved, exciting event.”
