March 27, 2008

A New Bend Art Festival Will Feature The Works of 100 Nationally Acclaimed Artists

This summer Bend, Oregon will be the destination for some of the country’s finest artists. The attraction is the first annual Art in the High Desert Festival scheduled for August 22-24 in the park along the Deschutes River in the Old Mill District.

The buzz in the national art community began late last year when Art Fair Source Book, the “gold standard guide” for art festivals throughout the country, took the unusual position of endorsing a first year event as a place that serious artists don’t want to miss.

Read what people are saying! Article 1, Article 2, The Bend Bulletin 4/22/08

That message apparently had an impact. According to Carla Fox, a local artist and the Festival’s director, “Three hundred and fifty artists from 27 states and Canada submitted applications to be part of the event. Many of these artists are those you regularly find in the top-tiered art festivals throughout the country, such as Portland’s Art in the Pearl, Bellevue’s (WA) Festival of Arts, La Quinta (CA) and Scottsdale’s (AZ) Art Festivals. NEW! Aerial site view.

“For a first year event this is an excellent response and a tribute to the cultural reputation of the Bend area. ”A four-member jury will narrow the field to 100 presenting artists based on their originality, craftsmanship and consistency of style. “We have presented the judges with an extremely difficult task given the quality and reputations of those who applied,” Fox said describing the jury process that will take place April 5th and 6th. 

Art in the High Desert will emphasize a wide spectrum of art that includes ceramics, painting, photography, sculpture, jewelry, glass, wood and more. “Our goal is to provide art buyers and collectors an opportunity to meet the artists and purchase their fine art and crafts work, many who will be showing in Central Oregon for the first time,” Fox explained.

“We also want the Festival to be a positive contributor to Central Oregon’s vibrant art and cultural community. We believe creating a nationally recognized art festival helps define Bend and Central Oregon as a cultural center. This goes beyond bragging rights. This has real tangible meaning to our region’s economic energy.

Contact: Darrel Buttice at 541-526-6251 or email darrel@imagerynw.com

Download March 27, press release as a .pdf file here