Brooks Resources marks 50th with free museum admission

As part of celebrating 50 years in business in Central Oregon, Brooks Resources will provide free admission to the High Desert Museum to all with a Community Appreciation Day on Saturday, April 13.

The High Desert Museum has a long history with the Bend-based company. In 1969, Brooks Resources Corporation was born from the consolidation of the Brooks-Scanlon and Shevlin-Hixon lumber mills, diversifying into real estate development as Oregon’s lumber industry began to shrink.

Thirteen years later, Brooks Resources donated 135 acres south of Bend to educator Donald Kerr, and the then-named Oregon High Desert Museum was born.

“It’s an honor to partner with Brooks Resources and celebrate their 50 th anniversary with a Community Appreciation Day,” said Museum Executive Director Dana Whitelaw, Ph.D. “The High Desert Museum simply would not be here if not for the generosity of Brooks Resources. It’s been a gift that continues to educate and enrich the lives of Central Oregonians and those who visit the region.”

“We’ve been honored to be supported by and part of the Central Oregon community for five decades,” said Brooks Resources President and CEO Kirk Schueler. “And we’re proud that the High Desert Museum is part of our legacy. Offering free Museum admission seemed like an ideal thank you to share with the region.”

The Museum will be open on April 13 for its usual summer hours, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. daily. Visitors on Community Appreciation Day will enjoy the lifelike artwork from Portland-based artist April Coppini in the exhibition The Beauty of Wild Things: Charcoal Drawings by April Coppini, on display through June 23. Also on display will be the original High Desert Museum exhibition Animal Journeys: Navigating in Nature. More information on the Museum’s temporary and permanent exhibitions is available at highdesertmuseum.org/exhibitions .