High Desert Museum’s ‘Art in the West’ exhibition, auction celebrates region through stunning artwork

(Update: Adding video, Dana Whitelaw comments)

BEND, Ore. (KTVZ) — The High Desert Museum will unveil a diverse collection of traditional and contemporary art on Saturday, July 8 in its annual Art in the West exhibition and silent auction. This year’s juried exhibition will feature over 90 works of art by dozens of acclaimed artists from across the country. 

Art in the West shares a variety of works inspired by the High Desert. The exhibit features sculptures, paintings and photography expressing responses to the landscapes, history, cultures and wildlife of the High Desert in mediums ranging from oil to acrylic, pastel to charcoal.

“The diversity of artwork, from subject matter to medium, continues to grow and impress visitors,” said Museum Executive Director Dana Whitelaw, Ph.D. “These artistic interpretations of the West reveal something new and expand our appreciation of this special region.”

The 2023 Art in the West Jury’s Choice Award winter is Barbara Van Cleve. The acclaimed Montana-based photographer documents the beauty of the West through rich black-and-white photography. Van Cleve’s award-winning image, Moving On, a 16” x 20” archival pigment print, is one of several pieces the artist has in this year’s exhibition. Van Cleve has had over 100 one-person exhibitions and participated in 180 group exhibitions.

The 2023 Art in the West Curator’s Choice Award goes to an artist new to the show, Taylor Manoles, for the 38” x 38” oil painting Painted Hills. Manoles lives in Bend and shows her work across the Pacific Northwest, as well as on various online platforms. In 2022, her painting Sparks Lake Sunrise was chosen for the cover of Southwest Art Magazine.

As the exhibition grows, we are excited to welcome artists new to the show, this year including Indigenous artist and storyteller Monte Yellow Bird, Sr. (Arikara and Hidatsa of the Three Affiliated Tribes) and Russian sculptor Anton Yakushev. 

Silent bidding will be available online, with the opportunity to purchase artwork outright. The bidding will launch July 8 and continue through the exhibition’s closing on Friday, September 22. Opening bids for the art range from $225 to $8,500.

Proceeds from the Art in the West auction help support the Museum’s exhibitions and programs, bringing science, art and history education to lifelong learners throughout the region. 

A link to the gallery guide of the exhibition’s artwork will be available on the Museum’s website starting Saturday, July 8 at highdesertmuseum.org/aiw. The auction is exclusively online, and shipping is available. 

The bidding concludes and the exhibition closes on Friday, September 22 at the Art in the West Closing Party at the High Desert Museum. Attendees will mingle with participating artists, watch live demonstrations and enjoy live music, food and libations. The event begins at 6:00 pm and the auction closes at 7:00 pm. Register at highdesertmuseum.org/aiw-closing-party. 

Art in the West is made possible by American Art Collector and Western Art Collector magazines with support from Chubb, High Desert Frameworks and Tetherow.

ABOUT THE MUSEUM:

THE HIGH DESERT MUSEUM opened in Bend, Oregon in 1982. It brings together wildlife, cultures, art, history and the natural world to convey the wonder of North America’s High Desert. The Museum is a 501(c)3 nonprofit organization accredited by the American Alliance of Museums, is a Smithsonian Affiliate, was the 2019 recipient of the Western Museums Association’s Charles Redd Award for Exhibition Excellence and was a 2021 recipient of the National Medal for Museum and Library Service. To learn more, visit highdesertmuseum.org and follow us on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter.