High Desert Museum to unveil annual ‘Art in the West’ exhibition, online silent auction

BEND, Ore. (KTVZ) — The High Desert Museum will unveil a stellar collection of traditional and contemporary art on Saturday, July 23 in its annual Art in the West exhibition and silent auction. This year’s invitation-only, juried exhibition will feature over 90 works of art by dozens of renowned artists from across the country. 

“We are thrilled to welcome new artists to the Art in the West exhibition this year — the wide diversity of artwork makes the exhibit engaging every year for museum visitors,” said museum Executive Director Dana Whitelaw, Ph.D. “Art enthusiasts are sure to find a favorite piece of the High Desert.”

Art in the West features a variety of works inspired by the High Desert. Visitors will see new mediums in the exhibition this year, including sagebrush, plexiglass, sandstone and enamels. The exhibit also 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, mixed media to mosaic, and bronze to branches. 

This year’s Curator’s Choice Award is presented to J. Dylan Cavin for his ink piece A Grand Jury Never Did Us Any Favors. Cavin is an enrolled member of the Choctaw Nation in southeast Oklahoma. He holds a Bachelor of Fine Arts in graphic design from the University of Science and Arts of Oklahoma. 

Cavin enlisted in the Army in July 2006 and was honorably discharged after breaking his leg. During this time, he dabbled in photography, tattooing and comic art, and later started creating portraits of friends and pets. He finally felt that he established an outlet for his artistic expression. “After years of being in the design field, it really felt good making something with my hands that others could connect to, appreciate, and in return was self-gratifying,” said Cavin.

His work has been shown professionally for more than 10 years and has also been honored in the Red Earth Festival in Oklahoma City and the Indian Market in Santa Fe, New Mexico.   

The Jury’s Choice Award goes to Brenna Kimbro for her sagebrush sculpture Summer Sky. Kimbro was born in Seoul, Korea and adopted by a family who lives on a working cattle ranch in Eastern Oregon. Early on, she fell in love with horses and started depicting them in artwork. 

In 2004, Kimbro received a Bachelor of Science in art after studying at the University of Oregon and Eastern Oregon University. She has participated in many shows and exhibitions over 20 years. Kimbro’s art has received myriad honors and she was profiled in Oregon Public Broadcasting’s Oregon Art Beat in 2012. She works from her studio Kimbro Meadows and Brenna Kimbro Fine Art Studio below Craig Mountain in Union, Oregon.

“I am excited to create art when I learn it has a positive impact,” said Kimbro. “It truly brings me great inspiration and happiness to know that my art spreads joy.”

Silent bidding will be available online, with the opportunity to purchase artwork outright. The bidding will launch July 23 and continue through the exhibit’s closing on Friday, September 30. Opening bids for the art range from $50 to $8,200.

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

A link to the gallery guide of the exhibit artwork will be available exclusively on the Museum’s website starting Monday, July 18 at highdesertmuseum.org/art-in-the-west. The auction is exclusively online, and shipping is available. The bidding concludes and the exhibit closes on Friday, September 30. 

Art in the West is made possible by First Interstate Bank, 102.9 KSJJ and Western Art Collector magazine with support from Chubb, Jaguar Land Rover of Portland, St. Charles Health System 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.