Author: Althea Gouker

Hollow and Still: Photographs Following Fire by David Paul Bayles
November 1, 2025 – February 15, 2026

In September 2020, the Holiday Farm Fire, driven by fierce east winds, burned 173,000 acres along the forested McKenzie River canyon in the Cascades of Oregon. Two months later, acclaimed photographer David Paul Bayles and disturbance ecologist Frederick J. Swanson began a photography project to document the stark beauty of the burned forest and its vibrant response to fire.  

A special collection of 35 photographs from the project is on view at the Museum in Hollow and Still: Photographs Following Fire by David Paul Bayles. The exhibition brings together a series of images capturing the visual beauty and rooted strength of a forest that has withstood over two centuries. The photographs were taken in the early days of the fire’s aftermath, showcasing the emotional impact as well as the ecological ramifications. 

 

Soil Alive!
October 18, 2025 – March 29, 2026

Soil is made from minerals, air, water and decaying bits of organisms. But soil is not just a bed of crunched up rocks and other materials. Soil is alive. Soil Alive! beckons visitors underground to explore the subterranean world beneath us in a family-friendly, interactive exhibition. Presented in English and Spanish.

 

The 20-Dollar Art Show
October 4, 2025 – October 20, 2025

Bend’s biggest little art show is back! The Museum is once again honored to host this year’s 20-Dollar Art Show, presented by Bright Place Gallery. Featuring nearly 9,000 pieces of original art by local and emerging artists, this year’s show promises to be the biggest yet. Each mini masterpiece goes on sale for the low, low price of $20 during the Extravaganza weekend, October 17-20. Prior to that weekend, the exhibition is open for viewing, browsing and admiring only. 

 

 

Joe Feddersen: Earth, Water, Sky
September 27, 2025 – January 18, 2026

Joe Feddersen: Earth, Water, Sky is a career retrospective of the nationally renowned Indigenous artist. From wall-sized installations to miniatures and baskets, the exhibition features close to 100 pieces from Feddersen’s prolific 40-year career. The exhibition is organized by the Northwest Museum of Arts and Culture in Spokane, Washington, and curated by heather ahtone, director of curatorial affairs, First Americans Museum in Oklahoma City, and Rachel Allen, curator of modern and contemporary art at the Northwest Museum of Arts and Culture.

 

 

Finding the Light
Temporary Art Installation

Located on the path leading toward the E. L. Wiegand Ponderosa Playscape, Finding the Light stands out among its natural surroundings, much like it did on the desert playa of Nevada. Created by local artist Kevin Necessary, the monolithic sculpture stood at Burning Man in 2024. Visitors walking the trail are encouraged to interact with the colorful shadows as the sun crosses the sky. The art installation is on view at the Museum temporarily. 

 

Art in the West
July 5, 2025 – September 20, 2025

Art in the West is an annual juried fine art exhibition and online silent auction featuring art that celebrates the landscapes, wildlife, people, cultures and history of the High Desert—a region that stretches from the eastern slope of the Cascades and Sierras to the Wyoming Basin and Colorado Plateau. Featuring nearly 120 pieces from 80-plus nationally and regionally acclaimed artists, the entire collection is on exhibit at the High Desert Museum and the 2025 Gallery Guide is available to view online! 

 

 

Kids Curate
May 3, 2025 – June 1, 2025

The Kids Curate exhibition opens at the High Desert Museum on May 3! This year third and fourth graders from La Pine Elementary focused on the diverse perspectives of fire — from an agricultural tool to community threat to natural process. Come enjoy the students’ charcoal and acrylic paint artworks based on what they learned over months of special in-class visits as well as field trips to the Museum.

 

 

E. L. Wiegand Ponderosa Playscape

Bask in the sunshine surrounded by ponderosa pine trees in the outdoor playscape at the Museum! The area engages children’s playful side while encouraging them to learn about the lifecycle of a ponderosa pine tree. At every stage of the tree’s life — from cone to seed to adult — it plays an important role in the forest’s ecosystem. Even after the tree’s death, the pine tree remains in the forest as a snag or log and provides critical habitat for plants and animals.

Patterns at Play: Fractals in Nature
February 22, 2025 – October 5, 2025

Patterns at Play: Fractals in Nature is an original exhibition that invites you to take a closer look at the universe’s curious practice of self-organization. An immersive, family-friendly experience, the exhibit encourages you to build your own patterns while an animation creates new fractals right before your eyes. Visitors should expect to play, touch, listen and watch in this whimsical exploration of nature.

 

 

Frank S. Matsura: Portraits from the Borderland
February 1, 2025 – September 7, 2025

At the dawn of the 20th century, the Indigenous peoples of North America regularly faced narratives that they would soon disappear, be it from artists, academics or politicians. Yet Japanese immigrant and photographer Frank Sakae Matsura (1873-1913) approached his artistry differently. He arrived in the U.S. in 1901 and made Okanogan County, a rural expanse of High Desert in northern Washington state, his home. There, he grew strong relationships with the area’s tribal communities. The resulting body of work includes some of the most visually powerful and nuanced images of Indigenous people from the era.