FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Monday, June 27, 2022
Contact: Heidi Hagemeier, director of communications, 541-382-4754 ext. 166, hhagemeier@highdesertmuseum.org
High Desert Rendezvous Returns In Person on August 27
Signature fundraiser helps support Museum educational programs
BEND, OR — For the first time since 2019, the High Desert Museum’s signature fundraiser, High Desert Rendezvous, will take place in person at the Museum on Saturday, August 27 from 5:00 pm – 9:00 pm. This marks the 33rd year of the High Desert Rendezvous, making it one of the longest-running fundraisers in Central Oregon.
“Returning in person after two years makes this a very special High Desert Rendezvous,” said Museum Executive Director Dana Whitelaw, Ph.D. “We will gather together again, celebrate the Museum’s 40th anniversary and the accomplishments of the past year, and raise a glass to our generous community.”
In addition to dinner, a raffle and entertainment, Rendezvous is also a chance to bid on art by traditional and contemporary artists in the juried exhibition and silent auction Art in the West, which opens at the Museum on Saturday, July 23. A gallery guide of the artwork in the exhibition will be available on the Museum’s website on July 18 at highdesertmuseum.org/aiw.
An individual ticket for Rendezvous is $150 for members and $200 for nonmembers, and for a couple the event costs $300 for members and $350 for nonmembers. Sponsorship tables are available for parties of eight or 10. A list of sponsor benefits including VIP perks and community recognition can be viewed at highdesertmuseum.org/hdr.
The 2022 Rendezvous Honoree is Cameron Kerr. The wife of Museum founder Don Kerr and a self-described “lifetime volunteer,” she has been an active and stalwart supporter since the institution opened in 1982. Today, she is a Museum Trustee and Collections Committee Chair, and she can be seen regularly in the Museum’s collections department helping volunteers and supporting staff.
“Cameron is a treasured friend of the Museum and a meaningful Honoree for our 40th year,” Whitelaw said. “She has supported the staff, volunteers and visitors since the very beginning and through four decades of growth.”
This year’s High Desert Rendezvous silent auction will take place online. It’s packed with luxurious items and one-of-a-kind experiences, from wine tastings in California to stays at your favorite Central Oregon resorts. Online bidding opens Friday, August 19 and ends on Monday, August 29.
We are grateful to all the generous businesses and organizations that donate items and experiences to our silent auction. Those interested in donating items to be featured in the High Desert Rendezvous silent auction may contact Senior Donor Relations Manager Megan Kantrim at mkantrim@highdesertmuseum.org or call 541-382-4754 ext. 332.
The High Desert Rendezvous helps support the Museum’s educational programs, ensuring the Museum continues to be a place where people and the landscape thrive together.
The 33rd annual High Desert Rendezvous is presented by First Interstate Bank.
Learn more about and register for the High Desert Rendezvous at highdesertmuseum.org/hdr.
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.
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