 When interviewing Dorothy Freudenberg for this month’s feature article, I was struck by her statement, “I realized a subject could speak more profoundly and eloquently sometimes in a different color than its given color; that allowed me to break the rules about what I thought things should be…” That got me thinking about my own subject: the “art” of laying out Cascade A&E.
Since books first began to be written, designers have been playing with layouts, fonts, images and color. A text presented in one format may be completely unappealing to read if the fonts are inconsistent, layout is distracting or color in dissidence. It is the job of the graphic designer to create a text that people will not only want to read, but be compelled to read. This is achieved in countless ways: a great cover image, the overall structure, logo, fonts and much more.
As I am just now reaching my first year mark as editor for Cascade A&E, the time has come to get past what the magazine has been and explore how we can make the pages speak more eloquently (and maybe even break some rules of what should be). We have a new look to the cover, contents page and headers...but in truth, I hope the design can change and evolve over time.
I like to call my job, “a giant game of Tetris.” Many different pieces filter in each month, and I try to figure out not only how it will all fit on a page, but how can it speak more profoundly.
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The January issue of Cascade A&E is proud to feature images from 37 local photographers in a seven page spread. After a call to art was issued to find a cover photo, we were thrilled to receive amazing images from some of Central Oregon’s finest photographers. With no theme to the request, my inbox was filled with images taken all over the world, images featuring children, landscapes, historical monuments and even a local brewery owner.Immediately our eyes were drawn to Gary Callicot’s winning image, Ski Wall. A common enough sight around Bend, old skis are used to make chairs, gates and just about anything an enterprising snow enthusiast might desire. What Ski Wall seemed to capture though, aside from brilliant colors, was a bit of Bend’s love of recreation. In the face of a very dry start to the winter season, the photo is a reminder, yes, of the missing snow, but also what that stormy sky might bring.With each photographer able to submit up to two images each, there were 66 in total to choose from, a very difficult feat! Please take some time to look at the other submissions and read a bit about the diverse backgrounds and stories from these photographers. Thank you to everyone who participated!
Snow has started to fall, decorations have appeared around town and holiday festivities are in full swing. It must be December in Central Oregon!If holiday music is your thing, options abound around town. The Central Oregon Mastersingers kick off the month at the First Friday Art Walk on December 2 with carols at the Tower Theatre. The Cascade Choral of COCC will be performing for the Holiday Magic Concert to benefit Abilitree on December 9 and 11 at Summit High School, Tom Grant will appear at the Oxford the week of December 22 and the Central Oregon Mastersingers will perform again at the Tower Theatre with a rendition of Handel’s Messiah on December 17 and 18.Sisters welcomes Gary and Matt Morris on December 17 to the Starry Nights Christmas as part of their national tour of acoustic Christmas tunes, and the Sunriver Music Festival is offering their Home for the Holidays show staring the TangleTown Trio in the Great Hall of Sunriver Resort on December 18. Enjoy a good Christmas story? The Innovation Theatre Works (ITW), Cascade Theatrical Company (CTC) and B.E.A.T. all have ruckus performances of traditional and not so traditional holiday shows. ITW has put together Truman Capote’s A Christmas Memory beginning December 2 and a production of David Sedaris’s The Santaland Diaries, running until Christmas. CTC will be performing their take of the humorous Midwestern classis, A Christmas Story, and B.E.A.T. has a twist on The Nutcracker that is sure to entertain even the little ones with The Story of the Nutcracker.My festivities involve dusting off the skis, filling a thermos with hot chocolate and heading for the great white beyond; there is nothing better after a day in the snow than returning to town to enjoy some music or a show with friends. Bend’s holiday offerings provide countless ways to celebrate the season. Enjoy your December!
A few years ago I took on the NaNoWriMo (National Novel Writing Month) challenge. The 50,000 word goal presents an opportunity to write for quantity during the month of November. The idea is, do away with editing and censoring for 30 days and just write. “When you write for quantity instead of quality, you end up getting both. Also, it’s a great excuse for not doing any dishes for a month,” says Chris Baty, NaNoWriMo founder. I did not make the word count during that November, but it was quite exciting to feverishly write in a stream-of-consciousness manner and tap into the extensive online community on the website (www.nanowrimo.org). Forum topics can be found on different genres, writers block and even one titled NaNoWriMo Ate My Soul.Bend has been very fortunate of late to host a number of events for fellow wordsmiths. BendFilm held a panel From Pen to Screen: The Creative Process where several notable screenwriters discussed writing for the big screen and the Nature of Words will hold 18 different workshops from Points of Departure for the Personal Essay to Landscapes & Light: Poetry and the Natural World.Simply put, November is a good month for words. Weather being unpleasant and unreliable, some days all you need is a good cup of coffee and a blank page.
 October is an exciting month for bike lovers. As I lived car-free until recently and my only mode of transportation was by bike, two wheels hold a special place in my heart. I am thrilled that Bend will be hosting the Day of the Dead Cyclocross Festival which will feature the Cross Culture Art Celebration and the Oregon Handmade Bike Show on October 28-30.Begin your weekend with the Cross Culture art walk in downtown. Friday night, different venues will feature photography, painting, handmade bikes, zines, film and live music. The true art on display during the festival though will be found at the Handmade Bicycle Show on Saturday and Sunday. The craft, design, attention to detail and passion for bikes is bringing people from around the country to show what can only be called art at the Good Life Brewery. Look for Bend’s only full time bike builder, Wade Beauchamp of Vulture Cycles who has been building custom bikes for over 13 years. He has a very cool tall bike design!Whether you watch one of the costumed cyclocross races in the Old Mill, gaze at a dreamy hand built bike or enjoy a night on the town from the seat of your cruiser bike, Bend will be overflowing with two-wheeled goodness on Halloween weekend.
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