(New venue | Photo courtesy of Art in the High Desert)
Art in the High Desert is Central Oregon’s premier juried fine art and craft show. Every year, more than 100 artists flock to the region to have their work shown in this prestigious expo. While hundreds of artists apply each year, the carefully juried selection process ensures that only the best of the best make it in. This year, guests can expect to see around 150 artists across a spectrum of mediums — 2D and 3D mixed media, ceramics, painting, sculptures, woodworking, metalworking and so much more — all jam-packed into a massive new venue: the Deschutes County Fair & Expo Center.
Previously held in the Old Mill along the banks of the Deschutes River, this new venue presents tons of opportunity, not to mention the space to spread out, invite more artists and show off more work, according to Art in the High Desert board member and founder Dave Fox. Of the benefits of the new space, Dave mentioned that the show will be outdoors, taking advantage of the gorgeous Central Oregon sunshine. Also, the Expo Center is a massive venue with plenty of parking, bathroom space and food and drink options.
Dave and his wife, Carla, founded the first Art in the High Desert show back in 2008 and the show ran until the Covid pandemic forced the 2020, 2021 and 2022 shows to cancel. Now, back from a hiatus, the show has plans to be bigger and better than ever. Because Dave and Carla have taken a backseat when compared to previous years of running the show, taking over directorship of Art in the High Desert will be the experienced art show artist David Bjurstrom.
The original show was founded with two things in mind: high quality artwork, and the artists themselves. The show is built for and run by artists who understand what it is like to tour across the country and attend shows like these; the founders, Dave and Carla, along with every other board member, are all talented artists who wanted to create a show with the artists in mind.
To keep costs as low as possible for the artists, Dave and the board have decided to run the show entirely themselves, as opposed to hiring a production company to manage the event. Art in the High Desert also does not charge commission on each and every sale made by an artist, making it a lucrative show that any artist would love to be a part of. “That to me is the spirit of teamwork,” Dave said. “We are a bunch of artists who understand that we should be making a show that is as accessible to artists as possible. We obviously need to make some money, but that isn’t really the reason why the show exists.”
Also, while other art shows and art walks feature live music, this one will not. Dave said that the focus of the show is entirely on the art, with nothing distracting people from the reason the show exists. “It’s one of those things that sets us apart from other art shows,” Dave said. “We won’t have anything distracting you from the art, because the show really is all about the art.”
The show is carefully juried, and each artist accepted into the show is held to a high standard; the same standard that made Art in the High Desert the tenth-ranked art show in the nation for art sales in 2016, 2017 and 2018 by Art Fair Sourcebook.
Dave defines this process as one that only accepts artists who go above and beyond in their medium; whatever their medium might be, the juried process only accepts artists who are pushing their respective mediums to new heights. This ensures that the guests looking to enjoy and purchase the art can be sure that they are seeing some of the highest quality and most unique art possible, from artists who hail from around the nation and the world.
During the show, each artist will be at their booth presenting their work. Art in the High Desert does not accept any exhibitors from large production companies, those selling imported items or those buying or selling manufactured goods; the only people selling the art will be the artists who made it. “This is really a great chance for the guests to come down and connect with the artists a bit,” Dave said. “Talk to them about their work, learn more about what they do and buy from them.”
So what sets Art in the High Desert apart from any other art walk? According to Dave, this show is made by artists, for artists, and the focus is entirely on the art; not the music, the libations or the food.
As an event run by artists and no production company, Dave and the entire board work tirelessly as volunteers for the event. The show is always looking for more volunteers to give their time, and interested individuals should check out artinthehighdesert.com for more info.
Art in the High Desert 2023 will take place at the Deschutes County Fair & Expo Center from August 25-27.