(Breaking Through by Jennifer McCaffrey, 2026 Ripples Gala feature artist)
Since 1990, Deschutes Children’s Foundation (DCF) has provided the space and support for nonprofits to succeed in helping children and families. DCF is the literal foundation for community staples such as MountainStar, Saving Grace, FAN, CASA of Central Oregon, and many more. In support of DCF’s vital mission, the organization hosts its largest fundraiser, the Ripples Gala, each year. Funds raised from Ripples enable DCF to carry out its mission to remain a cornerstone of 23 child-and-family serving nonprofits and a hub for a wide spectrum of human services from abuse prevention and advocacy to early childhood development. A highlight of the Ripples Gala is the long-held tradition of featuring a local artist whose specially selected artwork will be auctioned off on the night of the event. This year, DCF is honored to feature Jennifer McCaffrey’s oil painting Breaking Through.
“I’m Jennifer McCaffrey, a Bendite, artist, lover of all things Central Oregon, and believer in the power of art to speak to us in a language we can all understand. My work ranges from expressionist abstracts to block prints to landscapes, but the thread throughout all my projects is movement. This can mean movement of color and light, of whatever form I’m painting, or on a deeper level, movement of an idea or an internal state of being.
“My process typically begins with some sort of low-level obsession. I’ll get fixated in my mind on something: a particular mountain view (I have a few favorites that I paint over and over), the way film captures light in the clouds, or even a combination of colors from a particularly cool pair of shoes. Sometimes this happens knowingly – I’ll make pinboards of 20 photos of the same thing, or think out loud “I want to paint this.” Most of the time, however, these fixations are humming in the background of my mind and wait to make themselves known when I quiet down enough to stand in front of a blank canvas and paint.
“This piece, Breaking Through, was painted after an Achilles rupture sidelined me this past year. After repair surgery, I spent a good bit of time in a cast, hopping to the bed and back, then another good bit of time arranging rides for my three young kids for several months before I could drive again. This was a huge change from my previous routine of trail running several times a week. I had always prided myself (too much, it turns out) on being independent, strong, and capable, and then suddenly I had to face my greatest fear: asking for help… with nearly everything. Breaking Through feels like a culmination of lessons and revelations from recovery. It speaks to both the profound interconnectedness that we all, whether we like it or not, share, as well as the absolute joy in finding healing, however slowly.
“Deschutes Children’s Foundation is an organization that I believe in deeply. As a mom to Mac (7), Nell (5), Mary (3), and another on the way, I feel the proverb “there’s no such thing as other people’s children” in my bones. The way that DCF cares for the most vulnerable in our community in ways that provide rooted, structural, reliable aid is inspiring, and to be honest, a huge relief. We don’t all have to try to do it ourselves. We can all be a part of the safety net, of this interconnected web, by giving to support organizations like DCF.
“If you’re interested in more of my work, I’d love to invite you to visit my website at jennifermccaffrey.com, follow me on Instagram at @jennifermccaffreyart or pop into my studio at The Stacks Studios & Art Gallery on the second floor of the Old Mill District.”
Presented by Kirby Nagelhout Construction and sponsored by The DeLeone Trust, Hayden Homes, Knife River, The Brewer Group at Morgan Stanley, Summit Bank and Smartz. Tickets available at deschuteschildrensfoundation.org.