The latest news stories and stories of interest in the Willamette Valley from the digital home of Southern Oregon, from Wynne Broadcasting’s WillametteValleyMagazine.com
Friday, June 2, 2023
Willamette Valley Weather
Wildfire Near Dexter/Lowell Contained
Fall Creek Evacuation Levels Lifted
All evacuation levels as related to the Reuben Leigh Fire on 05/31/23 in the Fall Creek area have been lifted.
This includes the areas of Reuben Leigh Road, Forest Retreat Lane, Jasper-Lowell Road east of Unity Park, and the south side of Little Fall Creek Rd. from Jasper Road east to Lafon Ln.
Authorities are asking the public to be cautious of fire crews that may continue working and monitoring in the area.
The Lane County Sheriff’s Office would like to remind residents that while evacuation levels have been lifted, every resident in our county should have a plan and be prepared in the event an emergency shall arise. “Now is the time to make sure that you are prepared for an emergency”, says Lane County Sheriff Cliff Harrold. “You can never predict when an emergency is going to happen. Please take the time to make sure that you have a plan to take care of your family, your pets, and yourself in the event that the unexpected happens and you find yourself needing to evacuate.”
Emergency preparedness information is located on the Lane County Emergency Management website: Emergency Management – Lane County
Sweet Home Fire District responded to a motor vehicle accident that caused widespread power outages and caused some wiring in City Hall to catch fire.
Sweet Home Fire District responded to a motor vehicle accident that caused widespread power outages. Also, the power issues caused some wiring in City Hall to catch fire.
The motor vehicle accident involved a passenger car colliding with a power pole. The damage to the power pole was severe and caused wires to hang low over highway 20. A delivery truck was traveling highway 20, behind the accident, when the power lines became caught on the truck. This caused damage to several power poles and transformers. The result was power outages to a large portion of Sweet Home.
Sweet Home Fire District crews were managing the motor vehicle accident, when reports of smoke inside City Hall came in. The Incident Commander then assumed command of the City Hall incident as well. An engine company from the motor vehicle accident was reassigned to City Hall and confirmed there was smoke inside the building. Crews were able to locate the source of smoke. It was due to some electrical wires that burned in the crawl space under City Hall. When crews located the damaged wiring, there was no active fire. Crews then used ventilation fans to remove the remaining smoke in the building.
Traffic had to be rerouted off highway 20 due to the power lines on the roadway. This included a Sweet Home Fire District ambulance that was dealing with a different medical emergency.
Other local building occupants were contacted to ensure there were no other fire issues in the surrounding area.
Sweet Home Fire District Responds to a Wildland Fire Near Holley School
SWEET HOME, Ore. – Firefighters responded to a fire Thursday morning near Holley Elementary School that was ignited by an electric fence, according to Sweet Home Fire District officials.
The district said that it responded at 11:49 a.m. on June 1 to a wildland fire off Crawfordsville Drive. Firefighters found grass and brush actively burning near Holley Elementary School and had it contained within about half an hour, fire officials said.
Sweet Home fire officials said the school district was notified of the nearby fire, but the fire posed no threat to the school. The fire burned an area estimated at about half an acre, fire district officials said. The district said that Sweet Home district firefighters were assisted by Oregon Department of Forestry personnel.
Fire officials want to remind the public to use extreme caution with any potential sources of accidental ignition to nearby dry fuels such as grass, brush, or vegetation. No structures were threatened and no one was injured in the fire.
Bomb threat suspects identified, contacted in South Eugene High School cases
Eugene Police have identified two South Eugene High School students who were involved in the four South Eugene High School threats this month. EPD detectives along with local FBI agents have contacted two students involved in initiating the threats. They and their families have been cooperative in the investigation. Information will be turned over to the Lane County District Attorney’s Office for prosecution, however their names are not being release because they are juveniles.
Investigators believe the local suspects used the internet to pay another person or entity to use threats of violence to shut down the school. The identity of this person or persons continues to be under investigation. Investigators are confident all threats were a hoax and there are not any active threats to the school. These same threats have been occurring at schools throughout the country.
EPD detectives have been actively coordinating with investigators from schools throughout the country, sharing information that has been crucial in understanding how this operation worked. Earlier this month the FBI took lead on tracking down the person or persons making the calls while EPD took lead on locating the local suspects paying for the service. EPD detectives have been in constant contact with 4J staff and have actively followed up on any leads that have come in.
A break in the case occurred when a 4J school official located an anonymous social media post offering to send threats for a fee. This information was turned over to EPD, who requested the FBI’s help in initiated legal process with the involved social media platform. The information generated greatly assisted the investigation leading to follow up contacts. On Tuesday, EPD detectives and FBI agents served a search warrant which led to the seizure of multiple electronic devices.
Bomb threats were made for South Eugene High School on May 24, May 16, May 10, and May 3. A person called the police department, claiming to be inside the school armed with explosives and in some of the calls the person claimed to be armed with a firearm and threatening to harm people. For these incidents, Eugene Police conducted interior and exterior searches and follow up investigations. The FBI and 4J staff have been instrumental in this investigation.
The threats greatly disrupted classes, test taking, and caused significant stress to students, families, and school staff, as taking critical patrol and special team resources away from regular calls for service from the community.
Media Advisory: PeaceHealth Sacred Heart Nurses Schedule Informational Pickets June 7 at Riverbend Hospital, University District Hospital
Nurses represented by the Oregon Nurses Association have notified PeaceHealth management of their intent to hold informational pickets at two locations on June 7, 2023, from 3 to 6 p.m.
WHAT: Hundreds of local nurses and their supporters will hold informational pickets at PeaceHealth Sacred Heart Hospital at Riverbend in Springfield and at PeaceHealth Sacred Heart Medical Center University District in Eugene on June 7, 2023, from 3-6 p.m. The nurses, who are represented by the Oregon Nurses Association (ONA), are raising awareness of ongoing staffing issues at the hospitals, failures to recruit and retain nursing staff by PeaceHealth management, and management’s attempts to divide nurses on key issues.
WHEN: Wednesday, June 7, 2023, from 3-6 p.m. Nurse spokespeople will be available at both picket locations for media comment. The pickets will be held rain or shine.
WHERE:
- RIVERBEND LOCATION: In front of Riverbend Hospital (3333 Riverbend Avenue, Springfield, Oregon) at the intersection of Cardinal Way and MLK Jr. Pkwy.
- UNIVERSITY DISTRICT LOCATION: In front of University District Hospital (1200 Hilyard Avenue, Eugene, Oregon) at the intersection of E 13th Avenue and Hilyard Street.
WHO: Frontline nurses from PeaceHealth Sacred Heart Riverbend Hospital, PeaceHealth Sacred Heart University District Hospital and Sacred Heart Home Care Services.
WHY: Nurses are demanding PeaceHealth adopt safe staffing standards as part of a fair contract agreement for nurses, ensure competitive pay to help recruit new nurses and retain those who are already employed, and cease divisive tactics that violate years of standard practice for nursing groups to bargain contracts jointly.
The Oregon Nurses Association (ONA) is the state’s largest and most influential nursing organization. We are a professional association and labor union which represents more than 16,000 nurses and allied health workers throughout the state, including 1,500 frontline nurses at PeaceHealth Sacred Heart Medical Center and Sacred Heart Home Care Services. ONA’s mission is to advocate for nursing, quality health care and healthy communities. For more information visit: www.OregonRN.org.
Salem Teen Arrested in Social Media Threat Against Local School
Salem, Ore. — May 30, 2023, the Salem Police Department received calls from concerned residents regarding a social media message which threatened the safety of the Adam Stephens Middle School campus today, May 31.
Patrol officers worked with Salem-Keizer Public Schools (SKPS) security personnel to implement extra safety precautions on the campus. A notification to the families, faculty, and staff at the school was made by SKPS, and a community notification was published on Salem Police social media channels.
Detectives from the Strategic Investigations Unit worked through the night to identify the origin of the message which professed violence at the school. Detectives were able to determine the source of the message and contacted the residents at the location. They learned that a 14-year-old boy who resided in the home was the individual who posted a graphic with the threat onto the Instagram platform.
The teen was arrested today and lodged at the Marion County Juvenile Department on the charge of disorderly conduct in the first degree. The Salem Police Department does not identify minors involved in criminal investigations. No further information about the case is available for release.
Oregon State Fire Marshal issues grants to boost staffing ahead of wildfire season
SALEM, Ore. – To boost the number of firefighters across Oregon ahead of wildfire season, the Oregon State Fire Marshal (OSFM) has awarded $6 million in grants to 185 local fire agencies across the state.
The 2023 Wildfire Season Staffing Grant is in its second year. Local agencies within the Oregon structural fire service were eligible to apply for up to $35,000. The funding will allow these agencies to hire additional firefighters for the 2023 fire season. This year, small agencies, many of which depend on volunteers, were prioritized to receive funding. A list of agencies awarded funding can be found here.
“This grant is a beacon of hope for fire districts like ours, burdened by limited funding,” Mt. Angel Fire Chief Jim Trierweiler said. “It provides a lifeline, empowering us to overcome financial constraints and a shortage of volunteers. With this invaluable support, we can expand our team with skilled individuals, fortifying our mission to serve and protect our community this fire season.”
“The OSFM staffing grant has turned what has been a long-term vision and goal for McKenzie Fire and Rescue into a reality,” Chief Darren Bucich said. “Additional staffing will help us build on our ability to provide consistent alarm response, timely auto and mutual aid response, and the ability to continue to be a part of conflagrations.”
The 2022 grant was successful across the state, adding roughly 400 paid firefighters to the Oregon fire service during last summer’s wildfire season. These added resources allowed agencies to attack fires and keep them small and away from communities and added capacity to respond to other calls, ultimately saving lives. Read about the successes here.
The 2023 Wildfire Season Staffing Grant is part of a multi-pronged approach to combat wildfire in Oregon. Over the last two years, the OSFM has made strategic investments to modernize the Oregon Fire Mutual Aid System and help communities be better prepared for wildfire.
This grant is part of the OSFM’s Response Ready Oregon initiative. This one-time funding was made possible through Senate Bill 762, which was signed into law in 2021.
ABOUT RESPONSE READY OREGON
The OSFM’s Response Ready Oregon initiative was created to help bolster capacity and modernize wildfire response within the Oregon Fire Mutual Aid System (OFMAS). The goal of Response Ready Oregon is to attack fires while they are small and keep them away from communities.
Oregon Democrats Vote to Fine Absent Senators Amid GOP Walkout
SALEM, Ore. (AP) — Oregon Senate Democrats plan to start fining their absent colleagues amid a month-long Republican walkout, a move they hope will pressure boycotting lawmakers to return to the chamber as hundreds of bills languish amid the partisan stalemate.
This week marked the fifth in the Oregon Senate Republican walkout — the longest in Oregon history.
On Thursday, the senate president announced a fine for those lawmakers participating in the walkout. Meanwhile, some of those Republicans and an Independent held their own committee on accountability.
Oregonians from across the state showed up at the Capitol, not only urging senators to return to work, but also for their fellow lawmakers to hold their colleagues accountable. Many chanted “quorum” as they demanded lawmakers return and pass major legislation, now at a stalemate for a month.
In a procedural move Thursday, Democrats voted to fine senators $325 every time their absence denies the chamber the two-thirds quorum it needs to conduct business. The amount reflects lawmakers’ average daily pay, according to the office of Democratic Senate President Rob Wagner.
“Oregonians work for a living every day, and they don’t get paid when they don’t show up,” Wagner said while addressing the Senate. “We have a huge stack of bills sitting right over there on that cart, just waiting for us to take them up, to debate and to vote.”
The month-long Republican walkout — the longest-ever in the Oregon Legislature — once again prevented the Senate from reaching a quorum on Thursday. But Democratic Senate Majority Leader Kate Lieber, citing an article in the state constitution, requested that the Senate compel absent members to attend and fine absentees $325 for every day a quorum isn’t reached. Her request was voted on and approved by the other Democrats present on the Senate floor.
The article of the Oregon Constitution cited by Democrats states that even if two-thirds of members are not present, “a smaller number may meet … and compel the attendance of absent members.”
Senate Republican Minority Leader Tim Knopp condemned the plan as retaliation.
Most Republican senators haven’t shown up for floor sessions since May 3, denying quorum and stalling hundreds of bills, including ones on abortion, gender-affirming care and gun control that have sparked fierce debate in the Legislature.
Knopp has said Republicans will only return to the Senate on the last day of the legislative session, June 25, to pass the budget and “bipartisan” bills.
Democratic Gov. Tina Kotek said Wednesday that her talks to end the impasse have failed and that Knopp wants the bill on abortion and gender-affirming care to be “substantially amended or dead.”
Kotek said negotiating on that measure, which has already passed the House, is not an option.
After Republicans staged previous walkouts in 2019, 2020 and 2021, voters last November approved a ballot measure by an almost 70% margin that was supposed to stop walkouts. Lawmakers with 10 or more unexcused absences would be disqualified from reelection in the next term, according to the measure’s title and summary.
But the text of the measure says disqualification applies to “the term following the election after the member’s current term is completed.” Republicans are taking that as meaning that boycotters who are up for reelection in 2024 could be candidates, since their current terms end in January 2025 — with the disqualification coming for the 2028 election.
Secretary of State spokesperson Ben Morris said the department is seeking a legal opinion from the Oregon Department of Justice and will follow its advice. The Justice Department is currently working on the legal opinion, Roy Kaufmann, spokesperson for Attorney General Ellen Rosenblum, said in an email Wednesday.
Republican senators are expected to file court challenges if the secretary of state’s elections division bars them from registering as candidates in September. (SOURCE)
Oregonians Rally to Back Bill Providing Food Aid for All
A rally was held in Salem Thursday to urge passage of a bill to provide food assistance to Oregonians regardless of their immigration status.
Senate Bill 610, known as Food for All Oregonians, would ensure people who are undocumented and excluded from the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program receive food aid in the state.
Morgan Dewey, spokesperson for the Oregon Food Bank, described the event.
“The Capitol was a beautiful backdrop for a series of speakers who shared their personal stories and organizations that are part of the 125+ organization-led coalition supporting Food for All Oregonians,” Dewey recounted.
The bill would extend aid to lawful permanent residents, U.S. Compacts of Free Association citizens and other Oregonians who arrived as immigrants or refugees.
Dewey noted more than a million people are expected to access food assistance this year. To help counteract it, the measure would help get aid to about 62,000 Oregonians.
“With food on the table, families can thrive, kids can do better in school, access to education and health care and housing becomes a little less of a worry,” Dewey outlined.
The biggest roadblock for the bill’s passage is the Senate Republican walkout. Dewey added anti-hunger advocates are urging them to return to Salem.
“We’re really calling on folks to come back and do their jobs so that pieces of legislation that will support a thriving Oregon, like SB 610 Food for All Oregonians, can pass and support our neighbors and our communities,” Dewey concluded. (SOURCE)
Employment Department Announces Weekly Benefit Amounts for Unemployment Insurance and Paid Leave Oregon
Salem, Ore. — Today, the Oregon Employment Department announced the 2023-24 minimum and maximum weekly benefit amounts for Unemployment Insurance (UI) and Paid Leave Oregon. Paid Leave Oregon is new and will begin paying benefits in September.
By law, the department calculates the minimum and maximum benefit amounts once a year. These calculations are based on Oregon’s State Average Weekly Wage and are effective from July 1 through June 30 of the following year. The State Average Weekly Wage increased from $1,224.82 to $1,269.69.
The minimum weekly benefit amount is the lowest amount the program will pay a claimant for each week they claim benefits, and the maximum benefit amount is the most the program will pay, regardless of income.
2023-24 Unemployment Insurance and Paid Leave Oregon weekly benefit amounts
| Program | Minimum weekly benefit amount | Maximum weekly benefit amount |
| Unemployment Insurance | $190 | $813 |
| Paid Leave Oregon | $63.48 | $1,523.63 |
Unemployment Insurance
Starting July 2, 2023, the minimum weekly benefit amount for new unemployment insurance claims will go from $183 to $190 per week, and the maximum weekly benefit amount will go from $783 to $813 per week. This increase only affects claims filed July 2, 2023, or later. People who file new unemployment insurance claims before July 2 will continue to receive the same benefit amount.
This is an increase of approximately 3.8%. The minimum weekly benefit amount is 15% of the State Average Weekly Wage, and the maximum is 64%. During the most recent quarter, 11.5% of recipients received the minimum weekly benefit amount, and 24.5% received the maximum.
For Unemployment Insurance, the weekly benefit amount is usually 1.25% of what a claimant earned during their “base period,” which is roughly the first 12 of the 15 months before the date they filed their claim.
Visit unemployment.oregon.gov to use OED’s UI benefits calculator.
Paid Leave Oregon
For Paid Leave Oregon, the minimum weekly benefit amount is 5% of the State Average Weekly Wage, and the maximum is 120%. When benefits start in September, the minimum weekly benefit amount will be $63.48, and the maximum will be $1,523.63.
Paid Leave Oregon calculates weekly benefit amounts based on how much the employee earns on average in a week and how much leave they take in a week, so the amount is different for every employee. Lower wage earners will generally receive more of their usual wages than higher wage earners.
Paidleave.oregon.gov has fact sheets and guidebooks on its resources page.
Need help? The Oregon Employment Department (OED) is an equal opportunity agency. OED provides free help so you can use our services. Some examples are sign language and spoken-language interpreters, written materials in other languages, large print, audio, and other formats. To get help, please call 503- 947-1444. TTY users call 711. You can also send an email to communications@employ.oregon.gov
¿Necesita ayuda? El Departamento de Empleo de Oregon (OED) es una agencia de igualdad de oportunidades. El OED proporciona ayuda gratuita para que usted pueda utilizar nuestros servicios. Algunos ejemplos son intérpretes de lengua de señas e idiomas hablados, materiales escritos en otros idiomas, letra grande, audio y otros formatos. Para obtener ayuda, por favor llame al 503-947-1444. Usuarios de TTY pueden llamar al 711. También puede enviar un correo electrónico a communications@employ.oregon.gov
Joint Task Force Serves Child Porn Search Warrant at Local Central Point Residence
JCSO Case 23-1656 CENTRAL POINT, Ore. – The Southern Oregon Child Exploitation Team (SOCET) joint inter-agency task force served a search warrant this morning at a residence in the 800 block of Forest Glen Drive in Central Point. SOCET served the warrant after receiving information someone was distributing child pornography.
Jackson County Sheriff’s Office (JCSO), Medford Police Department, Southern Oregon High Tech Crimes Task Force (SOHTCTF), and Jackson County District Attorney’s Office assisted with the warrant service. Detectives are interviewing possible witnesses and involved parties, and investigations are ongoing.
During the warrant, investigators seized digital devices which will be forensically examined by SOHTCTF for further evidence of child exploitation. A tip from the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children (NCMEC) started the investigation, which led to subpoenas, followed by the search warrant at the residence.
SOCET is a joint inter-agency task force that started in June of 2020 to combat child exploitation and human trafficking. The task force consists of investigators from JCSO, Grants Pass Police Department, and Homeland Security Investigations; as well as prosecutors from our local, state and federal law enforcement partners in Jackson and Josephine County.
Fish, Clam and Crab for Free During Free Fishing Weekend June 3-4
Everyone can fish, clam and crab for free in Oregon on Saturday and Sunday of the first weekend of June.
No fishing/shellfish licenses or tags (including a Combined Angling Tag or Columbia River Basin Endorsement or Two-Rod Validation) are required on those two days (June 3-4, 2023). Both Oregon residents and nonresidents can fish for free. Oregon State Parks also offers free parking and camping on Saturday, June 3.
All other fishing regulations apply including closures, bag limits and size restrictions. See the Oregon Sport Fishing Regulations for rules. Remember to check for any in season regulation changes at the Recreation Report especially for salmon and steelhead fishing. Click on the zone where you want to fish and then click the “Regulation Updates” tab to see the in-season changes.
The Recreation Report is updated weekly and features the best bests for fishing for the upcoming week.
Expect lots of extra rainbow trout to be stocked in Oregon’s lakes for the weekend; more fish are stocked during the next two weeks (for Memorial Day and June Free Fishing Weekend) than at any other time of year. This video series How to fish for trout in Oregon breaks down everything you need to know to fish for trout any time of year and see the trout stocking schedule for more information.
It’s also a great weekend to try clamming or crabbing. This year, June free fishing days coincide with a minus tide (with low tides on the coast getting below the average low water mark by one or even two feet) creating ideal conditions for clamming. MyODFW.com has all the information you need to get started clamming or crabbing including maps of locations and how-tos.
The Oregon Department of Agriculture regularly tests shellfish and closes areas when naturally occurring biotoxins get to levels that make crabs and clams unsafe to eat. As of today, razor clamming is open from Tillamook Head (just south of Seaside) north to the Washington border but closed south of Tillamook head to the California border due to elevated levels of domoic acid. Crabbing is open coastwide.
Closures can happen quickly and may change before Free Fishing Weekend. Remember to call the ODA Shellfish safety hotline at 1-800-448-2474 or check their Shellfish page before you go.
ODFW staff and a number of fishing organizations will host events throughout the state on Free Fishing Weekend, bringing all the gear beginners need to get started. Staff and volunteers will hand out fishing equipment and be available to teach how to bait, cast, land and clean your catch.
Events are being held at following events and times, see the Family Fishing Events page for more information.
Saturday, June 3
- Alsea, Oregon Hatchery Research Center, 7 a.m-2 p.m.
- Camp Sherman, Wizard Falls Hatchery, 9 a.m.-noon (for age 10 and younger)
- Enterprise, Marr Pond, 8 a.m.-noon
- Estacada, Small Fry Lake, Promontory Park, 10 a.m.-3 p.m. (for age 17 and younger)
- Eugene, Alton Baker Park, 9 a.m. – 2 p.m.
- Gaston, Henry Hagg Lake, 7 a.m.-5 p.m.
- Silverton at Silverton Reservoir, 8 a.m.-3 p.m.
- Sutherlin, Cooper Creek Reservoir, 10 a.m.-4 p.m.
- Toledo, Olalla Reservoir, 9 a.m.-1 p.m.
- Trask Hatchery, 9 a.m.-3 p.m.
- Ukiah, Twin Ponds, 9 a.m.-noon. Note trophy trout will not be stocked for this event due to disease concerns with these trout; other legal-size trout will be stocked.
Sunday, June 4
- Lake Marie, Reedsport, Noon- 5 p.m.
MORE INFO: https://www.dfw.state.or.us/news/2023/05_May/052323.asp
Annual Art in the West Exhibition and Auction Celebrates Region Through Stunning Artwork
winner of the 2023 Art in the West Curator’s Choice Award.
BEND, OR — The High Desert Museum will unveil a diverse collection of traditional and contemporary art on Saturday, July 8 in its annual Art in the West exhibition and silent auction. This year’s juried exhibition will feature over 90 works of art by dozens of acclaimed artists from across the country.
Art in the West shares a variety of works inspired by the High Desert. The exhibit features sculptures, paintings and photography expressing responses to the landscapes, history, cultures and wildlife of the High Desert in mediums ranging from oil to acrylic, pastel to charcoal.
“The diversity of artwork, from subject matter to medium, continues to grow and impress visitors,” said Museum Executive Director Dana Whitelaw, Ph.D. “These artistic interpretations of the West reveal something new and expand our appreciation of this special region.”
The 2023 Art in the West Jury’s Choice Award winter is Barbara Van Cleve. The acclaimed Montana-based photographer documents the beauty of the West through rich black-and-white photography. Van Cleve’s award-winning image, Moving On, a 16” x 20” archival pigment print, is one of several pieces the artist has in this year’s exhibition. Van Cleve has had over 100 one-person exhibitions and participated in 180 group exhibitions.
The 2023 Art in the West Curator’s Choice Award goes to an artist new to the show, Taylor Manoles, for the 38” x 38” oil painting Painted Hills. Manoles lives in Bend, Oregon shows her work across the Pacific Northwest, as well as on various online platforms. In 2022, her painting Sparks Lake Sunrise was chosen for the cover of Southwest Art Magazine.
As the exhibition grows, we are excited to welcome artists new to the show, this year including Indigenous artist and storyteller Monte Yellow Bird, Sr. (Arikara and Hidatsa of the Three Affiliated Tribes) and Russian sculptor Anton Yakushev.
Silent bidding will be available online, with the opportunity to purchase artwork outright. The bidding will launch July 8 and continue through the exhibition’s closing on Friday, September 22. Opening bids for the art range from $225 to $8,500.
Proceeds from the Art in the West auction help support the Museum’s exhibitions and programs, bringing science, art and history education to lifelong learners throughout the region.
A link to the gallery guide of the exhibition’s artwork will be available on the Museum’s website starting Saturday, July 8 at highdesertmuseum.org/aiw. The auction is exclusively online, and shipping is available.
The bidding concludes and the exhibition closes on Friday, September 22 at the Art in the West Closing Party at the High Desert Museum. Attendees will mingle with participating artists, watch live demonstrations and enjoy live music, food and libations. The event begins at 6:00 pm and the auction closes at 7:00 pm. Register at highdesertmuseum.org/aiw-closing-party.
Art in the West is made possible by American Art Collector and Western Art Collector magazines with support from Chubb, High Desert Frameworks and Tetherow.
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.
