February First Friday Gallery Events & Exhibit Openings in Bend

The Alexander
1125 NE Watt Way
458-256-6854 • thealexanderbend.com
High Desert Art League member Barbara Hudler Cella is the featured artist at The Alexander for the months of February and March. The award-winning artist will highlight her paintings of Central Cascade lakes, rivers and mountains. “Most of my work is created outdoors, with the scene unfolding in front of me. The process is exhilarating as I strive to capture the fleeting energy of the moment in real time on my canvas.”

Bend Senior Center
1600 SE Reed Market Rd.
541-388-1133 • bendparksandrec.org/facility/bend-senior-center
The Bend Senior Center at the new Larkspur Community Center is showing art by members of the SageBrushers Art Society. Come visit the new facility and enjoy beautiful paintings in acrylic, oil, pastel and watercolor, as well as outstanding photography. Showing thru February.

Blue Spruce Pottery
20591 Dorchester E.
541-382-0197 • bluesprucepottery.com
This family-owned business has been making handmade pottery in Bend since 1976. Call to arrange a time to come shop their large selection of mugs, bowls, casseroles, lamps and more. Shop online and have gifts shipped directly to your family and friends. You can also find Blue Spruce Pottery at Red Chair Gallery in downtown Bend.

COCC Barber Library Rotunda Gallery
2600 NW College Way
541-383-7560 • cocc.edu/library
A collection of abstract paintings and drawings by artist and poet Cheri Lee Helfenstein, titled Early Spring in the Mist, is showing at Central Oregon Community College’s (COCC) Barber Library Rotunda Gallery February 6 to April 7, with a reception from 4-5:30pm on Thursday, February 9.
Helfenstein earned a bachelor of arts in painting and drawing from Southern Oregon University and received a Chinese brush-painting certificate from the University of Oregon.
The Barber Library is open 8am-6pm Monday-Thursday, 8am-5pm Fridays and 12-7pm Sundays.

COCC Pinckney Gallery
2600 NW College Way
cocc.edu/programs/art/pinckney_gallery.aspx
The Pinckney Gallery is continuing an art exhibition of local Black artists, including Bend’s first Creative Laureate Mosley Wotta, titled Black Excellence Art Showcase, thru February 24.
The Black community-focused exhibition, organized by COCC’s Afrocentric Studies Club, is a first for the college and includes works from COCC students as well as local elementary school, middle school and high school students and other community members, including Mosley Wotta.
A collaborative community art project that celebrates Black femme individuals, organized by COCC art instructor June Park, will also be on display.

High Desert Museum
59800 S Hwy. 97
541-382-4754 • highdesertmuseum.org
New, original exhibition, Creations of Spirit, is largely in the voices of the seven Native artists commissioned to create works for the exhibition, and they share their stories of their pieces — ranging from a hand-carved High Desert Plateau flute to a tule reed canoe and paddles — as part of a deep connection to traditions as well as part of the vitality of contemporary Indigenous communities. Showing thru October 1.
Continuing thru May 7, Under the Snow. In the depths of winter, a deep layer of snow quiets the High Desert’s forests. Not a single creature seems to stir. But just under the snow, a secret world has come to life! Dive with us into the snow, where voles, shrews, insects and porcupines build a matrix of tunnels and dens. In this natural history exhibit, visitors will learn about this subnivium environment, the seasonal habitat where animals, plants, and fungi flourish. An interactive wall graphic will allow visitors meet some of the subnivium’s wildlife, including a little mouse named Graupel. Join the High Desert Museum to explore a hidden world of snow.
Continuing thru June 25, 2023, In The Arena. As long as there have been cowboys, there have been Black cowboys. One of the most enduring symbols of the American West, the cowboy evokes self-reliance, strength and determination — qualities found at the Black rodeos held each year across the United States. Through the lens of Bay Area photographer Gabriela Hasbun, this exhibit documents the exhilarating atmosphere of the Bill Pickett Invitational Rodeo — the only touring Black rodeo in the country — and the show-stopping style and skill of the Black cowboys and cowgirls who attend the event year after year.

Jeffrey Murray Photography Gallery
118 NW Minnesota Ave.
541-325-6225 • jeffreymurrayphotography.com
The Jeffrey Murray Photography Gallery features the work of local photographer Jeffrey Murray. Visitors can browse comfortably in the two-story gallery enjoying visually adventurous displays of landscape, wildlife and contemporary work. Open daily Tuesday-Sunday.

Kreitzer Gallery
20214 Archie Briggs Rd.
805-234-2048 • KreitzerArt.com
Announcing Contemporary Realist David Kreitzer.
In the tradition of Turner and Cezanne, master oil and watercolorist David Kreitzer’s commitment to beauty and meditative work compels him to create exquisite, mood-invoking oil and watercolor Central Oregon splendor landscapes, figure, fantasy, oak and vineyard hills and Nishigoi koi images.
David, whose career was launched with a sold out show at Maxwell Galleries in San Francisco, has been a professional artist for 57 years.
David grew up as the son of a Lutheran minister who, due to his duties, moved his family frequently throughout the Nebraska countryside. Kreitzer has exhibited his work in numerous one-man shows in museums, universities and galleries across the country, and his paintings have served as posters for the Mozart Festival in San Luis Obispo, California, Atlantic Magazine and the Seattle Opera. He was a featured artist for the American Artist Magazine, and his collectors include Michael Douglas, Mary Tyler Moore, the Howard Ahmansons, the Robert Takkens, the Cargill Corporation and the Hind and Hirshhorn Foundations. The San Francisco Chronicle’s Thomas Albright, in his review of David Kreitzer’s first solo exhibit at Maxwell Galleries in San Francisco, wrote: “Kreitzer demonstrates how much poetic intensity the old tradition can still contain.” He has recently moved to Bend from the California coast, where he resides with his wife, celebrated opera singer Jacalyn Kreitzer. They have two children, Anatol and Fredrica.
Exhibiting daily 1-5pm and all First Fridays.

Layor Art + Supply
1000 NW Wall St., Ste. 110
541-322-0421 • layorart.com
Layor Art is excited to be hosting Nicole Fontana for the month of February. Nicole Fontana, owner of Fontana Painting, has been a steady muralist and member of our community for over eight years. You can see her work scattered all over our town on walls, canvas, and even food carts. In Layor Arts’ February show, Fontana experiments on her canvas with a traditional stencil technique typically used in her faux finish work. To bring the canvas to life, Nicole adds something new. She incorporates a metallic gold paint that adds a shimmering effect, allowing light to move through the curls and swirls of the delicate damask pattern. Central Oregon animals form the focal point of each work. Keep it local! Some include a raven, the buck, our state bird — the Western Meadowlark, a Western Barn Own, a hare and the cougar. Each encompassing their own unique spirit.
Nicole’s show goes thru the month of February and can be viewed during Layor’s regular business hours: Monday-Friday 10am-5pm, Saturday 10am-4pm and Sunday 12-4pm.
Linus Pauling Gallery
Unitarian Universalist Fellowship of Central Oregon
61980 Skyline Ranch Rd.
541-385-3908 • uufco.org
Fractals, Repeated Patterns in Nature exhibiting February 5 thru April 2 at the Linus Pauling Gallery, with an artists’ reception on February 10 at 6pm.

Lubbesmeyer Studio & Gallery
Old Mill District, second story loft
541-330-0840 • lubbesmeyer.com
The Lubbesmeyer twins offer a range of work created in fiber and paint. Thru the twins’ collaborative process, they distill literal imagery into vivid blocks of color and texture, creating an abstracted view of their surroundings. Call the studio for hours and appointments.

Mockingbird Gallery
869 NW Wall St.
541-388-2107 • mockingbird-gallery.com
This Friday, February 3, Mockingbird Gallery is proud to open our three-person show, A Place in Mind, featuring the amazing works of Richard Boyer, Jennifer Diehl and Romona Youngquist. This exhibit will run thru February.
Richard’s landscapes draw on the traditional approach to oil paintings but are contrasted by a richer textural quality. He sets out on foot with his camera and paint box, exploring and capturing the interiors of many of the beautiful cities around the country, as well as the inspiring nature around us.
Jennifer’s work has been described as “vibrant and decisive in a contemporary yet classic tradition.” Everyday people and places come to life on her canvases. Her subject matter includes street scenes, cafes, landscapes, figurative works and still life.
Romona likes to trick the eye, using muted colors and blurred contours painted softly. She uses sandpaper, ends of brushes, rags and anything unconventional.

Oxford Hotel
10 NW Minnesota Ave.
541-382-8436
During the month of February, Joren Traveller is the featured artist at Bend’s Oxford Hotel. Joren presents a group of mostly small plein air paintings inspired by our wonderful local scenery. She says,
“I am always trying new media and techniques and have experimented with pastels, acrylics, oils and liquid graphite. I enjoy painting animal portraits and am currently enjoying the challenge of painting landscapes inspired by my travels. I am a member of the Red Chair Gallery in Bend, of the Plein Air Painters of Oregon and President of the High Desert Art League.”

Red Chair Gallery
103 NW Oregon Ave.
541-306-3176 • redchairgallerybend.com
In February, Red Chair Gallery showcases the work of six artists. On the walls are watercolors by Jacqueline Newbold and pastels by Lise Hoffman McCabe. Ceramics by Dori Kite and Helen Bommarito are also on display, as well as jewelry by Tyler Haas and Mary Jo Weiss. Open seven days a week: Monday-Saturday, 10am-6pm and Sunday, 12-4pm. Open late on Friday, August 5 for First Friday.

Sage Custom Framing & Gallery
834 NW Brooks St.
541-382-5884 • sageframing-gallery.com
Mixed Media is a two-month group show at Sage Custom Framing and Gallery for February and March.  A variety of local artists are displaying their creative works in everything from oil to watercolor, fabric to collage, prints to drawings and more.  Just about anything goes in this show! Showing February 1-April 1.

SageBrushers Art Society
117 SW Roosevelt Ave.
541-617-0900 • sagebrushersartofbend.com
SageBrushers Art Society presents its annual All Member Show. Come enjoy the creative output of these community artists and be dazzled by the range of work. The SageBrushers Gallery is open Wednesday, Friday, and Saturday, 1-4pm. Showing thru February.

The Stacks Art Studios & Gallery
Old Mill District, Second Floor
404-944-9170
The Stacks Art Studios & Gallery features the artwork and work of local creators Lindsey Luna Tucker, Kira Frances, Lindsay Gilmore, Ashley Paggi and Alyson Brown.
Lindsey Luna Tucker uses her sensitivity to emotion, exaggeration of gesture and manipulation of color and space, to create abstract landscape oil paintings. While her work is rooted in a visual awareness of the physical world, she favorites emotional truth over visual realism.
Kira Frances creates oil paintings to investigate the nature of truth and share alternative realms of beauty. For her still life pieces, she sets up the objects and alters their context just enough to suggest a dream-like landscape; for her geometric pieces, she takes an idea and deconstructs it, revealing the concept through the display of shapes and angles.
Lindsay Gilmore creates abstract landscape paintings inspired by the colors and compositions that have captivated her while on adventures outdoors with her family.
Ashley Paggi (Ash Cascade) is a surface pattern designer whose bohemian/retro style evokes a polished yet gritty sense of place. While she mainly licenses her art, you can find some of her own products such as bandanas, mugs and stickers, at The Stacks.
Alyson Brown (Wild Folklore) is a photographer and stylist specializing in beverage and botanicals. While she focuses most of her time on brand development and content creation, Alyson is also The Stacks in-house mixologist for First Fridays.
Call the studio for hours and appointments.

Tumalo Art Company
Old Mill District
541-385-9144 • tumaloartco.com
February is both the month of love and the Heart of Winter. Our group show by that name opens during the Old Mill District First Friday Gallery Walk, February 3 from 3-7pm.
Our artists are bringing works that embody the warmth of winter — even when it’s cold. Landscapes, figurative work, symbolic pieces …in all mediums, large to small. Custom valentines for your love are in stock, with one-of-a-kind jewelry by four local makers, ceramics, glass, turned wood and original cards by our artists.
Tumalo Art Co. is an artist-run gallery in the heart of the Old Mill District, open seven days a week.

The Wine Shop
55 NW Minnesota Ave.
541-389-2884 • thewineshopbend.com
The Wine Shop is showing oil paintings by Sagebrushers Art Society member Gary Uderitz. As a self-taught artist, Gary has pursued his interest in oil painting for over 50 years. Eventually taking classes in technique and color, he found a new direction for developing his own style. “Since retirement and moving to Bend, I’ve been inspired by the natural beauty that surrounds this area. This show is a ‘wine-themed’ set of paintings — of vineyards and gardens.” Stop in to enjoy the view and try one of the fine wines on offer! Showing thru February.

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