(Opening the Klamath, giclee prints from original watercolor by Kathy Deggendorfer)
In collaboration with Kathy Deggendorfer, Makin’ It Local is honored to release Opening the Klamath, an open edition fine art giclee print by regionally acclaimed Central Oregon artist Kathy Deggendorfer. Starting October 3, 2024, the public pre-release print sale ordering information can be found at makinitlocal.com. The release party on November 2, 2024, begins at 10am and includes an artist in attendance, Artist Reception, from 2:30-5pm. The event is free and open to the public. The fine art prints will be available for viewing and purchase, including custom framed prints in various archival designs. Refreshments, including wine, beer, hors d’oeuvres, and ginger snaps, will be served. Pre-ordered giclee prints will be available during the release party.
Opening the Klamath pre-order details: Fine art open edition giclee prints can be pre-ordered at makinitlocal.com. Customers’ pre-orders are available for delivery on or after the November 2, 2024, release party. Shipping can be arranged by contacting Makin’ it Local at 541-904-4722.
“The painting, Opening the Klamath, was inspired by the largest dam removal project in the world that will be completed in 2024 on the Klamath River. Four of the six dams will come down and open the Klamath from the headwaters below Crater Lake to the Pacific just south of Crescent City. Removing the barriers and restoring the health of the Klamath River watershed is a huge victory for the Klamath, Yurok, Modoc, and other Tribal nations, who have been fighting to remove those dams for over a hundred years.
“I was introduced to an organization called Rios to Rivers a few years ago. They are supporting and documenting the journey of Tribal youth in a program called “Paddle Tribal Waters.” The program teaches Indigenous youth kayaking skills to prepare them to navigate the reopened river. They will be the first to paddle the length of the free-flowing Klamath River. They are being trained to be important river stewards.
“Intrigued by the documentary Rivers To Rios created in support for the Paddle Tribal Waters project I knew I had to do a painting. In the image the water flows from the rolling pine-covered foothills below Mt .Mazama (when it erupted Crater Lake was formed). The river flows freely now. The water is blue and clear and the toxic algae growth caused by the dams slowing the water has been eradicated. The shores of the river, which the dammed water had flooded for so many years, have been carefully restored. The colorful hardshell kayaks are like those that the Paddle Tribal Waters youth are using to return to the ocean. The faint underlying grid of pencil marks represents the removal of the outdated hydroelectric production that was the original purpose of the dams.” ~ Kathy Deggendorfer
For more information about Rios To Rivers and the opening of the Klamath, go to:
riostorivers.org/paddle-tribal-waters
About Kathy Deggendorfer:
Kathy Deggendorfer lives on a cattle and hay ranch just outside of Sisters, on the eastern slopes of the Cascade Mountains. Inspired by her surroundings’ color and texture, her vibrant and colorful watercolor paintings are whimsical representations of ranch life, her travels, and the environment. Kathy’s paintings are often referred to as “Painter’s Quilts.” Kathy was chosen to create the 2007, 2011, 2012, 2016, 2019, and 2025 Sisters Outdoor Quilt Show Posters. Her work has been translated into quilting fabrics in collections by In The Beginning Fabrics, Maywood Studios, and FreeSpirit Fabrics. Rich with color and pattern, Kathy’s work is collected throughout the Pacific Northwest. In 2008, Kathy was selected to create the Oregon State Ornament for the White House Christmas Tree, and in 2009 was a featured artist on Oregon Art Beat. Her image Coming Home was featured on the cover of the 2010 OPB calendar. In 2014, Kathy’s work was honored in a one-person show at the High Desert Museum in Bend. This exhibit continues to travel to museums around Oregon. It includes shows at the Oregon Historical Society Museum in Portland, the Columbia River Discovery Center Museum, and the Baker City Museum. In collaboration with Kibak Tile, Sisters, Kathy creates hand-printed tile murals for installation in public and private settings.
Kathy’s artwork is included in the permanent collections at Roberts Field Municipal Airport, Brasada Ranch Resort, Mahonia Hall ( The Oregon Governor’s mansion), OHSU Casey Eye Institute, OSU-Cascades Campus, St. Charles Hospital Cancer Center, City of Sisters Fir Street Park, Peace Health Hospital in Longview, Washington, and the Federal Reserve Bank of San Francisco, as well as many private collections.
Kathy’s artwork can be viewed at Makin’ It Local in Sisters, @makinitlocal, and MakinItLocal.com. You can also follow her at @kathydeggendorfer, where she creates a daily cartoon featuring her corgi, Cooper.
About Makin’ it Local:
We are Makin’ it Local and Celebrating Oregon. Art, Photography, Fine Crafts, Jewelry, Ceramics, Gifts and More. Featuring artwork by Kathy Deggendorfer, Megan Marie Myers, Lindsay Gilmore, Rachel Dantona (Hikerbooty), James Parsons (Extreme Oregon), Pete Alport, Christian Murillo, Letterpress by Quail Lane Press and Green Bird Press, Julie Hamilton, Sheila Dunn, Susan Luckey Higdon, Kara Frampton (KF Stoneware), Glass art by Cheryl Chapman of Silly Dog Art Glass and many more! Stop by today – Seriously Great Art. Makin’ It Local is at 281 W Cascade Avenue in downtown Sisters.
Fall Hours: Open daily, Monday to Saturday, 10am-5:30pm; Sunday, 10am-4pm.
makinitlocal.com • @makinitlocal • 541-904-4722