(Photos | by Gary Calicott)
Local photographer and champion of the Central Oregon music scene, Gary Calicott, is presenting a unique collection of work during the upcoming Bend Roots Revival 2022. Portraits of Resilience – Local Artists Thrive in Pandemic Times, features a series of black and white portraiture pieces of Central Oregon musicians, and will be on display in Immersion Brewing’s Barrel Room at 555 NW Arizona Avenue in Bend September 23 through 25 (during the Bend Roots Revival 2022 music festival). There will also be an artist’s reception on the September 23 from 5:30-8:30pm.
Calicott — a lifelong photographer, adventurer and devoted music fan — has thoughtfully captured and documented many of the region’s local music moments and personalities over the years. If you follow the Central Oregon music scene, you’ve likely seen his photos and name on performance promo pictures. When the pandemic brought live music to a crawl in 2020, Calicott was inspired to keep the vibe alive.
“This pandemic happened. The world shut down. I wanted a way to document the fact that we are all still here. Making music. Making art,” he said.
Jason Schweitzer, a musician featured in the series recalls how he thrived during the shut-down.
“From the start of the pandemic, I felt less constrained to perform and more inspired to write and record. Once I removed performing from the mix, I suddenly found that I was free artistically to do whatever I wanted,” Schweitzer.
According to Calicott, it was important to find the right place and time to present the show to the public.
“Bend Roots Revival is a showcase building up the next rounds of local talent, so the pairing couldn’t be more appropriate,” he said.
Bend Roots Revival is an annual festival and renaissance of creativity rising up in Central Oregon. Proceeds from sponsorship of the event, donations, sales of merchandise and beer support art and music education projects through camps, workshops and at six schools in Central Oregon.
Calicott looks forward to seeing his work on display at the upcoming show sponsored by Marshall & Wood | Cascade Hasson Sotheby’s International Realty, Evergreen Home Loans and Bend Photo & Video Group.
“When artists came to my small studio, they brought guitars that their father handed down to them, wore clothes that were important to their history, and brought props like amps from 1957, old style microphones, and their song writing journals. What special moments to document,” said Calicott.
For more information about Portraits of Resilience — Local Artists Thrive in Pandemic Times, contact Donna Burklo at donnaburklo@gmail.com or 541-760-5677.