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 winner 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.