BEND, OR — Calling all writers! Submissions for the 10th annual Waterston Desert Writing Prize close May 1, 2024. This prestigious award, a program of the High Desert Museum, celebrates proposals for outstanding literary nonfiction dedicated to the literal and figurative exploration of desert landscapes.
This year’s winner will receive a $3,000 cash award and be recognized with a reception and reading at the Museum in Bend, Oregon on September 26, 2024. Tickets are available now at highdesertmuseum.org/2024-waterston-ceremony. The winner and finalists will be selected by the 2024 guest judge Sam Waterston – renowned actor and brother of Prize founder Ellen Waterston.
Known for his work in theater, television and film, Sam Waterston gained stardom portraying DA Jack McCoy on the NBC crime series Law & Order (1994–2010, 2022–), for which he has received a Screen Actors Guild Award, Golden Globe Award and Emmy Award. Waterston will announce the 2024 winner and address attendees during the Waterston Desert Writing Prize ceremonies either on video or in person alongside the 2024 Prize winner and the 2024 keynote speaker, Tucker Malarkey, who will attend in person.
Nationally bestselling author of the critically acclaimed and national bestselling novels An Obvious Enchantment and Resurrection, Malarkey’s first major work of nonfiction, Stronghold, describes one man’s journey to save salmon habitat in the U.S. and Russia. Stronghold was an editor’s pick for The New York Times, National Book Review, Outside and Forbes. With a career that began at The Washington Post, Malarkey’s love of human culture and wilderness have since taken her all over the world.
The Prize was established in 2014, inspired by author and poet Ellen Waterston’s love of the High Desert — a region that has been her muse for more than 40 years. The Waterston Desert Writing Prize celebrates writers whose nonfiction book proposal reflects a similar connection to a desert, recognizing the vital role deserts play in ecosystems and the human narrative.
Emerging, mid-career and established nonfiction writers who illustrate artistic excellence, sensitivity to place and desert literacy with the desert as both subject and setting are invited to apply. The award supports literary nonfiction writers who are completing, proposing or considering the creation of a book-length manuscript. It is recommended that the writing sample submitted is part of the proposed project or closely represents it in content and style.
To learn more about the Waterston Desert Writing Prize and how to submit an entry, visit highdesertmuseum.org/waterston-prize. The Prize is possible with support from The Source Weekly. Submissions will be accepted through May 1, 2024.
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 and Instagram.
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April 17, 2024
Savor renowned artwork by Kiki Smith, Ann Hamilton, Matthew Day Jackson and Wangechi Mutu while exploring, “Near, Far, Gone: From the Collections of Jordan D. Schnitzer and his Family Foundation”
BEND, OR — Step into a world where art, nature and humanity intersect in the captivating new exhibition Near, Far, Gone: From the Collections of Jordan D. Schnitzer and His Family Foundation, opening at the High Desert Museum on April 20, 2024.
Featuring extraordinary works by Kiki Smith, Ann Hamilton, Matthew Day Jackson and Wangechi Mutu, this exhibition explores the intricate relationship between humans, wildlife and the environment. With each piece drawing inspiration from the natural world, these acclaimed artists delve deep into themes of symbolism, allegory and human-animal connections.
“We are thrilled to show the dynamic and thought-provoking works of Kiki Smith, Ann Hamilton, Matthew Day Jackson and Wangechi Mutu,” says Museum Executive Director Dana Whitelaw, Ph.D., “Through the diverse perspectives of these four acclaimed artists, Near, Far, Gone offers a profound meditation on the interconnectedness of humanity and the natural world.”
Four of the pieces featured in Near, Far, Gone are from prominent German-born American artist, Kiki Smith. Smith’s art often explores themes of embodiment and the natural world, drawing inspiration from a wide range of sources including folklore, religious iconography and scientific illustrations. Her work is characterized by its raw emotional power and intimate exploration of the human experience. Throughout her career, Smith has exhibited extensively internationally and has received numerous awards and honors for her contributions to contemporary art. In 2006 Smith was recognized by TIME Magazine as one of the “Time 100: The People Who Shape Our World.”
Smith’s featured pieces, titled “Pool of Tears II” “Fortune” “Carrier” and “Companions,” take inspiration from folklore and transform the natural world into an almost dreamlike reality. While viewing her work, visitors will have the opportunity to reflect on their relationships with animals—particularly those who act as close companions.
Another Near, Far, Gone featured artist, Ann Hamilton, is a highly respected American visual artist known for her immersive installations. Raised in Ohio, Hamilton studied textile design before earning her MFA in sculpture from the Yale School of Art. Hamilton uses everyday materials such as fabric, paper and sound to create experiential environments that engage the viewer on a profound emotional and intellectual level. Her art has been exhibited extensively worldwide, including prestigious institutions like the Guggenheim Museum and Museum of Modern Art in New York and the Venice Biennale. With her innovative creations, Hamilton continues to push the boundaries of contemporary art, inviting audiences to reconsider their perceptions of space, materiality and the human experience.
Hamilton’s Near, Far, Gone featured screenprint, Peregrine Falcon, is partially blurred suggesting a narrative of conservation and preservation success. In the United States, peregrine falcons are a clear conservation success story. In the 20th century, they disappeared in high numbers due to the insecticide DDT, a chemical that poisoned their food and habitat. The federal government listed the falcon under the Endangered Species Act in 1973. Reintroduction programs and the banning of DDT have aided the bird’s comeback. Now delisted, peregrine falcon populations are stable. After exploring Near, Far, Gone, visitors may have the opportunity to meet a real peregrine falcon during the Museum’s Bird of Prey Encounter. Happening daily at 11:00 am, visitors can meet some of the non releasable raptors in the Museum’s care as wildlife staff explain their unique adaptions.
Matthew Day Jackson—another Near, Far, Gone featured artist—is celebrated for his diverse and thought-provoking work spanning sculpture, installation, painting, and video. Known for his meticulous craftsmanship and innovative use of materials, Jackson's pieces evoke a sense of wonder and contemplation, challenging viewers to confront the complexities of their existence. His work has been featured in major exhibitions worldwide, including a significant showcase at the Pace Gallery in New York City.
Twelve pieces by Jackson will hang in Near, Far, Gone, titled “There Will Come Soft Rains #1-#12.” In the creation of this series, he transformed 1930s copper plates [GU1] etched with Audubon's birds, adding vibrant colors and layers of images. The portfolio's title is drawn from Sara Teasdale's poem "There Will Come Soft Rains," evoking nature's resurgence after devastation. Jackson incorporated one stanza of the poem onto each plate. Notably, several birds depicted in the portfolio are now extinct or critically endangered, like the carrier pigeon and the ivory-billed woodpecker, due to human activities.
The final Near, Far, Gone featured artist is contemporary Kenyan-born American [GU2] artist Wangechi Mutu. In 2019, the Metropolitan Museum of Art debuted her groundbreaking exhibition The NewOnes, will free Us as its inaugural Facade Commission — a prestigious initiative inviting contemporary artists to create temporary installations for the museum's exterior facade. This innovative display marked a historic moment as Mutu’s four bronze sculptures, titled “The Seated I, II, III, and IV” took their place in the museum’s exterior niches which had been vacant for 117 years. [GU3]
Mutu’s works in Near, Far, Gone titled “Seanimal I, II, III, and IV” merge animals with human and monster-like features, blurring the lines between reality and fantasy. Through these fantastical creations, Mutu prompts contemplation on humanity's relationship with nature and the ethical implications of scientific specimen collection and preservation practices.
Through these 19 evocative works, visitors are prompted to contemplate the delicate balance of our coexistence with endangered, threatened and evolving animal species. As we witness creatures transition nearer or farther from human influence, Near, Far, Gone ignites a poignant dialogue about the survival of diverse species and the sustainability of our shared planet.
Near Far, Gone: From the Collections of Jordan D. Schnitzer and His Family Foundation will be on exhibit at the High Desert Museum through September 8, 2024. It’s made possible by the Visit Central Oregon Future Fund and the James F. and Marion L. Miller Foundation with support from Republic Services, Tonkon Torp and Vista Capital Partners.
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 and Instagram.
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BEND, OR — The High Desert Museum will receive $500,000 from the National Endowment for the Humanities, one of 10 in the nation selected for funding for the exceedingly competitive Public Humanities Projects: Exhibition category, the agency announced Tuesday.
The funding will support the Museum’s revitalization of its permanent exhibition dedicated to the Indigenous cultures of the region. By Hand Through Memory opened in 1999, supported in part by NEH funding. Hand in hand with Native partners, the Museum has been working on a new version of the exhibition for several years.
This award is the second grant for the project: In 2019, NEH awarded the Museum $45,000 to support the planning of the renovation. The agency also awarded the Museum $500,000 in 2023 to support an associated expansion of the Museum, bringing the total commitment to the Museum’s future to $1,045,000.
“For more than four decades, the High Desert Museum has set the gold standard for showing and telling both Oregonians and visitors our state’s history,” U.S. Senator Ron Wyden said. “Indigenous history is essential to that mission, and I’m gratified this Central Oregon treasure has secured such a significant federal investment to enable it to update and expand the permanent exhibition devoted to Native perspectives and experiences.”
“We’re immensely grateful to NEH and Senators Wyden and Merkley for this transformational investment,” said High Desert Museum Executive Director Dana Whitelaw, Ph.D. “The revitalized exhibition will be centered in Native voices and knowledge, sharing the rich stories of Indigenous communities throughout the Plateau region. The NEH funding is vital for realizing our vision.”
The Museum is presently working on exhibition design with Ralph Appelbaum Associates, a firm that has handled museum projects ranging from the Smithsonian’s National Museum of African American History in Washington, D.C. to the First
Americans Museum in Oklahoma City, an effort sharing the stories of the 39 Tribes in Oklahoma that opened in 2021.
The exhibition renovation is part of the long-term vision for the future of the Museum, which includes more capacity for educational programming, immersive experiences to bring visitors into the forest canopy, a permanent art exhibition space and a gathering space for Museum events. The Sisters-based Roundhouse Foundation helped launch work on this vision with a $6 million gift in 2021.
The Museum opened in 1982. Founder Donald M. Kerr envisioned the space as an immersive experience that highlights the wonder of the High Desert, often saying that its mission is to “wildly excite and responsibly teach.” He also intended for the Museum and its programs to spark dialogue and bring people together in conversations about what they want for the region’s future.
Today, the Museum shares up to nine rotating temporary exhibitions, serves more than 8,600 participants with school field trips, and provides free and reduced-price admissions to more than 25,000 visitors. It welcomed more than 216,000 visitors in 2023.
The National Endowment for the Humanities is an independent federal agency that supports cultural institutions in their efforts to facilitate research and original scholarship, provides opportunities for lifelong learning, preserves and provides access to cultural and educational resources, and strengthens the institutional base of the humanities throughout the nation.
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 and Instagram.
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