Museum Kicks Off Summer With Return Of Raptors Of The Desert Sky Flight Program (Photo) -05/21/25

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Wednesday, May 21, 2025

 

BEND, OR — The High Desert Museum’s signature outdoor flight program, Raptors of the Desert Sky, returns beginning Saturday, May 24. The demonstration takes place daily during the summer at 11:30 am through Labor Day.

 

Hawks, owls, falcons and even turkey vultures soar from perch to perch directly over the crowd seated in a natural amphitheater nestled in the Museum’s ponderosa pine forest. A Museum expert narrates the action, sharing the hunting strategies and natural behaviors of these spectacular birds of prey, as well as what we can do to help preserve them in the wild.

 

The program takes place weather and air quality permitting. The Museum website will be updated to reflect any time changes, such as an earlier start time to accommodate for high temperatures that might stress the birds.

 

Tickets are separate from Museum entry ($8 for non-member adults, including seniors; $6 for children; members receive 20% discount) and are sold at Admissions for that day’s program until 11:00 am. They are not available online. Tickets often sell out before 10:00 am. The Museum strongly recommends that visitors arrive when the Museum opens at 9:00 am to secure tickets from Admissions.

 

Raptors of the Desert Sky is made possible by Fly Redmond, Avion Water Company and KTVZ News Channel 21, with support from Bigfoot Beverages. Learn more at highdesertmuseum.org/raptors-of-the-desert-sky.

 

In addition, the Museum’s summer schedule of daily talks begins on Saturday. Visitors can meet a mammal in the popular Desert Dwellers talk at 3:00 pm, and they can also learn about wolves, raptors and other High Desert species in other talks. Daily talks are free with admission. Talk details are at highdesertmuseum.org/daily-schedule.

 

The historic High Desert Ranger Station will be open weekends from 10:00 am to 2:00 pm starting Saturday, as well. In December 2024, the ranger station moved from its previous location at the front of the Museum to its new spot along the Fire in the Forest trail. The U.S. Forest Service ranger station was built east of the Sierra Nevada in 1933 and moved to the Museum in 2008 in partnership with the Pacific Northwest Forest Service Association of Forest Service retirees (known as the Old Smokeys). Old Smokeys and volunteers staff the station to engage with Museum visitors. The ranger station will be open daily starting July 1. The building’s history is at highdesertmuseum.org/high-desert-ranger-station.

 

Meanwhile, the 1904 Lazinka Sawmill will be up and running for three select days this summer: June 14, July 29 and August 28. From 12:00 pm to 3:00 pm each day, visitors can see an authentic sawmill used at the turn of the 20^th century to process wood with an enormous blade slicing through thick Oregon timber. Visitors can experience the magic of the sawmill for free with admission. Learn more at highdesertmuseum.org/lazinka-sawmill.

 

On July 16, visitors are invited to Welcome the Night with Museum staff and volunteers. The event takes place after hours from 6:30 pm to 9:30 pm and celebrates sundown, the transition between day and night when nocturnal wildlife stirs. Participants are encouraged to bring a headlamp or flashlight and learn how a dark night sky free from light pollution is critical for wildlife. The family-friendly event includes telescope tours, insect discoveries, bat watching, a constellation tour, food and drinks for purchase, raffle prizes and more. Adults and children (3 and older) are $10. Children 2 and younger are free. Museum members receive 20% discount. Learn more and reserve tickets at highdesertmuseum.org/welcome-the-night-2025.

 

Visitors should keep in mind the indoor art exhibitions and galleries, as well. Patterns at Play: Fractals in Nature, an interactive and family-friendly exhibition, encourages kids and adults alike to build their own fractals and immerse themselves in the mesmerizing world of nature’s repeating patterns. The photographic artistry of Frank S. Matsura, a Japanese immigrant who set up a studio in rural Okanogan County, is on display in Frank S. Matsura: Portraits from the Borderland.

 

On July 5, the Museum opens its annual Art in the West juried exhibition and silent auction. Featuring more than 100 artworks ranging from watercolors and acrylics to photography and sculptures, the exhibition celebrates the landscapes, wildlife, people, cultures and history of the High Desert. Discover more about the Museum’s exhibitions at highdesertmuseum.org/exhibitions.

 

Learn more about visiting the Museum at highdesertmuseum.org.

 

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 TikTok, Facebook and Instagram.

 

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Kids Curate Exhibition Shares Work Of Yearlong Program With Elementary Students (Photo) -05/14/25

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Wednesday, May 14, 2025

 

 

Kids Curate exhibition shares work of yearlong program with elementary students

 

BEND, OR — The High Desert Museum invites visitors to experience the culmination of a yearlong program that dove into the diverse perspectives of wildfire in Central Oregon. Explore the artistic voices of young students in Kids Curate, open now through Sunday, June 1.

 

Every year, Kids Curate integrates art, science and history into classrooms and field-trip experiences with one Central Oregon elementary school over the course of the school year. The program culminates in an exhibition created by the students on the Museum’s walls. Caregivers and families celebrate the students’ work at an exhibition opening event.

 

“Students engage with the topic deeply through hands on experiences to better understand many viewpoints throughout the year,” said Bonnie Lee and Oliver P. Steele III Curator of Education and Engagement Molly Wilmoth. “We’re grateful to partner with the educators at a school to provide this intensive and in-depth learning experience.”

 

Third and fourth graders from La Pine Elementary School in La Pine, Oregon, participated in this year’s project. Months of learning have culminated in a series of artwork. Each of the students’ canvases depicts a unique perspective on wildfire, a phenomenon of particular interest after last year’s Darlene 3 fire in their community. With the help of Museum educators, La Pine teachers and experts, the students explored our complicated relationship with fire in the High Desert.

 

As a result, more than 100 pieces of art will adorn the walls of the Desertarium Gallery at the Museum. The exhibition is an external representation of the internal process.

 

Museum educators first met with the students in October 2024 and continued to meet with them every other week. Through different educational disciplines – from science and art to social studies and history – the students learned about wildfire on the landscape and then translated those perspectives into art. This ranged from fire as a threat to fire as a helpful, natural process. Their new understandings of fire are highlighted through the exhibition.

 

As part of the Kids Curate program, the Museum included two outside voices to help the students in their yearlong learning. Ariel Cowan, regional fire specialist with the Oregon State University Extension Service, helped the students explore fire as both scientists and community members. She took part in the students’ field trip to the Museum in late February 2025, providing information on how fires can damage structures in a community but also spur new forest growth.

 

Artist Jake Kenobi, also known as Spring Break Jake, visited La Pine Elementary three times during the year to share his techniques with the students. From how he creates his artwork to the incorporation of feelings and emotions onto the canvas, Kenobi invited the students to see fire as more than just heat and combustion.

 

After gathering materials in the forest at the Museum, Kenobi assisted students in creating “studio potions.” Acrylic paint supplemented with pinecone bits, soil, pine needles and manzanita leaves adorn the canvases on display.

 

In addition, Kids Curate provides participating students with the pride of publicly and prominently displaying their artwork and the tools needed to continue their artistic practice.

More information about the Kids Curate program can be found at highdesertmuseum.org/kids-curate.

 

The 2025 Kids Curate program and exhibition is made possible by The Bloomfield Family Foundation, Braemar Charitable Trust/Trust Management Services LLC, the Chambers Family Foundation, the James F. and Marion L. Miller Foundation, the PGE Foundation and the Oregon Arts Commission. Additional support comes from Bennington Properties.

 

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 TikTok, Facebook and Instagram.

 

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