Stumbled upon this gallery while visiting Bend and was blown away. One of the cooler galleries I've…read morebeen in and a very "vibey", low-key environment. The artists here are incredible, and the person working that day pulled out pieces from the back, which was a blast. A must if you're in the Central Oregon area.

An amazing collection of art in a light filled space in the heart of town. The works are…read morethoughtfully arranged to give them each "breathing room". Most of the artists are local. I usually play a game in galleries in which I can have one or two pieces to take home. In the current Peterson collection I easily found ten pieces I would love to own. Talk with the gallery folks--they are unpretentious, good humored, open and have stories and anecdotes that enhanced our viewing.

The collection at Mockingbird is very impressive! The staff is so welcoming and knowledgeable. The…read moregallery just keeps going with lots to see! Great mix of paintings and sculpture.

Wow. Let me say that again, wow. Some of the sculptures here have an originality that is hard to…read morefind, ok one more time, wow. The women who runs this gallery is great, she knows details on all of the artists and shows a lot of appreciation for their skills. The selection of art & sculptures will fit everyone's taste for those who appreciate the arts. You get what you pay for, while the purchase price may be high for many of the items there I can definitely understand why, oh yeah did I say wow!

After a lovely walk along the river, we stumbled into the area and discovered Red Chair Gallery…read more The artist there (wish I could remember her name) was so pleasant about inviting questions and sharing what she knew of the others' art. All kinds of interesting things in there. I did like her work, but something about this bunny by another artist called to me. The sweet lady must have spent half an hour playing with different combinations of boxes and bubble wrap to make sure it'd be safe for my walk back and subsequent trip in the suitcase home to San Diego. "River Rabbit" now oversees our living room. An interesting shop that we'll peruse again the next time we have reason to be in Bend.

Really cool spot to check out, their art is amazing! They are following the covid rules and are…read moresuper happy you stopped in. Very nice folks work here, recommend

Scalehouse, perhaps the only non-profit contemporary art gallery in Bend, is located in the large…read moreFranklin Crossing building on the corner of Franklin and Bond. The gallery can be accessed either from the interior of the building or from Tin Pan Alley. - Rotating contemporary art on display in a moderately-sized gallery space. Depending on the particular exhibit, you'll find photography, drawing, painting, mixed-media and sculpture by individual artists and group shows. - Features both upcoming and established artists such as Bend residents Nancy Floyd (2022 Guggenheim Fellow), Paula Bullwinkle, Bill Hoppe and Christian Brown, as well as regional artists such as April Bey and Sadie Barnette. - As with many contemporary art galleries, some of the work revolves around current societal issues. The recent COBIPOC exhibit, "Be Nice (White) ... You're in Bend," examined the notion that Central Oregon lacked racial diversity and sought to increase the visibility of the BIPOC community. Another recent show, "Crow's Shadow Institute of the Arts," featured work from the Umatilla tribes in Eastern Oregon. - Scalehouse was founded in part by local art legend Patricia Clark who did much to promote art and artists in Central Oregon. The gallery has an adjoining artist workshop dedicated to Pat. After viewing the art, you might mosey down the alley to San Simon for a cocktail or to The Stihl Whiskey Bar, also located in Franklin Crossing (door on Franklin Ave).

LAYOR has now transitioned into a full blown Art Gallery .. without carrying retail or Art Supplies…read more.. and I must say it's gorgeous in there !! Such a lovely place to visit and buy Art by very talented local Artists .. a gem in Downtown Bend .. Lacey and her husband Paul along with Caden and her Brother Bo are all involved in bringing the Best of service to the community ... art classes are still available .. stop by and view the Art soon.

This store has a lot of great stuff, but when we tried out a pen on a recept in my bag we got in…read moretrouble which is hard because otherwise we did not know what the pen looks like. Great value!

Formerly Atelier 6000, the Bend Art Center is a great local art gallery and workshop located in the…read moreBox Factory complex. Features a good printmaking studio.

Fabulous new addition to downtown Redmond! Bright vibrant gallery with lots of local artists…read morerepresented. It is run by volunteers that are members of the Dry Canyon Art Association. The exhibits change every couple of months, so you'll find something new. They encourage art by pairing with local artists represented guilds, veterans, etc. AND.... The profits, fundraising and grants are used to bring art to the Redmond elementary schools! Great way to support the community and local artists!

The SOQS has been on my bucket list for years, and I was thrilled to finally be able to make it…read morethis year. Bonus that it happened to be the 50th anniversary of this iconic show! I arrived in town the evening before, and some seasoned attendees warned me to make sure to arrive very early to the show the following morning. So at 6am I pulled into town and found a nice, shady spot to park right next to the center of the action at Village Green City Park. I was yearning for some coffee, so headed a couple blocks away to the Sisters Coffee Company and started chatting with other quilt show vets. This is where I learned that the local firefighters would start hanging quilts on the side of the local quilt shop at around 7am, marking the unofficial start of the show! The show itself started at 9 or 10 am (I can't remember!), but there was plenty to keep me busy (and plenty of quilts to see) after I watched the firefighter quilt hanging for about 45 minutes. Pretty much every shop in town has quilts on display, as well as all the parks and green spaces. The show seems very organized, with some shops displaying holiday-themed quilts, others displaying animal-themed quilts, etc. There were a few food and drink vendors (including three adorable brothers enthusiastically selling bottled water out of the back of their wagon), and of course every restaurant in town was open for the event, too. The quilts themselves were beautiful, each with a description of technique and often a little story behind the quilt. It was all quite dazzling! By about noon, the weather had gotten too hot (over 100 degrees!) for me to wander much more. I grabbed some lunch and a cold beer, then headed back to the coolness of my car and the drive back to our nearby campsite. Was the show worth the 2-day journey to get there from home? Absolutely! Will I be one of those veterans who attends every year for 50 years? Probably not! But I would definitely like to go again - if nothing else, for the inspo to dust off my quilting rulers and start creating again!

They shut the town down. And open the town up…read more Sisters (pop. 1,700) swells to over 20,000 for one day in July every year when they host the world's largest outdoor quilt show. What does this mean? It means, if you don't like quilts, don't attempt to drive through town. Traffic is brutal. If you don't like slow moving people, you might want to give it a pass. I attended with my mom this year and after a few instances of me complaining, "Too many people. It's too hot. OMG, can't they walk any faster?" My mom retorted, "Perhaps you shouldn't go back to Japan any time soon." And I said, "It is different there. It is crowded, but they walk with purpose." Complaining aside, this was still a fun event. The entire town gets into the spirit and more than 1,300 quilts are hung outside every building in town. They even tagged a minivan! There are hundreds of styles of quilts, from traditional to contemporary, and many are whimsical or with a cowboy or nature motif. Many are for sale, with prices from hundreds to thousands of dollars. They close Highway 126-20 (Cascade Avenue), so it feels like an enormous block party. Since I'm a regular visitor to Sisters, I got my coffee and food at more obscure spots since lines were ridiculous at Sisters Coffee Co. and most places on the main avenues. So I wouldn't plan on getting a lot of productive shopping done that day. Just go to enjoy the festival, the live music and the happy vibe. Bring your mother. It was fun to see local stores thriving and, for the most part, the businesses and city were set up to handle the crowds. I'll be back next year. Now that I know what I'm getting into, I'll have a better attitude.