Culture

Bend artist, Kelly Martin of Black Currant, released her new LP, “Fast Ceremony,” on Sept. 21. Her new release is a joining of musical antitheses: pop and experimental, dark and danceable, joyous and haunting. By adding urgent, percussive synthesizer rhythms, she forms a backdrop to ethereal vocals and melodies, which at times may best be […]

LIBRA (Sept. 23-Oct. 22): In ancient Egyptian myth, the goddess Maat ruled truth, divine law, harmony, and moral order. After death, each person’s heart was weighed against Maat’s feather of truth on a scale in the Hall of Judgment. If the heart, which embodied the essence of a person’s actions in life, was equal in […]

In 1949, George Orwell published a little book called “1984,” a dystopian novel about a totalitarian state under the constant watch of Big Brother. It proceeded to become the most banned book of all time. Why? The most commonly challenged reasons include inappropriate sexual content and controversial social and political themes. This year, Banned Books […]

LIBRA (Sept. 23-Oct. 22): The ancient Mesopotamians believed each person had a personal god called an *ilu* who acted as a protector, guide, and intercessor with the greater gods. You’re in a phase when your own *ilu* is extra active and ready to undergo an evolutionary transformation. So assume that you will be able to […]

Reading your first Stephen King book has always seemed like a rite of passage as one transitions from reading young adult and children’s books to novels for grown-ups. The first book aimed at adults I can ever remember cracking open was King’s 1983 “Pet Semetary,” which not only scared the sweet, innocent hell out of […]

Despite Central Oregon’s expanding cultural landscape, local artists and arts organizations report being constrained by Bend’s shortage of dedicated performance and rehearsal venues.   “One of the challenges we’ve consistently heard from members of our artistic communities involves the limited availability of performance and rehearsal spaces,” says Taylor Dusick, marketing and communications manager for the Central […]

The Bend Film Festival is celebrating its 22nd year the second week of October. Over a five-day period, viewers can watch 116 films. The average runtime per short film is 15 minutes with several grouped together for a 90-minute block. Feature films are between 80-130 minutes. The movies are spread out among various theaters including […]

There’s a bounty of local plays, musicals and ballets to ease you into the holiday spirit. The Greenhouse Cabaret is producing the musical, “Once” It’s a love story set against a gritty Irish backdrop. The production won an Oscar for Best Original Song in 2008, a Tony Award for Best Musical in 2o012, a Grammy […]