Art Watch 10/28-11/4

During the November First Friday Art Hop in Downtown Bend, the Oregon Natural Desert Association (ONDA) will unveil its 2016 Wild Desert Calendar and showcase some of the best photography of Oregon's high desert from the last decade. ONDA, a 25-year-old Bend-based nonprofit dedicated to protecting and rehabilitating Oregon's high desert habitats, dreamed up the calendar as a way to introduce the rest of Oregon to the beautiful landscapes east of the Cascade Mountains. Now in its 12th year, the ONDA Wild Desert Calendar is a collection of photography dedicated to capturing the beauty of Oregon's high desert.

Among the featured photographers are Greg Burke, Jim Davis, and Tyson Fisher. Greg Burke and Jim Davis are Bend residents who took part in the original team that brought the calendar project to life over a decade ago. Their talent and dedication has attracted other artists to the project, including Tyson Fisher of Silverton, Oregon, and passionate high desert photographers such as Jon Muyskens, Barb Rumer, Jamey Pyles, and Dave Rein.

Jim Davis says he's proud of the way the calendar has drawn people to the spectacular beauty of the high desert over the years. "These places in Oregon are wonderful, you just have to capture them," he says in a release. "The calendar provides a way to show how spectacular these places really are. It's the only collection of photography dedicated solely to the Oregon desert."

On Friday, November 6, ONDA and Deschutes Brewery Public House in downtown Bend will host a celebration of the photographers who contributed to the 2016 calendar. In addition, 20 images from the upcoming calendar as well as from years past will be on display in the pub's upstairs Tap Room. The November 6 event takes place from 5 to 8 pm, accompanied by live music from Coyote Willow and special release desert-inspired beers, including a Central Oregon Saison and Painted Wonder Red IPA, named for Sutton Mountain and the Painted Hills. Photography from the event will continue to be displayed on the red wall at the pub through the entire month of November.