ARTS

Photos by Hillary Christen

Nicola Carpinelli, the driving force behind Hearts Unknown Education, a wellness program that utilizes creative expression to combat mental health issues in adolescents, formed the program because of his own experience with both depression and art. Born in the U.S. but educated abroad, Nicola was bullied from a young age, mostly due to being raised in a household that was culturally different from his peers, “Everyone around me was raised in a more traditional American household,” Nicola said. “I was raised in a household with more European values.”

The bullying was so severe that thoughts of suicide entered his 12-year-old mind, but artistic expression helped him recover. “It was art that came and saved me,” he said. “Art that brought me out and allowed me to express what I was feeling and connect with the other kids that didn’t think I was too cool.”

IF YOU CAN’T SAY IT, PAINT IT

Hearts Unknown Education Aims to Help Children Express Trauma

by NOAH NELSON — A&E Feature Writer

Hearts Unknown Education, or HUE for short, is a program offered by the Dead Poets Foundation, which was founded in 2019 by Mariel Hemingway, an actress, best-selling writer and social advocate; Nicola Carpinelli, the renowned artist, entrepreneur and humanitarian; and Dr. Howard Asher, one of the nation’s leading trauma specialists, author and lecturer. Together, the Dead Poets Foundation has pushed for more suicide awareness through the use of art exhibits that specifically feature historical figures who took their own lives.

In 2019, the nonprofit held their first Dead Poets Exhibit here in Bend. The exhibit included paintings of author Ernest Hemingway, his granddaughter Margaux Hemingway, musician Kurt Cobain and travel journalist Anthony Bourdain, among others. “The Anthony Bourdain painting started it all,” Nicola said. “That was the first one.”

Now, the Dead Poets Foundation is fighting suicide and other mental health issues in our community by giving children a chance to express themselves through art, which is the main purpose of HUE. “In the program, kids can express themselves as freely as they want to. They are rather uninhibited, and very creative in their methods,” Nicola said. “Sometimes kids need to express a feeling that they don’t know how to verbally articulate, and that is where HUE comes in.”

While Nicola has an ambitious vision for the future of HUE, he admits that the business side of things is not his forte. For that side, he trusts former Bend City mayor and current grant writer for the Bend-La Pine School District Bruce Abernathy.

“Funny enough, I’ve never considered myself very into art. As a perfectionist, it can stress me out,” Bruce said. “But I do have two daughters who are artistic themselves, and I see how it can positively impact kids. Nicola and I balance each other out; he’s the artistic passion, and I’m the organization.”

In short, you can think of Nicola as the kind of man who draws outside the lines, while Bruce helps him stay in the lines, when he thinks it will help HUE accomplish their goals. Both Bruce and Nicola love Bend for the idyllic mountain town it is, but they also acknowledge that our high suicide rate is extremely concerning. “For a town our size, we actually have very high rates of suicide,” Nicola said. “And during the pandemic, it only got worse.” While the rates of diagnosed depression in teens only rose by a few percent from pre-pandemic rates, that small percent increase amounts to thousands upon thousands more children facing depression than ever before.

Nicola’s background with art and his own mental health issues drives him to try to fix Bend’s suicide problem. Mariel became a social advocate for mental health when it struck her family, and Dr. Howard was brought to the team to assist from a medical perspective and ensure that the program does all it can, while leaving the more severe mental health needs to the medical professionals.

At the end of the day, Nicola’s goal for HUE and the Dead Poets Foundation is to grow with the help of the community. Nicola’s aim is for community members of all ages and backgrounds to come together to combat suicide in our community, in any way they can. A perfect example of this would be the fact that, during our interview together, a woman who teaches art at COCC approached our table and offered to volunteer for HUE, just because she overheard the conversation between Nicola and I. Nicola also recalls buying art supplies locally, and when other customers heard his mission and what the art supplies were going to be used for, these strangers began to offer him cash donations to help purchase the supplies.

“Everywhere I go, I take this passion with me. I communicate it with my art and by sharing art, and when people see that passion for an issue as serious as this one, everyone wants to get involved,” Nicola said. “The hard part is not stretching ourselves too thin, to ensure we can really help those in need, when they need it,” Bruce added.

The Dead Poets Foundation, with the help of the community, will surely become a positive force for mental health in Bend and Central Oregon. With plans to expand in the future and possibly share this model with other nonprofits, Nicola and Bruce hope to see their efforts continue to grow and assist those in our community who really need it. deadpoetsfoundation.org/hue

MURALS & MOUNTAINS

Artists find Inspiration & Connection at Pine Meadow Ranch

by NOAH NELSON — A&E Feature Writer

Photos by Loma Smith

When arriving on the 260-acre Pine Meadow Ranch property in Sisters, it is difficult to not immediately become awestruck. The ranch offers clear views of the nearby, towering Cascade Mountain Range, snowcapped peaks and all. At the mountain’s base extends a thick forest of ponderosa pines that gives way to a vast open meadow that the fully working ranch dedicates to regenerative agricultural practices.

Unlike other ranches in the area, the main practice of Pine Meadow Ranch is not just agriculture. Sure, plenty of that takes place in this beautiful area, but the ranch is actually home to an incredible opportunity for artists: an artist residency.

The ranch is run by the Roundhouse Foundation, which is an organization that helps artists across the world find inspiration and connection, both to each other and the land they occupy. According to the foundation’s mission statement, “We support programs that inspire creativity and connect people with each other and their sense of place to ensure sustainability and economic success for Oregon’s rural communities.”

The Roundhouse Foundation was founded in 2002 as a collaboration between the founder, Kathy Deggendorfer and her mother, Gert Boyle, and has always had the vision to support the creative community of Central Oregon and beyond. In 2005, the foundation funded a study that declared

Sisters needed support for local artists and galleries to help increase sales by bringing more buyers. By 2016, the goals of the foundation had shifted to meet the needs of the community. The foundation sent 30 artists on varying art residencies across the nation, with the goal of building one right here in Sisters. The following year, the foundation acquired Pine Meadow Ranch for their base of operations.

The focal point of the ranch is a massive, 25-foot mosaic mural made from seven individual panels. The idea for the mural came from Kathy meeting another mosaic artist and the owner of Wild Rose Artworks, Rochelle RoseSchueler, at a Christmas party. They both shared stories about the projects they were each working on and connected over a love of art. The idea of using recycled and reused tile came up, which inspired the mosaic at the ranch. Rochelle then involved Lynn Adamo for the design of the mural.

The finished mural is a stunning work of art that catches the eye of anyone driving up to the front office, where it is positioned proudly for all to see. The iconography was inspired by the ranch and the land itself; the middle three tiles depict a geometric pattern found in a historic round barn that sits nearby, while the outer four panels depict the burbling waters and smooth stones of the nearby Whychus Creek. Many of the tiles themselves are recycled and reused pieces.

To finish the project, Lynn and Rochelle held an open call and selected the help of Brenda Gratton, Kellie Hoyt and Line Bergene, three other experienced mosaic artists, to finish the mural. These three artists made up the 2022 mosaic artist residency, and were able to not only learn from Kathy and Rochelle, but also share with them some techniques and knowledge of their own.

This is the logic of the artist residency at Pine Meadow Ranch; to create artwork with a sense of place and responsibility for the land it resides on, while also allowing artists the chance to escape everyday life, find inspiration and achieve their goals.

When I personally visited the ranch, Ana Varas, the arts projects coordinator, was kind enough to guide me around to visit different artists, pieces of art and important sites. We drove down a long gravel road with views of the Cascade Peaks on my left and historic building after building on my right. We met with an artist in residency who was cleaning and creating molds out of animal bones that had been found on the property, as well as another artist who focused more on drawing and sketching with tons of black on white paper, which yielded a heavy contrast. I was even lucky enough to meet honorary staff member and barn cat Watson, who decided it was the perfect time to lay in the middle of the gravel road and bask in the sun.

The entire experience, from the wonderfully intelligent staff, dedicated artists and even the lounging Watson taught me that Pine Meadow Ranch is a place where creativity and inspiration flow like the waters of Whychus Creek. Many future creatives who will beautify Sisters and Central Oregon as well as establish themselves as experienced artists and masters of their craft will come from Pine Meadow Ranch, thanks to the long-term vision held by Kathy and her late mother.

In the future, Kathy hopes to expand operations to allow more artists to stay at the ranch at one time. For the four weeks an artist stays at the ranch, Kathy wants to expand on what classes and opportunities are available, and possibly even offer a stipend to each artist, to help make this experience as accessible to everyone as possible, so long as they show dedication and experience in their respective craft.

Regardless of where the future leads Pine Meadow Ranch and the Roundhouse Foundation, it is clear that they will be a positive force for art and on the greater Central Oregon community for years to come. roundhousefoundation.org/pine-meadow-ranch

Sharyl Parker McCulloch, Fiber Arts Stroll 2017. Photos courtesy of Sharyl McCulloch

PAINTING WITH FIBERS

Western Wanderings Ponchette “P ainting with Fibers.” That’s what Hood Avenue artist Sharyl Parker McCulloch calls her style of designing, weaving and knitting wearable art.

A spark was kindled for her 30 years ago by an exhibition she saw at the Pacific NW Handweavers Exhibition; years later she started her own fiber adventure after she left a career in tourism/hospitality management. From a beginning knitting class and discovering the joy of combining fibers, colors and textures, she embarked on a new and fulfilling journey.

Sharyl rarely follows patterns — she trusts intuition to direct the designs, using non-scratchy wools, plantbased fibers and premium art yarns. The landscape of Central Oregon and the ever-changing colors of the sky are key inspirations.

Sharyl sells her one-of-a-kind handwoven and knitted fiber artwear items at Hood Avenue Art in Sisters, and through custom orders at maxsisters@msn.com.

In the Land of the Volcanoes, 11x14 oil by Janet Frost

OXFORD HOTEL FEATURES JANET

FROST

High Desert Art League member Janet Frost is exhibiting her landscape paintings at the Oxford Hotel during the month of September. Inspired by Central Oregon’s landscape, Frost’s works in oil are her impressions of the natural beauty and atmosphere that make the region unique.

Among the paintings on display are her images of the Fort Rock Natural Area. “Visiting Fort Rock is such a unique experience,” says Frost. “There is a sense of mystery and timelessness there that is very captivating. For these paintings, I wanted to capture how this huge volcanic rock formation appears seemingly out of nowhere, set against an intensely blue sky. From its dominant position in the desert landscape that was once a lake, you can see miles into the distance.”

Frost is an award-winning artist who received her degree in fine art from the University of Redlands and has continued her painting education through numerous classes and workshops over the years. She is a member of the High Desert Art League, Oil Painters of America, the American Impressionist Society and Plein Air Painters of Oregon (PAPO). janetfrost.com 16

Fort Rock Shadows 18x24 oil by Janet Frost

JANICE RHODES

Encaustic Artist

by JULIA KENNEDY COCHRAN — Red Chair Gallery

How does an artist start the work day? Encaustic artist Janice Rhodes drives to her studio, a converted garage near the First Street Rapids Bridge on the Deschutes River. She turns on her slow cooker to heat the wax that is the principal medium for her art and then takes a walk along the river while it is heating. She opens the garage door and watches while some of the neighborhood bees fly in to investigate the smell of melting wax. Then she begins to paint with a combination of pigments and wax. Rhodes’ work is showcased in September and October at Red Chair Gallery.

Encaustic is an ancient expertise originated by the ancient Egyptians (around 100-300 B.C.) who created waxen portrait masks of the deceased affixed to their mummy cases. It is an art that is relatively unknown today, even though modern artists such as Jasper Johns and Mark Rothko used the technique to create some of their abstract paintings.

Encaustic painting entails heating beeswax mixed with damar resin to about 200 degrees and then blending it with oil-based pigments. Rhodes fuses the various layers of the mixture with a heat gun. The viscous nature of the medium gives it more depth and texture than other types of painting. Its thickness and viscosity allow the artist to sculpt it, collage other materials into it, scrape it, and carve it with tools such as spatulas or knives.

The nature of the medium makes it both rewarding and complicated, Rhodes notes. “Heated wax is so changeable and you have to make certain decisions while it’s still malleable,” she says. Finishing a piece makes the artist “feel like you’ve been challenged. It’s so exciting and fulfilling to have it work out.”

Rhodes’ subjects are often people that she dreams up “out of my imagination” and have included a sommelier, a violinist and a dancer. She also paints animals derived from magazine ads, although she always adds a bit of quirkiness to the animal. A current piece of a cat standing by a food bowl was inspired by an ad for cat food, for example. Her still life pieces usually feature lavish mixtures of flowers.

Rhodes became well known as a local artist after she joined the Mirror Pond Gallery (closed now) in 2005. She has been a member of Red Chair Gallery since its founding in 2010. She also paints commissioned works for previous buyers who love the nuanced look she gets with that molten wax. In September, she is showing paintings in the High Desert Art League display at the Commons Café in Drake Park. In November, she will have a show at the Oxford Hotel. jdrhodesart.com jdrhodes66@gmail.com redchairgallerybend.com