BEND, OR — Days are shorter, and the air is colder … winter is coming! Experience the warmth of the High Desert Museum every Thursday in December during Winter Nights—a special time of extended evening hours, engaging exhibitions, discounted rates and festive activities for all.
This year’s Winter Nights features:
- December 5: Welcome to Winter — Ease into the first Winter Nights event of the season dressed in your ugliest sweater or wackiest hat! Visitors can learn how to print their own wrapping paper and enjoy a festive photo booth. Local food and beverage vendors will provide tasty samples, and dinner or a treat will be available in the Rimrock Café. Silver Sage Trading will feature holiday deals and complimentary gift wrapping. And everyone’s favorites--cookie decorating and storytelling--will happen all evening long.
- December 12: Feels Like Flannel– Flannel is the fabric of the season! Don your grungiest flannel as you scout out our new Blood, Sweat & Flannel exhibition after hours. Create your own flannel art. Regional food and beverage samplings, cookie decorating and storytelling will delight adults and children alike. Silver Sage Trading–with holiday deals and gift wrapping–and the Rimrock Café will also be open throughout the evening.
- December 19: Paws and Paint– Attention animal lovers! Hightail it to the Museum after dark for a look at our new exhibition Neighbors: Wildlife Paintings by Hilary Baker. Visit with Hilary (in-person) to learn more about her art! Plus express yourself with watercolor painting, decorate cookies, sample food and beverages and more. Animal-themed outfits are highly encouraged.
- December 28: By the Fireside – This is your ticket to get the entire family out of the house in their pajamas! Take family pajama portraits in our photo booth, enjoy story time with your kiddos, design your own lighted lantern, decorate holiday cookies, savor food and beverage tastings from regional craft vendors and more.
All interior exhibitions are open for Winter Nights. This includes Sensing Sasquatch, which shares the works and stories of five Indigenous artists around this “non-human other” who is often considered a Pacific Northwest pop culture icon. Catch this exhibition in its last month—it's open through January 12, 2025.
In Rick Bartow: Animal Kinship, from the Collections of Jordan D. Schnitzer and His Family Foundation, visitors can experience works from one of Oregon’s most celebrated contemporary artists. Bartow (Wiyot, d. 2016) created two-dimensional and sculptural works that draw from Indigenous stories as well as his interest in nature and wildlife. It’s open through February 9, 2025.
Winter Nights visitors can also explore the new original exhibit Blood, Sweat & Flannel, which opened on November 2 and will be on display through June 29, 2025. This exhibition invites visitors to explore the stories behind flannel—a fabric that goes beyond clothing to reflect the history of work and culture in the High Desert region. From logging to grunge, the exhibit travels through time. It also includes audio.
And on Saturday, December 7, the Museum will open the new exhibition Neighbors: Wildlife Paintings by Hilary Baker. The Los Angeles-based artist creates vibrant paintings that juxtapose wildlife in urban settings. The exhibition will be open through April 6, 2025.
Admission for Winter Nights for adults is $10 in advance and $12 at the door. During Winter Nights, it’s always $6 for ages 3-12. Ages 2 and under—and Museum members—are free.
Visitors who arrive earlier in the day may stay for Winter Nights without paying additional admission. The outdoor exhibits are closed during Winter Nights. Regular winter hours are 10:00 am – 4:00 pm. More information and tickets are available at highdesertmuseum.org/winter-nights.
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 Facebook and Instagram.
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BEND, OR— What comes to mind when you hear the word "flannel?" Perhaps it’s your favorite plaid shirt, your trusty yardwork outfit, a rugged lumberjack or even a classic grunge band.
A new, original High Desert Museum exhibition, Blood, Swe & Flannel, explores what flannel represents. Opening November 2, 2024, and running through June 15, 2025, this unique experience invites visitors to explore the stories behind flannel—a fabric that goes beyond clothing to reflect the history of work and culture in the High Desert region.
While flannel originated centuries ago in Europe, the warm fabric with an ability to wick moisture became staple in the United States. Today, flannel is produced from various materials, including wool, cotton and even synthetic fibers. Its signature softness comes from a brushing process called “napping,” which raises fine fibers on one or both sides of the fabric after weaving, enhancing its cozy feel.
“Flannel is more than just a fabric; it’s a symbol of resilience and identity,” said Museum Bonnie Lee and Oliver P. Steele III Curator of Education and Engagement Molly Wilmoth. “For generations, flannel shirts, jackets and undergarments have been essential for workers in the High Desert, providing warmth and comfort as they logged trees and roped cattle. Later, alternative rock artists like Nirvana adopted flannel as their nod to non-fashion.”
To tell the stories of these histories, the exhibition will be split into these five major sections: timber, ranching, herding, sportswear from the 1950s and ‘60s, and alternative rock from the early 1990s. The exhibition will feature imagery, tactile elements and interactive displays that bring to life the experiences of those who wore flannel during each era.
Blood, Sweat & Flannel also delves into the cultural significance of clothing as a representation of identity. Visitors will explore how flannel has shifted through various eras, culminating in its association with the grunge movement, featuring music from iconic bands like Nirvana and Built to Spill. This evolution reflects not only a change in fashion but also a broader cultural dialogue around individuality and expression.
For more information, visit highdesertmuseum.org/flannel. Blood, Sweat & Flannel is made possible by the Visit Central Oregon Future Fund and the James F. and Marion L. Miller Foundation with support from 1859 Oregon’s Magazine.
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 Facebook and Instagram.
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