The High Desert Museum Featured In Smithsonian Exhibition This Summer (Photo) - 06/30/26
Bend, Oregon, June 29, 2026 – As thousands gather in Washington, D.C. in celebration of the nation’s upcoming 250th anniversary, they can experience the High Desert Museum through a featured video at the Smithsonian Institution’s Arts and Industries Building. Central Oregon’s cultural gem has its own video in the special exhibition “Voices and Votes: Exploring Democracy Across America,” at the Arts and Industries Building. The nearly four-minute video highlights the Museum’s mission, its work supporting local communities, and its collaborations with Smithsonian programs and resources.
"The High Desert Museum is proud to be a Smithsonian Affiliate,” said Dana Whitelaw, Executive Director of the High Desert Museum. “Being featured in the ‘Voices and Votes’ exhibition and having the opportunity to share our story through this video reflects the strong collaboration and partnership between the institutions.”
In the video, visitors will see the Museum’s award-winning exhibition spaces as well as Timber, the bobcat, and the Museum’s bald eagles. They will also hear from Museum Executive Director Dana Whitelaw, Senior Curator of Exhibitions and Collections Dustin Cockerham, and Community Engagement Coordinator Martha Campbell. The video highlights the Museum’s participation in the Smithsonian National Museum of Asian Art’s “Artful Movement” program, which helps children combine mindfulness techniques with art. The High Desert Museum is one of five sites selected for this section for the exhibition.
“Hosting ‘Voices and Votes’ on the National Mall in conjunction with the nation's 250th offers an opportunity to show visitors the depth of engagement that results from collaborations between the Smithsonian and its partners across the country. We are delighted to feature the important work of Smithsonian Affiliates, like the High Desert Museum, in their communities to create local civic and cultural impacts,” said Kara Blond, Director, SITES | Smithsonian Affiliations.
“Voices and Votes” explores the ongoing work of democracy, from the American Revolution and the suffrage movement to civil rights and modern voting. The exhibition features sections on the origins of U.S. democracy, the struggle for voting rights, campaigning and elections, civic participation and the responsibilities of citizenship. It includes historical and contemporary photographs, video, multimedia interactives and artifacts such as campaign materials, voter memorabilia and protest items. Visitors to Washington, DC, can view the exhibition at the Arts and Industries Building through September 7, 2026.
About the High Desert Museum
The High Desert Museum is the only institution in the nation dedicated to the study of the High Desert region and the largest cultural institution in central and eastern Oregon. Since opening in 1982, the Museum has evolved into a place that annually serves almost 225,000 visitors from across the nation and cares for a collection of over 28,000 objects and 170 animals. Located in Bend, Oregon, the Museum encompasses 135 forested acres, two permanent cultural exhibitions, three changing exhibition galleries, a bird of prey center, otter exhibit, and the High Desert Ranch and Sawmill, and offers learning experiences uniquely rooted in the surrounding landscape.
The Museum was a 2021 recipient of the National Medal for Museum and Library Service. In 2025, it was awarded the 2025 Autry Public History Prize for its original exhibition, Sensing Sasquatch.
About Voices and Votes: Exploring Democracy Across America
“Voices and Votes: Exploring Democracy Across America” received funding from the Smithsonian's Our Shared Future: 250, a Smithsonian-wide initiative supported by private philanthropy and created to commemorate the nation's 250th anniversary and advance the Smithsonian vision for the next 250 years.
About SITES | Affiliations
SITES | Affiliations deepens the impact of the Smithsonian beyond Washington, D.C., by bringing its high-quality content, resources and expertise to people across the nation in collaboration with museums and cultural organizations. SITES | Affiliations is home to traveling exhibitions, a vast network of Smithsonian Affiliate organizations and the MoMs program that brings the Smithsonian to rural communities across the United States and beyond. Visit nationalengagement.si.edu for more information.
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