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Wednesday, August 15, 2018 The Nugget Newspaper, Sisters, Oregon
The healing power of art Art fest showcases the exceptional
By Jodi Schneider
Correspondent
Other than making random
doodles in the margins of a
page while you’re killing time,
if you’re like most adults, you
don’t express yourself with art
like you did as a kid. You may
not think you’re any “good”
at creating art, or you may not
think it’s worth your time, but
art is actually a valuable pas-
time, even for those who don’t
consider themselves artisti-
cally inclined.
There are many reasons
that art is a great stress-relief
tool, even for those who don’t
consider themselves to be
artists.
Some people are deeply
talented artists who can cre-
ate lifelike paintings, amusing
cartoons, powerful pointillism
drawings and other pieces of
art with relative ease. Others
struggle to draw stick figures.
But when it comes to stress
management, the end product
doesn’t really matter; it’s the
process of creating a piece of
art that counts.
Many people who are artis-
tically inclined say that the
creation of their art is a won-
derful stress-reliever. In fact,
the creation of art can provide
a distraction from stressful
thoughts and experiences, and
a chance to get into a medi-
tative-type state that can be
restorative in many ways.
Local artist and author
Dennis McGregor under-
stands why art is therapeutic
for him.
“Being engaged in the cre-
ative process brings a sense
of well-being that’s unlike
any other of life’s rewards,”
McGregor said.
Studies show that art
therapy, coloring mandalas,
and drawing in general can
minimize anxiety and combat
negative mood. Most of the
studies have people drawing
or coloring for about 20 min-
utes, so it’s really not neces-
sary to be a gifted or serious
artist for this stress-reliever to
be helpful; no artistic ability is
required.
One reason the art of cre-
ating, such as coloring, paint-
ing, writing or sewing may be
helpful for stress is that the act
itself brings us to the present
moment – it can be a wonder-
ful exercise in mindfulness.
There are many ways you
can engage in artistic activi-
ties to soothe stress, or just to
deepen your inner peace and
express yourself, and each has
its own appeal, based on your
personality and needs.
Carl Jung was one of the
original advocates for creat-
ing mandalas as a therapeutic
tool, and a lot of therapists and
art enthusiasts have joined in
recommending this practice in
the decades since.
Mandalas are circular
designs that often include
intricate patterns and sym-
bols within them. One study
found that creating mandalas
minimized the symptoms of
trauma in PTSD patients a
month after patients engaged
in this activity three times. It
allows you to root yourself
in the moment as you create
a piece of art, and somewhat
frees you from concerns about
whether the pictures look
“good” or even realistic. Your
mandala can look however
you want it to look, and it can
be rich with meaning or just a
bunch of shapes and squiggles
See HEALING on page 6
By Jim Cornelius
Editor in Chief
Sisters has become an arts
community. Over the week-
end of August 24-26, art-
lovers from Sisters can take
in some of the most excep-
tional art to be found on the
West Coast in the annual Art
in the High Desert festival at
the Old Mill District in Bend.
Art in the High Desert
is one of the most highly
rated art festivals in the
nation, featuring 115 artists
selected from across North
America in a juried show that
ranks 10th in the nation for
sales, according to Art Fair
Sourcebook (out of some 600
festivals).
Dave and Carla Fox have
cleaved to a vision to create
a showcase for premium fine
art that would attract serious
art patrons to the banks of the
Deschutes River. The festi-
val is solely an art show —
there are no food vendors, no
music or other activities.
“Just extraordinary, real
good, new original art,” Dave
Fox says.
By keeping the focus tight
and the show at a manage-
able size with no ambitions
for growth, Art in the High
Desert is able to create an
experience where art patrons
have an opportunity to really
engage with artists. That
engagement is a key aspect of
the festival, Fox says, letting
artists “help the public learn
about the work that they do.”
He added, “The high qual-
ity and unique nature of the
work on display has made Art
in the High Desert a destina-
tion for collectors, includ-
ing several from the Sisters
area.”
Custom Design
& Repairs
549-9388
The Old Mill District hosts Art in the High Desert.
Fox told The Nugget that
the festival has been making
a deliberate effort to reach
out to Sisters because the
area has developed such a
strong reputation as an arts
community.
While the artists and their
work are top-tier, the bill
doesn’t have to be. The show
actively encourages artists
to offer some work that is
within reach of an art-lover
who doesn’t necessarily have
a big budget to work with:
“Art for everyone and every
budget,” as Fox describes it.
In keeping with the effort
to keep the free event spe-
cial — and safe — Art in the
High Desert does not allow
dogs into the show (certified,
properly identified service
animals excepted).
For more information visit
www.artinthehighdesert.com.
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