Exciting and motivating the arts community and promoting arts education are central to the mission of the High Desert Mural Festival, taking place October 2-9 as part of the Tenth Month suite of events in Bend. The grassroots festival’s organizers hope to use this inaugural building year as the first step toward creating a world-class, large format arts festival.

“In this mountain town category, like in Aspen, there is potential to support and sustain the arts,” said Douglas Robertson, founder and executive director of the festival.

The mural festival’s board is currently waiting for city approval on a sign code adjustment in the Makers District in Bend. There they hope to create murals that will be redesigned annually by large format artists in collaboration with students from the local school district.

“Murals, by nature, are transitory art,” said festival board member Kara Cronin. “The large format of murals brings diversity and scale to arts education.”

Bend art is taking to the streets with a series of colorful installations around town this summer. Painted by local artists in collaboration with the school district, the murals are being designed with yearly repainting in mind and aim to promote local art and education.