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PUBLIC ART PROGRAMS
Scalehouse is proud to collaborate with partners including The City of Bend, Visit Bend, the Warm Springs Community Action Team, and other community organizations to create public art projects that reflect the stories, cultures, and creativity of Central Oregon. From murals and installations to community-centered creative placemaking initiatives, these projects are designed to foster connection, celebrate local identity, and make art accessible to everyone.
Public art plays a vital role in building vibrant communities. Research shows that public art strengthens civic pride, encourages community engagement, supports local economies, and transforms shared spaces into places of belonging and dialogue. Public art also helps communities express cultural identity, increases social cohesion, and creates welcoming environments for residents and visitors alike.
At Scalehouse, we believe public art has the power to connect people, amplify diverse voices, and inspire meaningful experiences in the places we live, work, and gather.
For public art inquiries or partnership opportunities, please contact info@scalehouse.org.
The Community-Based Mural Project uses art and creativity to provoke thought, challenge assumptions and encourage a healthy and constructive civic dialogue about houselessness.
The Native Arts + Culture Project featured Native Artists from the Confederated Tribes of Warm Springs, providing a platform for showcasing for Indigenous artists to share their lived experiences, both past and present, through their art and culture . Learn More >
Scalehouse Art Lab Arts Education Program is an innovative initiative designed to empower and inspire art learners grade K-12 through immersive contemporary arts education. Learn More >
Developed by Scalehouse in collaboration with the City of Bend and Visit Bend, the project
invited community members of all ages to contribute directly to the artwork by painting an image
of their favorite thing about Bend.
COMMUNITY-BASED MURAL PROJECT
The Community-Based Mural Project uses art and creativity to provoke thought, challenge assumptions and encourage a healthy and constructive civic dialogue about houselessness. A team of artists created a mural in the Downtown Bend parking garage supported by three members of our unhoused community (Support Artists). All artists were compensated for their participation, and the project was led by three Creative Leads: Evan Namkung, Allie Stoddard, and Marley Weedman. Funding for this project was provided from The City of Bend.
Location
Centennial Parking Plaza, 750 NW Lava Rd, Bend, OR 97703 (Interior mural)
Houselessness in Bend
Our community is joining forces to address houselessness. The causes of houselessness are many, from poor health to family breakups, a lost job, or a lifetime of abuse and trauma. But there’s also a common thread: a lack of affordable housing and rising rental prices.
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REGIONAL COLLABORATION:
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All hands are on deck from dozens of organizations serving our region’s houseless populations (aka service providers), local government, business community, faith-based organizations, school districts, and other community partners.
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A regional collaborative office has been established to operationalize our effort. They will lead the implementation of our community-wide strategic plan and support community partners in strengthening and streamlining service provision. They will also focus on affordable housing development and support a shared set of principles, priorities, and strategies.
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HOW MANY HOUSELESS? 1,467 people were houseless in Deschutes County in January 2023. (Data from Homeless Leadership Coalition’s 2023 Point-in-Time (PIT) count)
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UNSHELTERED: 1,076 or 73% are unsheltered (on the streets, encampment areas, cars/vans, RVs)
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73% is of the highest rates of unsheltered in the United States
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HOW MANY STUDENTS HOUSELESS? 676 students in Deschutes County (ages 0-18) were identified as houseless as of June 14, 2023.
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UNACCOMPANIED YOUTH: 152 of the 676 students are unaccompanied houseless youth. (Source: McKinney Vento Liaison and Bend-LaPine, Sisters, and Redmond School District Homeless Liaisons)
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Learn more about Houselessness in Deschutes here.
THE NATIVE ARTS + CULTURE PROJECT
The Native Arts + Culture Project featured Native Artists from the Confederated Tribes of Warm Springs -- providing a platform for showcasing for Indigenous artists to share their lived experiences, both past and present, through their art and culture -- while inviting the Bend community to engage, learn and explore their own understanding of local Native culture.Project in partnership with Warm Springs Community Action Team and Tananáwit. Murals are located in Tin Pan Alley on Franklin Crossing near the Scalehouse Gallery. Below are the current artists:
Charlene Dimmick:
Charlene Dimmick, enrolled member of the Confederated Tribes of Warm Springs. Dimmick started at a young age creating contemporary and cultural art, and has had the privilege to work with amazing youth on various mural projects in partnership with Warm Springs Community Action Team. Dimmick received her BA at the University of Oregon and later received her MSW degree at Portland State University. She loves working with youth and exposing them to both traditional and modern art along with learning life skills. “I like to use my art as opportunities to teach about our Tribal People and am appreciate the opportunity and glad to expose my work to different people in Central Oregon,”
Alyssia Scott:
Alyssia Scott is 17-year-old member of The Confederated Tribes of Warm Springs. She is in her senior year at Madras High School and specializes in plenty of mediums and practices new skills almost always. The mediums include (but are not limited to): Acrylic painting, sketching, and digital art. My most inspired themes almost always come with an Indigenous flare, based on the experiences of the Native people, past and present. Her main goal with my art is to make something meaningful or to create something that can make anybody feel seen. She’s done community work in Warm Springs, Oregon by making and assisting with murals.
Her art is something very personal to her and she wants her art to be able to be personal to others as well. She likes to specialize in a large amount of mediums so the work has the ability to be diverse and interchangeable. Even to be able to mix mediums and create something different from what she is used to. She is always looking for new ideas and experiences to further my skills and future work in art.
“A lot of my indigenous art is rooted in the past, it’s not about holding on to it; but acknowledging it. I don’t think we should move on from something so terrible, not in a way that’ll erase the lives and culture lost. My indigenous art is rooted in power and peace.”
Partners:
The Warm Springs Community Action Team is a non-profit community development organization located on the Warm Springs Indian Reservation. The Warm Springs Community Action Team envisions a Warm Springs Reservation in which tribal and community members control their own destinies, in which people are in a position to provide for their families, pursue their hopes and dreams, and achieve their full potential.
Tananáwit, a Community of Warm Springs Artists, is a community-based organization whose mission is to provide educational and economic development opportunities by empowering our people and building knowledge and understanding of traditional and contemporary Native art of the Columbia River Plateau.
Scalehouse is a multidisciplinary contemporary arts center convening diverse thinkers for in-depth discussions, artistic collaborations, exhibitions and events, including Bend Design Week and Scalehouse Gallery. Scalehouse believes our shared future presents complex challenges and opportunities, not just benefiting from creativity but requiring it. We are committed to programming that’s accessible, provocative, extraordinary and inclusive — always with an eye toward a better future.
In partnership with the City of Bend and Art in Public Places, The City of Bend Public Works Campus Public Art project celebrates the essential systems, people, and landscapes that shape daily life in Central Oregon. Integrated throughout the campus, the artwork reflects the connection between infrastructure, community, and the natural environment — honoring the often unseen work that keeps Bend moving.
Inspired by the region’s volcanic geology, waterways, native ecosystems, and spirit of innovation, the public art experience creates moments of discovery for employees, visitors, and the broader community. The installations are designed to invite curiosity, spark conversation, and reinforce the Public Works Campus as both a civic resource and a welcoming public space. Through thoughtful collaboration between artists, designers, engineers, and community stakeholders, the project demonstrates how public infrastructure can also serve as a platform for creativity, storytelling, and cultural identity.
The City of Bend dedicates 1% of eligible capital improvement project funds to public art. These investments enhance civis spcaes, reflect community identity, and connect people to place.
For this project, Scalehouse developed informational signage, and led community outreach -- helping to cinnect residents and visitors to the artists, ideas and stories behind the work.
Location
21051 NE Talus Place, Bend, OR 97701
About Art in Public Places
Art in Public Places (AiPP) supports the integration of public art throughout Bend. For the Public Works Campus, AiPP helped guide artist selection, coordination and project implemenation -- ensuring the artworks reflect the character of the high desert and enrich community experience.
Learn more at: artinpublicplaces.org
Water Tapestries: John Fleming
This artwork is created from repurposed City of Bend traffic signs backed with mirror-finish stainless steel. Inspired by Bend’s deep connection to water, the sculpture reveals the Deschutes River and the water systems that sustain our city. Through its materials, this reflective work honors the people who keep Bend running—the staff of the City of Bend Public Works Department who support our streets, water, and public spaces every day, just as the river supports our community.
Woven Passage: Patrick Marold
Woven Passage is built from aluminum beams that illustrate an abstracted path of the Deschutes River, transforming light and shadow. As you walk or drive by, the sculpture seems to shift and flow—like water in motion. Notice how the artwork changes with each encounter. The work changes with the sun, the seasons, and your point of view, echoing Bend’s ever-evolving landscape. At the south end of the campus, it doubles as a functional screen between the campus and the street, blending beauty with purpose. At the north end of the walking trail, another element of the artwork wraps visitors in moving light and shadow, inviting a moment to slow down, look closer, and reflect. By weaving art and infrastructure together, Woven Passage celebrates Bend’s landscape and the essential work of the City of Bend Public Works Department.
Patterns in Place: Ben Hull
Intended to be viewed from afar, this artwork is inspired by the rugged beauty of Central Oregon’s high desert and the shifting movement of the sun across the landscape—both throughout the day and across the seasons. The design uses repeating patterns cut into Corten steel, a material that develops an earthy, weathered patina over time, echoing the resilience of the environment itself. As sunlight moves across the panels, the patterns create a rhythmic flow of light and shadow, subtly changing with the time of day and season. By abstractly interpreting the textures and cycles of Bend’s four seasons, the piece connects the Public Works Campus to the larger, ever-changing rhythms of the land.
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The Soul of the High Desert: Eli Hogan
The Soul of the High Desert celebrates the wildlife and ecosystems that define Central Oregon’s unique landscape. Laser-cut Corten steel panels reveal the textures, patterns, and forms of regional animals and insects — from the endangered sage grouse to fish and other desert dwellers. Installed as part of the bike shelter and trash enclosure, these intricate designs invite visitors to pause and notice the visual rhythms of the high desert. Just as the land shapes the life around it, this artwork transforms everyday spaces, connecting the campus, its people, and the creatures that share this place.
ONE BEND. BUILT TOGETHER. was created during the City of Bend’s City Fest in April 2026. Developed by Scalehouse in collaboration with the City of Bend and Visit Bend, the project invited community members of all ages to contribute directly to the artwork by painting an image of their favorite thing about Bend, creating a shared spirit of connection. Using a color palette drawn from Central Oregon’s natural environment this artwork became a collective portrait of the community and the place we call home.
The completed piece celebrates creativity, collaboration, and shared ownership, reflecting the many voices and experiences that shape Bend. The piece stands as a lasting reminder that Bend is built through participation, imagination, and community.
