Jennifer Delahunty

Sep 19, 2024 | bendmagazine.com | Jennifer Delahunty |Cali Clement

Mention Bend and folks say “beautiful” and “beer.” But there’s another descriptor taking the stage. “Central Oregon is an incubator of instrument building,” said Brad Tisdel, creative director of the Sisters Folk Festival. “People here have an expansive view of music and art as an expression of culture and economic vitality.

Jun 9, 2024 | bendmagazine.com | Jennifer Delahunty |Jeremiah Crisp

One summer afternoon, Megan Nielsen and her family were canoeing on Suttle Lake when the Sisters artist felt the unmistakable zing of inspiration. “Just looking at the lake, I knew what I had to paint,” she said. Back in her studio, she sketched a bear and rabbit fishing that are oblivious to the bounty of fish swimming beneath their boat. A mountain resembling Black Butte rises above the scene. Nielsen’s whimsical work embodies the solace and magic of Central Oregon’s surroundings.

Jan 29, 2024 | bendmagazine.com | Jennifer Delahunty |Cali Clement

When Bend residents Peggy Sherrer and Anna Pollino boarded a high-speed train from Milan to Venice in May 2022, they sat near two Italians who wanted to chat but claimed they couldn’t speak English. For three hours, the Bend residents—both students at the Bend Language Institute (BLI)—spoke with the Italians without once lapsing into English. After exiting the train, Sherrer turned to Pollino and said, “I guess we’re fluent.” The two classmates had BLI, and its founder Christina Cappy, to thank.