Magazine Feature: Group Show at At Liberty Arts Collaborative
CASCADE A&E, Oregon’s Only Arts Magazine
In early 2019, Bend’s vibrant art community welcomed a fresh wave of creativity when Whitney Nye, a nationally recognized Oregon painter, sculptor, and mixed media artist, returned to her hometown with a major exhibition at At Liberty Arts Collaborative. SIFT: Selected Works by Whitney Nye ran from January 4 through February 23, offering Central Oregon art lovers the chance to experience Nye’s richly textured, rhythmically layered works in person.
Coaster by Whitney Nye
Exploring the Rhythms of the Natural World
Whitney Nye’s art is deeply informed by the textures, colors, and sensations of the world around her. Drawing on years of travel, observation, and immersion in diverse environments, she creates work that captures the subtle rhythms and pauses of nature. Her process is intuitive yet deliberate—seeking, gathering, distilling, and presenting impressions that speak to patterns of repetition, entropy, and renewal.
“My artwork is germinated by my senses,” Nye explains. “I move through places temporally and ethereally, consciously and unconsciously, absorbing like a sponge.”
A Collaboration Between Bend and Portland’s Art Scenes
The SIFT exhibition was presented in partnership with Russo Lee Gallery, one of Portland’s leading contemporary art galleries, representing a diverse roster of Pacific Northwest artists. This collaboration brought Nye’s dynamic work to Bend audiences in a way that bridged Oregon’s east and west cultural hubs.
René Mitchell, At Liberty Arts Collaborative partner, shared:
“We are thrilled to partner with Russo Lee Gallery to bring Whitney’s dynamic work to Bend.”
About Whitney Nye
Whitney Nye’s career spans more than two decades, with her work featured in both public and private collections nationwide. She has exhibited widely, completed large-scale public art commissions, and participated in prestigious residencies including the Oregon College of Arts and Craft and Caldera. Her art is held in collections such as:
Oregon Health & Science University Foundation
Salem Hospital, Salem, Oregon
Commerce Bank, Portland, Oregon
Swedish Hospital, Seattle, Washington
Vanderbilt University, Nashville, Tennessee
Jordan Schnitzer Museum of Art, Eugene, Oregon
Her work has also been featured in major exhibitions like A New State of Matter: Contemporary Glass at the Boise Art Museum.
About At Liberty
Located in the historic Liberty Theatre in downtown Bend, At Liberty is a year-round arts space and cultural hub dedicated to hosting exhibitions, performances, and collaborative projects. The gallery provides an inspiring setting for exploring both established and emerging voices in art and culture.
