Bird Alliance of Oregon’s Wild Arts Festival Celebrates its 45th year, at the Wingspan Event Center December 6 & 7, 2025 (10 a.m. – 5 p.m. on Saturday, Dec. 6 |10 a.m. – 4 p.m. on Sunday, Dec. 7).
The festival is one of the giving season’s biggest holiday shopping events, featuring unique local artisan works & books, all celebrating nature.
The Wild Arts Festival returns for its 45th year as the Northwest’s premier show and sale of nature-related art and books, with proceeds benefiting Bird Alliance of Oregon’s education and conservation efforts.
This is the second year the Wild Arts Festival is held at the aptly named Wingspan Event Center in Hillsboro.
The venue change makes getting to the Festival so easy with the adjacent Max light rail stop and abundant parking.
Recognized as one of the “top seasonal gift-buying events” in Portland, the Festival is proud to again highlight some of the region’s best artists and authors. This quintessential winter Portland event supports over 65 local artists and 25 authors in one weekend. Available at the festival are beautiful, original artisan gifts that also contribute to a great cause: the protection of Oregon’s wildlife and wild places.
Meet your favorite artists & authors
Art & books inspire us all, and one of the highlights of the Wild Arts Festival is the opportunity to meet and talk with the artists and authors. This year, we will also offer short talks by Festival artists and authors where attendees can learn more about their backgrounds, process, and inspirations. Author book signing times will be posted on the website.
The Wild Arts Festival showcases 65 artists including painters, printmakers, jewelry designers, and sculptors, plus glass, wood, fiber art, and ceramic artists. The beautifully diverse artistic media are aligned in their inspiration, drawing from:
• Nature or wildlife as a subject,
• Natural materials as a medium, or
• Art promoting environmental sustainability
Every year, we’re so inspired by the creativity and resourcefulness of our artists to produce wonderful unique pieces, such as:
● Shelly Durica-Laiche: sculpture & metal work. In her SE Portland studio, she designs and builds both functional and decorative metal sculpture, and her public work has been exhibited at Milwaukie City Hall Sculpture Garden, Oregon Society of Artists, Auburn Downtown Sculpture Gallery, and Happy Valley Sculpture Garden.
● Wayne Jiang: Wayne Jiang is a Portland-based realist painter and teacher. Born in Guangzhou, China, he came to the U.S. at 15. His works have been exhibited in the
Morris Graves Museum of Art, Triton Museum, Crocker Museum, Lan Su Chinese Garden, Portland Art Museum Rental Sales Gallery, and Guardino Gallery.
● Scott Smorra: Photography. Scott is a new artist to WAF and he uses his camera to explore the natural world with the belief that art and nature have the power to heal. His achievements include winning the Blue Ribbon for Artistic Achievement at Lake Oswego Festival of the Arts (2023), Oregon Natural Desert Association photo contest (2023), and Oregon Wild Outdoor Photo Contest (2023, 2011).
Authors have dedicated signing times on both Saturday and Sunday from 11 a.m. – 3 p.m. where attendees can get their purchased books autographed. Books focus on nature, birds, hiking, history, books for kids, and topics that illuminate living in Oregon and the Pacific Northwest. Featured authors include:
● Rebecca Lexa: The Everyday Naturalist: How to Identify Animals, Plants and Fungi Wherever You Go. Rather than focusing on one region or continent, she can help you classify nature anywhere, providing details on distinguishing features and including more than forty full-color photos and drawings.
● John Shewey: The Owl Handbook: Investigating the Lives, Habits, and Importance of These Enigmatic Birds. John is a professional writer, photographer, editor, and speaker whose work has appeared in dozens of magazines. He is the longtime editor-in-chief of American Fly Fishing magazine, and rejoices in the outdoors, enjoys studying wild things.
● Jeff VanderMeer: Absolution. Jeff is award-winning and New York Times bestselling author, and his popular, lush, and eerie Southern Reach Series includes four titles:
Annihilation, Authority, Acceptance, and most recently, Absolution (2025 paperback). Annihilation won the Nebula Award and Shirley Jackson Award and was
adapted into a Paramount movie.
Silent Auction
At the event center, attendees will find an incredible selection of art, experiences, and outdoor gear donated to support Bird Alliance of Oregon’s mission. A few of the tempting items: an Arch Cape beach house stay, fine wine cases, luxury hotel stays, a 6-night safari, spa gift certificates, art donated by the Festival artists, and more.
Attendees will have the benefit of in-person viewing of the items with the convenience of online bidding. They can register and make first bids at the event, then track the bidding on a computer or phone at home and continue to bid. Non-attendees can also participate online.
Tickets
Visit wildartsfestival.org for more information and to buy tickets. Tickets are also available at the event.
Regular admission= $13 (18 and under free)
Location and hours
Wingspan Event Center, 801 NE 34th Avenue, Hillsboro, OR 97124
10 a.m. – 5 p.m. on Saturday, Dec. 6 |10 a.m. – 4 p.m. on Sunday, Dec. 7