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Sisters, Oregon
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Discover Central Oregon with local artist
By Conrad Weiler

A new art panel depicts "A Century in Sisters."

Dennis McGregor recently finished a porcelain-enamel mural "A Century in Sisters" panel for the Forest Service East Portal Kiosk at the west end of Sisters.

The panel depicts the past 100 years of town life. View the left side as Sisters was 100 years ago; the right side depicts today's Sisters.

"I used vehicles to show the era and George Wakefield's gas station is shown," McGregor said. "Of course there's a deeper connection since I bought Tillie Wilson's old home 13 years ago when we moved to Sisters. She was George Wakefield's mother-in-law."

Also depicted in the "Century" are the town fire of the 1920s and the old lookout tree.

Other McGregor art panels at the East Portal depict history and geography of Central Oregon from Sisters to the McKenzie River.

McGregor is also noted for his Sisters Quilt Show posters. His current (2002) titled "Patriot's Needle" is the 11th in this popular series.

The artist also has a new Sisters rodeo poster out for the 2002 season called "Saddle Bronc."

"This makes eight events that I have pictured in the rodeo posters over eight years," said the artist.

Several of his panel murals dot the Central Oregon landscape at Pringle Falls, Brown's Crossing, the Summit of Mt. Bachelor, the upper Deschutes River, Wickiup Reservoir, Cow Camp (Crossroads), Sahallie Falls, Sparks Lake and other locations.

The Forest Service and Bureau of Land Management commissioned these pieces.

"I've used Ray Hatton's book ('Oregon's Sisters Country') and Tillie Wilson's book on Sisters history in my research," said McGregor.

McGregor is also a musician playing guitar, harmonica and violin. Dennis performs with the Blue D'Arts, whose music he describes as folk, blues and jazz (or, acid swing).

"They are always entertaining and seem to be having a good time," says fan Phil Gerber.

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