Deschutes Brewery Unveils This Years Artwork Alongside 2021 Jubelale
(Bend, OR) – Deschutes Brewery, family and employee-owned since 1988, announced the 34th release of Jubelale into their seasonal lineup. This year marks the first time Jubelale is also available in twelve pack cans. Jubelale is the first beer ever packaged at Deschutes, bottled straight from the taps at the brewery’s original public house for the holidays in 1988. Jubelale features spice notes and a robust malt character of toffee and dusted cocoa at 6.7% ABV and this year’s packaging presents original artwork by Stephanie Littlebird Fogel.
Every year since the early 1990s Deschutes has worked with the Oregon art community commissioning a local artist to create an original piece for this celebratory winter warmer. Since then, Jubelale has been coined a “festive winter ale” and craft beer fans anticipate its release each year to welcome the new season with a fresh package design.
This year Deschutes implemented a Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) audit which identified an opportunity to become more inclusive in the brewery’s search for the next Jubelale artist. The audit broadened the artist selection process by asking which artists had been invited in in the past, and if the method could be improved for the future.
Deschutes founder Gary Fish has always been close to the artist selection process. “This is a fine art project, not a graphic art project.” Gary said. “The process is a vehicle to showcase our local Oregon artists and artists clamor for this opportunity, but during selection we never knew who the artists were, we only looked at their portfolio and chose from their work.”
Looking for help in the community, Deschutes connected with friends at Caldera Arts. Caldera partners with artists to drive cultural and social change and they were generous to provide guidance on the artist selection process. This year the selection process was extended to include community members and Caldera Teaching Artists Mindy Stutzman and Mosley WOtta. The artist-brewery panel selected Stephanie Littlebird Fogel to design a piece for this year’s packaging.
Fogel is a Contemporary Indigenous Artist and member of Oregon’s Grand Ronde Confederated Tribes. Well-known and active in the Northwest art community, Fogel earned her degree in Painting and Printmaking from the Pacific Northwest College of Art in Portland, recently completing her residency program at Caldera.
“When I worked downtown in the Pearl District, I used to visit the Deschutes Brewery pub for lunch, so the brand really reminds me of laughter with friends and collaborators,” Fogel said about the project. “Working in collaboration with Deschutes Brewery was an amazing opportunity to translate my colorful style into a label design that reflects the magic and wonder of the winter season. We chose the moon as “subject” for the design and I wanted to depict that reflective, sparkling energy that can only be experienced on a snowy evening.”
Fogel creates art to inspire people to connect with nature and through her vibrant winter scene on this year’s Jubelale design, used her signature use of striking colors and pattern for an eye-catching package on the shelf using acrylic paints on a wood panel.
“We were very excited about this approach in our artist selection and hoped for something new and different this year,” said Veronica Vega, director of product development and part of the artist selection at Deschutes. “Steph’s wintery landscape painting invites you to remember full moon moments in the snow when magic drifts between the trees and twinkles. You can almost hear the beautiful stillness of the winter forest.”
As Bend legend has it, the winter scene on the packaging reflects how big the Central Oregon winter will be. With Fogel’s design, it’s shaping up to be a great winter.
Jubelale will release to all markets later this month in time for crisp sunny days and the tease of winter. This year Jubelale can be found in 12 pack cans for the first time ever, a perfect accompaniment for any winter adventure.
Stephanie Fogel’s work can be found on her website at stephlittlebird.com or Instagram handle @artnerdforever.
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About Deschutes Brewery
Deschutes Brewery, an independent craft brewer in Bend, Oregon family and employee owned since 1988, is one of the quintessential beers of the Pacific Northwest. Founded on the guiding principles of true craftsmanship and ultimate quality, Deschutes is known as a leader in hops, dark beer, innovative India Pale Ales, and small-batch experimental and barrel-aged beers. Deschutes Brewery is crafted for community, committed to sustainable business practices and support of charitable organizations across our distribution footprint. Visit Deschutes Brewery’s beer finder to find a Deschutes beer near you in 36 states across the country. www.deschutesbrewery.com
