Basic HTML Version
4
washington county arts guide
❘
June — August
By Deeda Schroeder
O
ver the course of any
project, it’s important
to mark success —
especially when you’ve got to
keep going.
In Washington County, many
people and organizations have
contributed to using art and culture
as a tool to improve the lives of people
in the community, a worthwhile
endeavor that’s never finished.
Several organizations are marking
significant milestones of achievement
this year.
Hillsboro’s public art
The city of Hillsboro has made its
first big public art purchase:
“Barometer” by Devin Laurence Field
that will be installed this summer at
Hillsboro Stadium.
The sculpture will be made of
stainless steel and will stand 15 feet
tall at the entry of the park. It will
feature color-changing lights that
correspond with the noise level on
site and instruments people can play.
It’s an honor to build a piece like
this for Hillsboro, said Field, who lives
in Washington County.
“As cities grow, it takes time to be
able to afford public art,” Field said.
Hillsboro is growing and its outlook is
becoming more sophisticated, he
added. Field is also working on a
piece titled “Three Creeks One Will,”
to be installed in the plaza at The
Round in Beaverton.
Much of the work behind the
Hillsboro purchase was done by
Valerie Otani, Hillsboro’s public art
supervisor, said Maggie Chapin,
cultural arts program supervisor for
the Hillsboro Arts and Culture
Council.
“She has been working tirelessly,
first as a consultant for the Public Art
Master Plan, and then as an employee
of the city to make public art happen.
It hasn’t been easy. But it is finally
happening,” Chapin said. Otani has a
very impressive resume, and other
cities and states have borrowed her
expertise for their projects, Chapin
said.
“We are so lucky to have her in
Hillsboro. And the milestone is that it
is all finally happening, thanks to her
hard work and dedication.”
Cultural Coalition of
Washington County
The Cultural Coalition of
Washington County will soon surpass
the $250,000 mark in grant giving. The
coalition, formed in 2005, disperses
grant funds from the Oregon Cultural
Trust.
In June, the coalition will award
about $38,000 in grants to arts,
heritage and humanities
organizations, said Eva Calcagno, the
county’s liaison to the coalition. Funds
go to bring concerts, dance, hands-on
art experiences, theater and films to
the public.
“It’s small grants, trying to get as
broad across the grassroots spectrum
as we can,” said Calcagno, director of
Washington County Cooperative
Library Services. “Everything from
elementary schools to professional
theater.” Awards typically range from
$1,000 to $2,000.
Education is a priority, she
explained.
“They tend to focus on youth and
children and exposure to arts for
children,” she noted
About 40 applications came in for
this year’s grant cycle, the most ever,
Calcagno said.
Village Gallery
The Village Gallery in Beaverton is
celebrating its 50th anniversary this
year. The gallery is a place for
everyone, said the gallery’s
spokeswoman, Elizabeth Higgins.
Anyone can take a class, exhibit
and sell their work and, of course,
volunteer to help keep the operation
afloat, Higgins said.
“You don’t have to be an
important, successful artist to join,”
she said. Artists come from all walks
of life, Higgins said, so education is
affordable and part of the
organization’s mission. “It’s a multi-
faceted group and quite dynamic,” she
explained.
Operating costs come from
donations, tuition from classes and a
small commission taken from gallery
sales. Many members work six hours
each month in the gallery.
Every year, the Art Challenge
raises funds for the gallery as well.
For a $30 entrance fee, participants
create four 6-inch-square canvases
with a shared theme in April, which
From choir to sculpture to theater, many Washington County groups are observing milestones this year
Celebrating success in the arts
Success
continued on page 5
Artist Devin Laurence Field created the sculpture that will adorn Hillsboro Stadium starting this summer. The City of Hillsboro
commissioned the sculpture as its first big public art purchase.