In 2005, the City of Hillsboro secured a State grant for the Downtown Renaissance project.  This project is aimed at promoting the arts as an integral component of the City’s downtown revitalization efforts.  Many cities around the country have found that the arts can play a pivotal role in the economic and community vitality of their older downtowns.

The City appointed a seventeen-member Citizen Advisory Committee and also retained a multi-disciplinary consultant team to assist in this effort.  These parties collaborated in developing a plan that was informed by community input gathered from a variety of sources, including

• stakeholder interviews
• community and artist surveys
• focus groups (Artists, Creative Services, High Tech Employers, Intel Employees)

The common thread between all the groups is a shared vision for downtown, a place where people want to hang out and spend time, a magnet for the community and a center of activity.  The future downtown is described as a more active, vibrant place with attractive storefronts, activities, restaurants and nightlife.

The culmination of this project was an Action Plan, adopted by the Hillsboro City Council on May 15, 2007.  The Action Plan that identifies twenty-two high priority initiatives for Hillsboro’s arts and culture revival over the next three years.

For a summary of the Downtown Renaissance Project, click here.

• Downtown Hillsboro Renaissance Summary Report
  
• Arts & Culture Development Program
• Peer Community Case Studies
• Creative Sector Analysis / Arts & Culture Mapping
• Facility Assessment
• Planning and Zoning Code Review
• Funding Tool Box

Many of these tasks are happening simultaneously. If you are interested in participating or would like to be included on a project mailing list, please send us an email with your contact information.

The City of Hillsboro, Hillsboro Downtown Business Association and Hillsboro Chamber of Commerce have partnered on this project which is funded in part by a Department of Land Conservation and Development Technical Assistance Grant.

Gallery/Studio Project Art is Thriving in Downtown Hillsboro

The Hillsboro Visual Art Association attained its project goal of activating a vacant commercial space and providing a new gathering place for the community in January, 2008. Officially named Sequoia Gallery and Studios, the facility adds a distinctive element to downtown Hillsboro by filling an empty commercial space featuring a gallery, classroom and numerous studios.

The gallery is 35 members strong. The work of three featured artists is exhibited each month in the front portion and at least one piece of art from each gallery member is shown in the rear portion of the gallery. Special themed shows highlighting social, political or environmental topics will be incorporated into the schedule as the gallery matures. Each day, a gallery artist opens the doors and welcomes the public into the rooms. Visitors have a personal experience each time they visit, chatting with an artist about art or watching an artist at work in their studio space.

In exchange for affordable rent, thirteen studio artists committed to spending a minimum of 15 hours per week working in their studios. They will open their studios to the public one day each week during gallery hours and one evening per month during gallery receptions. Many of the artists intend to have their studios open more often than required.

"Having a studio in the new facility is a dream come true! Not only will it provide a beautiful space dedicated to creative projects and learning, it will be a cultural enclave, a place where artists encourage and stimulate each other in collective growth."
--Grace Henson, artist

Link to Sequoia Gallery and Studios Website

Renovation of the Town Theatre (renamed the Venetian; its historic name) was identified as the top priority and starting point to infuse Hillsboro’s downtown with a more prominent arts and culture image. The City of Hillsboro purchased the building in 1996 for $1,500. In 2007, a citizen-led group endorsed a proposal from a local developer to purchase the theatre and an adjacent building and restore them. The Venetian Theatre and Bistro is expected to open in June, 2008, featuring live and film entertainment, European dining, and a wine and coffee bar. 
Link to more information here.

Hillsboro City Council recently created the community’s first local arts council.  The 15-member Hillsboro Arts & Culture Council will advise the City on arts / culture matters and over time, initiate and manage projects and programs.  Forming the Council is a crucial step in building local organizational capacity to move forward.  In many communities, local arts councils are important catalysts in shaping the arts scene; some councils become engines that power the arts and culture sector and help create and reinforce their communities’ arts / culture identities.

The inventory of 40+ programs and projects is dynamic and will change.  The Hillsboro Arts & Culture Council is certain to lead the community into new endeavors, and local artists and arts organizations can be counted on to continue innovating.  The arts and culture infrastructure that’s already in place or emerging will surely incubate and nurture new initiatives.  
Link to HACC webpage here.