The sidewalks look very different near Main Street in both Hillsboro and Tigard. Where previously there were gray concrete pathways, now two bright and colorful murals adorn the pavement.
Both murals wrap around nearby curbside stormwater drains that carry away rainwater and runoff. Both murals bear one simple message, written in three languages: Drains to the Tualatin River.
This past year, Tualatin Riverkeepers commissioned two murals to promote awareness and stewardship of the Tualatin River and the surrounding lands that drain into it.
The tributary snakes throughout Washington County, passing through Cornelius, King City, Tigard, Durham, Tualatin and even West Linn.
Both drains connect to the river, even though they are in different cities 12 miles apart.
Tualatin Riverkeepers is a recipient of Metro’s Community Placemaking Grant program, which encourages people to reimagine public spaces and create changes within their neighborhoods.
Tigard mural in English and Arabic
In Tigard, Tualatin Riverkeepers worked with the Muslim Educational Trust to commission a piece that celebrates the Muslim community.
Artist Kanaan Kanaan painted a stormwater drain next to Fanno Creek, which eventually drains to the Tualatin River. The mural is partly influenced by the tessellations in Islamic art. The overlapping and interconnection between people, animals and the environment inspired him.
“We cross paths,” Kanaan said, “and the crossing and the congregating, that's the intersection, where we could create something new. And I'm really hoping that is something new and beautiful.”
-
Artist Kanaan Kanaan outlines the mural, creating intersections where lines overlap. Kanaan was inspired partly by the geometrical patterns found in Islamic art.
-
Artist Kanaan Kanaan works behind his brightly-colored painted school bus. He worked in the mornings, trying to avoid the August heat wave.
-
Artist Kanaan Kanaan fills out the silhouette of a deer. Other wildlife he chose to depict are beavers, fish, a squirrel and a raccoon.
-
“The drain storm here, drains to the creek, drains to the river, and… we are drinking from that river and there are creatures that are dependent on the river,” Kanaan said.
-
Artist Kanaan Kanaan chats with Paul Vu, who owns a business near the mural. Vu is passionate about the environment and likes the message of the mural.
-
The mural is complete. “I feel like I want to do the whole sidewalk," said artist Kanaan Kanaan. "People ask me, are you going to do the whole side walk? I wish!”
Hillsboro mural in English and Spanish
In Hillsboro, Tualatin Riverkeepers worked with Centro Cultural de Washington County to produce a mural that celebrates the cultural heritage of the Latino community.
Artist Linda Dalal Sawaya featured a rainbow over the Mayan rain god Chac as he pours water down the drain. “And in the water are two stylized fish to represent wildlife and nature that rely on the river for their life and their health,” she said.
-
“I love the Tualatin River,” artist Linda Dalal Sawaya said. “I started kayaking the river... And I have been very much aware of the issues around water and the environment for many years.” Photo courtesy of Tualatin Riverkeepers
-
To honor Latino culture, Sawaya chose to depict the Mayan rain god Chac on the storm drain mural in Hillsboro. Photo courtesy of Tualatin Riverkeepers.
-
The mission behind the storm drain mural project spoke to Sawaya. "I came to Portland because of the rain,” she said. Photo courtesy of Tualatin Riverkeepers
-
To remind people about where our water goes, Sawaya painted the Mayan rain god Chac pouring water down the drain. Photo courtesy of Tualatin Riverkeepers
-
Sawaya felt gratified by compliments from passersby. “I had many, many people say how wonderful it was and asked if other storm drains on the street were going to be painted as well,” she said. Photo courtesy of Tualatin Riverkeepers
-
The storm drain mural with the Mayan rain god Chac debuted in Hillsboro in early September.
Creating a public mural is a quick and inexpensive way for a communities to visually represent themselves, according to Ben Stone, director of arts and culture at Smart Growth America.
“You can't necessarily get people together and talk about the design of the architecture in the neighborhood,” Stone said. “That takes much longer, and takes much more money and time to put together.”
He said placemaking projects, such as these two murals, can help neighborhoods celebrate their unique culture and assets, and distinguish themselves from other places.
“It's become more evident that public art, sculptures and murals are really all about representing the community's values,” Stone said.
They often represent who is in a neighborhood, he said. In this case, the storm drain murals celebrate culture while underscoring the importance of taking care of our land and water.
Learn more
Visit our Community Placemaking grantees page.
Metro’s investments, such as these placemaking grants, are strategically focused to help local communities create or sustain the vibrant places envisioned in the Region’s 2040 Growth Concept.
The work of the Community Placemaking grant recipients aligns with Metro's strategic plan to advance racial equity, diversity and inclusion.
Read the strategic plan: