Karl LeClair joined the City of Hillsboro Parks & Recreation Department’s Cultural Arts team in September 2021 as Public Art Supervisor after leading arts programming for the City of Boise, Idaho.
In Boise, Karl served as a Gallery Attendant, Administrative Assistant, Public Art Assistant, and then as Public Art Manager. He graduated from Boise State University with a Bachelor of Fine Arts in Education and continued to maintain an active studio practice in printmaking.
Karl, why is Public Art important?
Public Art serves as a conduit for connecting with other community members, with ideas and perspectives we may not have otherwise considered, and for better understanding the place where we live, work, and contribute to.
How did your education and activities at Boise State University influence your career path?
While I was a student, I participated in and eventually led the student printmaking club, Red Circle Press, which afforded me experience in applying for grants, fundraising, and coordinating a club excursion to an international conference.
At the same time, I began volunteering on arts organization boards – First Treasure Valley Artist Alliance, and then Surel’s Place, an international artist residency where I also focused on exhibitions. These experiences taught me the business of the arts, how to manage and maintain an organization, allowed me to expand my network, and prepared me for a career in arts administration.
You worked several kinds of jobs for the City of Boise. What led you to Public Art?
When my work as a gallery attendant ended, I was hired as the department’s Administrative Assistant and worked for the Director and various program managers for Cultural Grants, History, Communications, and Public Art.
It was really the field of Public Art that intrigued me the most, and I was eventually promoted to Public Art Assistant. This provided an opportunity to learn the field of Public Art from the person who started the program in Boise. I was eager to learn everything about Public Art and I was being mentored by a veteran who taught me how to navigate the challenging and complex field.
What are you looking forward to in Hillsboro?
My wife and I have both been living in Boise for over a dozen years and we are so excited for the change. Boise is in the high-desert, which I have grown to love and appreciate, but we are both looking forward to exploring the beautiful Pacific Northwest with its forests, rivers, and access to the ocean.
When we got engaged, we spent a week on the coast and hiked Tillamook Head, the highest point on the Oregon coast between Seaside and Cannon Beach. While we like access to Portland, we are more excited to be joining a smaller community that we found in Hillsboro. We like a smaller community for the ability to meet people and truly engage with the community. When visiting, we attended the Saturday Farmers’ Market and met some amazing people and sampled some of the bounty of the Tualatin Valley. I am also personally excited about the future of the Public Art Program and having the opportunity to be a part of shaping the future of the City and being of service to the community.
