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New Public Artwork, Bridge of Land and Sky, Serves as a “Gateway to Hillsboro”
Originally published in January 2022, updated in May 2023:
The City of Hillsboro has unveiled its newest — and biggest — public art installation.
Bridge of Land and Sky spans the length of the Brookwood overpass over Highway 26, making the art highly visible to people in the 60,000 cars that pass underneath it each day.
Designed by acclaimed artist Cliff Garten, the 7- to 9-foot-tall undulating ribbon that is 290 feet per side of the overpass, for a combined length of 580 feet, serves as a gateway to Hillsboro, welcoming and delighting residents, guests, and travelers.
“The art fence will create a visual landmark, celebrating and inviting discovery of Hillsboro and Washington County. Very few highway overpasses in Oregon have been treated as art gateways, transforming functional infrastructure into artwork, and this one will be unique in western Oregon,” said Joan Callaway, former Chair of the Hillsboro Arts & Culture Council.
A remarkable artistic vision
Bridge of Land and Sky is an art fence designed to replace the standard, chain-link pedestrian safety fence normally installed on a highway overpass.
Garten’s vision was inspired by Hillsboro’s picturesque surroundings and dramatic skies, and is expressed in finely cut, 3/16” powder coated steel.
The piece’s undulating forms, reminiscent of the curves of a topological map, take their cue from the gentle peaks and valleys of the surrounding Tualatin Hills.
“Bridge of Land and Sky is an amazing expression of Hillsboro’s values and identity,” says Karl LeClair, Public Art Supervisor for the Hillsboro Parks & Recreation Department. “Enticing a world-class artist like Cliff Garten to this project also speaks to the City’s vision, importance, and aspirations.”
Fabrication of the project took place at the Metal Arts Foundry in Lehi, Utah.
Collaboration leads to installation
Commissioning Bridge of Land and Sky required extensive coordination between City departments and agency partners, including:
- Hillsboro Community Development Department’s Transportation Systems Division
- Hillsboro Parks & Recreation Department’s Cultural Arts Division & Public Art Program
- Hillsboro Public Works Department’s Engineering Division
- Oregon Department of Transportation
- Washington County Land Use & Transportation Department
Renderings courtesy of Cliff Garten Studio.