Hillsboro’s newest Public Art mural is coming to Shute Park Library this April! The large vinyl installation will bring life to the south-facing wall of the library, serving as a welcoming and visually striking gateway into the Downtown Cultural Arts District.

Community-Informed Design

The artwork, titled “Stories Bring Us Together: A Journey of Diversity and Imagination," is designed by Christian Tellez Garcia (Wesi), who was selected by a community panel to create the new mural. The mural design incorporates extensive community feedback gathered through online surveys and in-person engagement. The design celebrates Hillsboro’s diversity, depicting figures engaged in reading, gathering, and storytelling.

A central feature of the artwork is the bilingual phrase “Imagine/Imaginae,” a creative play on words in English and Spanish. Designed to stand out along Avenida Diez/TV Highway, the element draws inspiration from early book typography and reinforces the Library’s literary focus.

The striking turquoise wall color is inspired by a mural inside the children’s section of Shute Park Library. The mural, “Bird Child Travels Through History” by Angelina Marino Heidel, was painted in 2014. Bringing this pop of color to the exterior wall also reflects community feedback calling for more vibrant color in Hillsboro’s built environment.

Representing Hillsboro

Background scenes of the mural highlight the Hillsboro landscape and cultural references, including a nod to the nearby TriMet bus stop and broader community surroundings like Oro the Friendly Forest Giant at Hidden Creek Park West.

The mural will be displayed as a vinyl installation for a period of 3 – 5 years.  Proposals may be accepted for new artwork for the Library's wall at that time.

City of Hillsboro Mural Resources

Creating Murals in Hillsboro
Gallery of Murals in Hillsboro
City of Hillsboro Public Art Program
Hillsboro’s Cultural Arts District