The Walters Cultural Arts Center is located at 527 E. Main St. and is situated on the corner of Northeast 5^th Avenue and East Main Street in a one-way grid in Downtown Hillsboro.

The Walters is also conveniently located just a few blocks from the MAX Blue line, closest to the Tuality Hospital/SE 8th Avenue stop.

The Walters parking lot is located on the north side of the building and can be accessed from 5th Avenue or 6th Avenue. Designated accessible parking spots are located at the east end of the parking lot, near the front entrance of the building, and electric vehicle charging stations are located on the west side of the parking, near 5th Avenue.

The Walters Gallery is spread throughout the building with primary exhibit spaces on the second floor and in the basement. The Gallery is always free and open to the public and features two-month exhibits by emerging and professional artists from the local community and the broader region.

Gallery Hours

Monday through Thursday: 9 am to 9 pm

Fridays: 9 am to 5 pm (hours extended for events and performances)

The Walters Cultural Arts Center strives to accommodate the needs of all patrons and offers various options for accessibility to assist with providing the best possible experience of our programming.

Please see information below for specific accommodations we can provide.

If you would like to discuss your specific needs to attend a performance, event, or class at the Walters, call 503-615-3485 or Email Us.

Accessing the Walters Cultural Arts Center

Entrances

The Walters has two sets of entrance doors on the east side of the building. These entrances are accessible by ramps from both the north and south side of the building.

When facing the entrance, the set of doors on the right are also equipped with an automatic door opener.

Please note, the three sets of doors the south side of the building (along Main St) on the terrace are locked and not accessible from the outside. This often gets confused for the entrance of the building, so please keep moving along Main St. toward the east side of the building to enter.

Parking

The Walters parking lot is located on the north side of the building and can be accessed from 5^th Avenue. There are three designated accessible parking spots at the east end of the parking lot, near the front entrance of the building.

Elevator & Rest Rooms

All levels of the building are accessible by elevator access.

The Walters has restrooms on the basement and 2^nd floor levels that are ADA accessible.

The restrooms on the basement level have multiple stalls and are gender specific. The restrooms on the 2^nd floor are single user and all user.

Service Animals

Service animals are welcome inside the Walters Cultural Arts Center, but pets are not allowed inside the building.

Attending Performances & Events

When visiting the Walters Cultural Arts Center, our team is happy to provide specific accommodations to ensure you have a successful visit. To discuss seating assistance or other accommodations, contact the Walters Box Office at 503-615-3485 or at BoxOffice@Hillsboro-Oregon.gov. Our staff will be happy to assist you.

Seating Choices

Seating accommodations can be offered to assist based on the needs of the patron, including reserving accessible seating for patrons using wheelchairs or other mobility devices.

If you need a seating accommodation to attend a ticketed event, you can note this when reserving your tickets. Our staff will follow up with you to confirm the details and seating will be reserved for you when you arrive.

If you arrive for an event and have not reserved seating, but find that you need a seating accommodation, just check in at the Box Office for assistance. We will assist in finding seating for you and at least one additional attendee in an adjacent seat, though we will do our best to seat you with your full party if possible.

Theatre Seating

Our standard theatre chairs do not have arms, but we can provide a chair with arms upon request.

Assistive Listening Devices

Assistive listening devices are available for every performance. These devices amplify the performance and enhance the words spoken on stage by separating speech from background noise. Devices can be checked out at the Box Office on the night of the show.

Sensory Processing Supports

The Walters will include information about any potential sensory sensitivities when promoting a performance, event, or class. This could include information about the use of bright lights, loud sound effects, or other possible sensory concerns.

Sensory Kits

To improve the experience of all our visitors, we have sensory kits available at the front desk and in each of our classrooms. These kits contain earmuffs, sunglasses, fidget items, a medium weight lap pad, a glitter wand, and a bubble timer. Items in the kits are sanitized between uses.

Acoustics in the Walters Theatre

The Walters Theatre has amazing acoustics for transmitting sound due to the stone walls and high arched ceilings of the space. This means that it is a wonderful space for a live music and other performances.

We have a highly qualified sound engineer who adjusts the sound levels during performances and events to ensure the comfort of both the audience and the performers. With performances including drums or horn instruments, there can still be times when the sound can feel intense or at too high of a level.

If you have sensory processing concerns, you may wish to bring a set of ear plugs or earmuffs when attending a performance or event in the Theatre. They may not be necessary, but you’ll have them just in case you need them.

Ear Plugs & Earmuffs

The Walters Box Office can provide disposable ear plugs upon request. We also have a limited supply of earmuffs available.

Contact the Walters staff at 503-615-3485 or Email Us. Our staff will be happy to assist you.

Hillsboro Parks & Recreations offers Youth Art Scholarships due to a grant from the Richard B. Siegel Foundation to provide opportunities for youth to participate in the arts.

If awarded, the scholarship may be used by the applicant for any youth or teen class or camp taking place at the Walters Cultural Arts Center.

To Qualify

• You must be a resident of the City of Hillsboro, or a current student at a school in the Hillsboro School District.
• Households whose income falls below the Federal Free or Reduced Meal Guidelines are eligible (see chart below.)
• You must be 18 years or younger.

Apply Now

• Youth Art Scholarship Application (English)
• Youth Art Scholarship Application (Spanish)

Mail or bring your completed application to the Walters Cultural Arts Center during regular business hours or email it to Julio.Badel@Hillsboro-Oregon.gov.

Approval Process

Please allow up to two weeks for processing and approval. Applicants will be notified by phone or email.

Once the scholarship has been approved, it will be added to your Hillsboro Parks & Recreation account.

Approved scholarships will provide 100% of the registration fee for up to two classes. Approval for additional classes is dependent on availability of funds.

Once you are notified of scholarship approval, you may register for eligible classes online at or by calling 503-615-3485.

Have Questions?

If you have any questions concerning the application or the Youth Art Scholarship, please call the Walters Cultural Arts Center at 503-615-3485 or email us.

Click on the name of the class below to download a list of supplies that students need to purchase and bring to the first day of class.  

• Beginning Play Writing
• Book Folding for Kids
• Intermediate Paper Quilling
• Magic: Card Tricks

If you have any questions, about items on these lists, please call 503-615-3485 for more information.

Additional Note about Supplies:

Located just down Main Street, a few blocks from the Walters Cultural Arts Center in Downtown Hillsboro, is local art supply store Colours Art. “It is our joy to share the love of art, creating, and community in a place with such a diverse and rich history.” For questions about supply availability and your class, please call 503.648.5064 or visit their location at 270 East Main Street. For business hours and additional information please visit: www.coloursart.com.

The Walters Cultural Arts Center provides Open Studio sessions with registration to current and previous students to allow them time to practice techniques in shaping clay and to encourage personal enrichment. 

• Participants must be registered for Open Studio to attend. By registering you are agreeing to the terms outlined in these guidelines.
• Open Studio is not intended for production work.
• Open Studio is a time for independent work on projects in the Clay Studios. OS is not a ceramics class with guided instruction. However, an OS Supervisor is available for answering questions.
• Participants must check in/out with the OS Supervisor upon arrival and departure.
• Participants must label their work.
• Glazing instructions must be read and followed.
• All glazes used must be provided or approved by the   Walters staff. Clay must be purchased through the Walters Cultural Arts Center.
• Studio time must end promptly. Please begin clean up at least 20 minutes before the end of the OS meeting to clean your tools and work area.
• The Open Studio Supervisor’s requests and instructions must be followed at all times.

Weekly Open Studio Schedule

Mondays and Wednesdays, 5:30 to 8:30 pm, and Fridays, 1 to 4 pm.  Please refer to current Parks & Recreation Activity Guide for exact dates.

Ages

Youth 13-17 may participate in Open Studio only if they are accompanied and supervised at all times by an adult guardian who is also participating in, and registered for the same Open Studio session

Studio Safety

• Participants are not permitted to open, add or remove pieces from the kilns.
• Personal music devices are allowed when used with headphones. Please be respectful of others and keep the volume at a considerate level. Devices are not allowed when using the wheel.
• We strongly recommend that jewelry be left at home. For safety wear rubber-soled, close-toe shoes and refrain from wearing jewelry or clothing that could be caught in the wheel such as necklaces, scarves, sweatshirts with strings, etc. The Walters is not responsible for lost items.
• All building safety guidelines communicated through classroom signs—such as clay storage near ceiling sprinklers—in the studios and requests from the OS Supervisor must be followed at all times.

Studio Cleanliness

It is the responsibility of all OS participants to leave their tools and workspace clean, and in the condition they found it at the beginning of their OS session (or better). Sinks are meant to wash clay free hands and rinse clay free items. Use a bucket of water to collect clay chunks and residue. Use a sponge for a thorough clean up.

Emptying your bucket down the sink:

• Slowly pour clay water down the sink.
• Use a rubber rib to scrape clay chunks into the recycle bucket under the sink.
• Rinse your bucket and sponge.
• Return items to proper location.

Wheel Room Upkeep

• Cover and place WIP’s on wooden shelves for storage. Do not store greenware on black bats.
• Wipe down work area and tools.
• Turn off wheel(s).
• Place stool on top of wheel head.
• Place pedals on top of the white base.
• Label your unused clay and store it in the clay closet.

Sculpture Room Upkeep

• Wipe down work area and tools.
• Properly label—name and date—and cover your work with plastic.
• Store all work and unused clay on designated shelves.

Bags of Clay - $16 per bag

Students can purchase a 25 lb. bag of clay for use in the studio. The WCAC uses cone 6, medium temperature clays. No outside clay allowed.

Clay can be stored on the designated shelf during the Open Studio session. Clay must be labeled with the OS participant’s initials at the time of purchase with DATE & YEAR (sticker provided).  

All clay must be taken home on the last day of Open Studio. Any clay not labeled or left after the end of Open Studio will be removed. 

Storage of Works in Progress

Works in Progress (WIP) must be stored and labeled with name and date on the designated carts or clay shelves for Open Studio. Any WIP’s not stored in these areas or left after the end of OS may be removed to make room for storage needs.

Firing and Glazing

• Claywork thicker than ½ inch will not be fired.  Check with your OS Supervisor if you are unsure.
• Do not glaze the bottom of your work.
• Use wax to cover the bottom of your bisqueware prior to dunking.
• Use a sponge to remove any glaze residue at the bottom of your greenware or bisgueware.

30 Day Pick Up Policy

Fired pieces must be picked up within 30 days of the final firing. All bisqueware and glazeware will be marked on the bottom in graphite with the date they are removed from the kiln. Pieces not collected within 30 days of their graphite date will be considered abandoned, become property of the Walters, and may be discarded. Fired pieces may only be picked up during evening Clay Pick Up or Open Studio hours.

Questions about Open Studio?

Please call the Walters Cultural Arts Center at (503) 615-3485.

Interested in sharing your creative expertise and talent with our community?

The Walters Cultural Arts Center is the premier arts center in Hillsboro and houses a 200 hundred seat theater, gallery, four classrooms, including a ceramic wheel room, and outdoor areas. We offer classes for children and adults, as well as family classes in a wide range of mediums.

To find out about current opportunities for teaching artists, check out the Cultural Arts Calls to Artists page for information on class proposal deadlines.

Most of our teaching artists are independent contractors, but background checks are required.  If you have any questions, please contact Julio.Badel@Hillsboro-Oregon.gov.