Glenn & Viola Walters Cultural Arts Center
Located in downtown Hillsboro, the Glenn & Viola Walters Cultural Arts Center is a beautiful facility providing a focal point for visual and performing arts within the community. Originally a house of worship, the 15,664 square-foot building – an architectural landmark in and of itself – has been carefully renovated to showcase musical, dance, and theatrical performances, as well as the works of fine artists. Aside from its main performance auditorium and galleries, the Center also houses several art studios where people of all ages gather for painting, drawing, sculpture, and literary and performing arts classes.
The Center, which opened in 2004, is a testament to the power of community collaboration. It results from many individuals, businesses, and organizations working together toward a common goal. The community’s ‘Hillsboro 2020 Vision’ plan identified arts and culture as key priorities, enhancing livability and supporting downtown revitalization efforts. Informal discussions among the Hillsboro Community Foundation board members about the need for a cultural arts center led to the Center’s creation. At that time, there was no such facility in Hillsboro or Washington County.
Glenn Walters, then a Hillsboro Community Foundation board member, initiated discussions with the City’s Parks and Recreation Department to explore possible sites for a cultural arts center. Not long after, Trinity Lutheran Church became available for purchase. With its beautiful, hand-quarried stonework, ample space, and downtown location, it was a perfect fit. Also, parishioners concerned about the future of the building they were leaving behind were happy to learn that its integrity would be preserved as a new and sorely needed home for the arts.
A generous gift of $1 million from Glenn and Viola Walters to the Hillsboro Community Foundation to purchase the church facility and adjacent properties enabled the city to move forward with the project. However, much work remained. In addition to the $1.3 million purchase price, approximately $2 million in renovations were needed to bring the building into compliance with current codes and adequately prepare it for use as a visual and performing arts center.
A community fundraising campaign was launched to help pay for the renovations. Still, by late 2002, efforts slowed to a point where the Center could only be completed promptly with additional funding sources. The Hillsboro Community Foundation then agreed to spearhead fundraising and committed to raising the extra funds required to complete the facility. The Walters Cultural Arts Center has served as a warm enhancement to the cultural life of Hillsboro and has been visited by thousands since opening in 2004. The Foundation continues to support programming at the Center through its ongoing fundraising efforts.
To support arts and culture in Hillsboro, make a tax-deductible gift to the Hillsboro Arts & Culture Endowment today by clicking on this link.
