COMMON THREADS, 2021
Perforated, painted aluminum panels.
Artists: Addie Boswell, Van Cooley, Sara Siestreem (Hanis Coos), and Antwoine Thomas

The work adorns the Beaverton Central District parking garage and can be seen at SW Rose Biggi and SW Crescent Avenues.

The work, designed by local artist team Addie Boswell, Van Cooley, Sara Siestreem, and Antwoine Thomas, is seven stories tall and created with perforated painted aluminum panels. Creativity thrives when there is a foundation to build upon. In Common Threads, two child artists, representing the creative future, grow out of Beaverton’s history. Repeated patterns reference the bounty of nature, Indigenous art forms, and modern industry.

The two young artists depicted in the piece grow out of the history of the bottom half, which is grounded by native plant species including the Oregon White Oak, acorns, horseradish, and more. A beaver dam also grounds the piece, as the beaver’s work on the swampland created the fertile conditions that encourage the diverse agriculture we see today.

There are three basket-weave patterns included (copyright Sara Siestreem [Hanis Coos]) that draw from the Indigenous history of the area. The basic plaiting is made of dried cattails; the crab basket pattern in the girl’s dress represents water, earth, and sky in its twining; and the diamond shapes in the boy’s shirt are traditional symbols of the salmonberry, the first berry to appear in spring and which are thought to give the salmon directional help for spawning.

Each smaller patterned square at the bottom further represents pieces of Beaverton history.

This artwork was made possible through a commission by the City of Beaverton in partnership with the Beaverton Urban Renewal Agency and funded by the City’s 1% for Art program.