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Artist Martin Conley creates artistic rendition of the school made from original flooring gathered prior to building renovations

September 17, 2021, Hillsboro, OR - When the staff and students of Reedville Elementary were felling nostalgic about the renovations to the school, a few creative minds came together and a beautiful art piece was made from some of the school’s original flooring materials - at Golden Road Arts, a Hillsboro arts non-profit and art studio.  Local fine artist, wood-sculptor and painter, Martin Conley, was asked to envision a memorable piece of art to honor the school.  The impressive wood sculpture will be revealed, with a brief “meet-and-greet” with the artist, during a Reedville Elementary School administrative seminar on Wednesday, September 22, at 2:30 p.m.  Media are invited. 

“The Hillsboro School District was honored to partner with Golden Road Art Studio and Martin on this project.  We continue to value the arts in our schools and working with one of our local artists to create this piece for Reedville Elementary was a very positive experience. Students will be able to enjoy Martin’s work for years to come,” said Mike Scott, Hillsboro Superintendent of Schools. Conley, a third-generation Oregonian, immediately embraced the project and began working on the piece.  Martin Conley’s work graces many regional galleries and he welcomes visitors by appointment to his studio at Golden Road Arts, 5459 Golden Road in Hillsboro. “The joy is that wood comes in so many different forms and so many different kinds and you can do soooo much with it,” he explains. 

“I work two different ways — one way I let the piece of wood tell me what to do — and the other way is to pre-plan the entire piece — I don’t usually know what I’m going to do till I get into it - and the wood lets you know what it wants,” said Martin about his projects.  Conley received his degree in Fine Arts from the University of Oregon in 1977 and has been creating and displaying his artwork ever since.  His sculptures are made from wood salvaged from firewood piles or found on the forest floor; and some wood is donated or gifted – Martin takes these discarded trees and creates the most beautiful and artistic sculptures! He carves holes and grooves into the wood, exposing cavities, colors and textures that were once hidden behind the wood’s weathered exterior.  Using unique and unassuming tools, Martin’s workshop mesmerizes most anyone who visits.  “The wood tends to have a life — and you kind of stopped it — and hopefully — I’m at the point of giving it some new life — even though the wood is dead — this gives it a new life and hopefully great enjoyment for people to view and look at.”

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ABOUT GOLDEN ROAD ARTS - Golden Road Arts provides hands-on art lessons by Oregon artists. These video or livestream instructional sessions include accompanying lesson plans that follow state educational guidelines on GOLDENROADARTS.ORG. Golden Road Arts is committed to providing free access to art instruction and to connecting children in grades Kindergarten through 5 with low-cost or free access to associated art materials and tools. Golden Road Arts has partnered with the Hillsboro Library to provide countless summer art projects to enhance their literacy programming! A secondary goal of Golden Road Arts is to support the appreciation and acquisition of Northwest art by art lovers and patrons of the arts. A purchase of any artwork shown online at Golden Road Arts will include a commission to our website to fund continued free art education as a portion of our philanthropic mission. Curated by Northwest artists for discriminating collectors, our gallery section includes original art by artists who have exhibited and shared their work here and abroad. The artists represent a cross-section of Northwestern art in various media and materials.