Our Mission

The Arts Council of Lake Oswego works to ensure that arts are an integral part of life in our community, now and into the future.

We strive for our collective actions and commitment to result in:

  • Enlivening our built and natural environments, while adding value to Lake Oswego’s economy;

  • Effective collaborative partnerships that strengthen our community;

  • Increased visual art appreciation and understanding by all of our residents and visitors;

  • Increased arts tourism and visitors as economic drivers for the city and our organization.

History of Art in the City of Lake Oswego

The history of art in Lake Oswego spans several decades. It was in the 1960s that a small group of citizens presented their first art exhibit in the Lake Oswego Library. From that time, art became a priority for the City which resulted in the establishment of the Lake Oswego Arts Commission in 1992. Operating as a Commission for the City Council, this group accomplished many wonderful art projects including the creation of the permanent art collection of the City of Lake Oswego and creating the first outdoor rotating sculpture exhibit, Arts Downtown, now known as Lake Oswego’s Gallery Without Walls. The Arts Council of Lake Oswego now manages the City’s art collection, both permanent and rotating, and provides a number of additional programs and services that promote the visual arts throughout the City, including: 

Gallery Without Walls: Outdoor public art that adorns the streets and buildings of Lake Oswego with around 30 pieces in the collection that change each year with new pieces that are on loan for 2 years.

City of Lake Oswego Permanent Art Collection: Oversight and management public art collection of over 54 pieces in the outdoor collection and over 170 2D and 3D pieces in the indoor collection, plus oversight of 1-1/2 percent art projects.

Exhibitions at Artspace Gallery: Indoor exhibition program with 4 to 6 exhibitions per year.

Education and Outreach: Programs include working with the community to create and support a series of conversations using art as the lens with providing programs that include diversity, equity, and inclusion, arts education, and hands-on programming through the visual arts.