Vibrant new artwork brings joy to ODHS spaces

"Art washes away from the soul the dust of everyday life." - Pablo Picasso

What began as a donation of artwork has slowly become something larger: a reimagining of what an ODHS office can feel like. Not sterile. Not cold. Not transactional.

But welcoming, bright, and beautiful - a space that communicates respect and care for everyone who enters. In a place where visitors often arrive feeling stressed or anxious, an entry filled with color and creativity changes the tone.

"We want folks to breathe a little easier when they walk through our doors," said Dawn Dzubay, Community Partnership Coordinator at the Tigard Self-Sufficiency office. "Seeing art on the walls is an unexpected surprise that can reset people's expectations about the interactions to come."

Local artist and educator Tobi Kibel Piatek agrees. "Art and color make you feel good. It adds to your comfort. It also might help people feel joy as they come into a government office," she said.

Piatek has been donating artwork by her and her students to ODHS since before the pandemic, when Dzubay worked at the SE Malden branch in Portland. Last summer, Piatek's art class of older adults transformed the entryway at the Tigard Self-Sufficiency branch, bringing new life and warmth to the space. Piatek teaches multi-media art to mature students at the Multnomah Arts Center in Portland.

Piatek invites other artists to join her in giving their art to places

"Many artists have created a great deal of work over their lifetimes. Making art has value for the artist. Donating our art can bring joy to others - and that has value. Everybody benefits.

This is an invitation for other artists to donate to places that could a use a splash of art," she said.

This spring, Piatek's students donated enough artwork to fill the walls of Tigard's Free Food Market room. Now, the colorful pieces hang above the donated food, free diapers and other essentials offered at the monthly market. 

"Everyone is welcome here," Dzubay said. "And now, thanks to Tobi and her students, the market feels a bit more like a community living room."

Family coach Kosar Meman, who volunteered to hang the artwork, shared how strongly she connected with the project. "I've always felt deeply affected by art," Meman said. "It brings a sense of calm and grounding, especially with work that can be emotionally heavy. Art is healing and so cathartic.

"Our goal was not only to decorate the walls but to gently remind folks experiencing any kind of hardship that beauty still belongs to them, too."