Intarsia

Wilsonville Library’s intarsia is called “Wilsonville Circa 1910”, and is one of the finest examples of this art form in the world. Measuring 17 feet long by 8 feet wide, our intarsia contains more than 5,000 pieces of wood. No paint or stain was used—the colors seen are the actual hues of the 57 different wood varieties from around the world that were used in the creation of this masterpiece.

The intarsia was modeled on a sketch by local artist Barbara Sutton, who in turn used historic photographs of the area. Perspective was also incorporated into the piece, which was designed to hang high above floor level. The transformation of the sketch to finished artwork was accomplished by a group of 10 artisans who worked on it for a full year. There is a small display near the Director’s office detailing the intarsia’s construction and installation.

The intarsia was commissioned and purchased by the Wilsonville Public Library Foundation entirely without the use of public funding.