Located on Forest Grove's main street in the downtown core, Valley Art Gallery is one of the oldest nonprofit art galleries in the Pacific Northwest. The Valley Art Association desired a more efficient and organized use of its large main gallery, classroom, and display areas. To achieve this, casework was used as an organizing element, with casework units simultaneously serving as display units and dividing partitions. These mobile units, made of inexpensive, durable plywood panels mounted on casters, are coupled with fixed, perimeter-display areas for both two- and three-dimensional artwork. The mobile units are easy to roll and can be repositioned by a single person to create mini-galleries within the larger gallery. This provides spatial variety and permits flexible configurations for curated exhibits.

Renovation of the existing structure involved an inherently sustainable strategy: reusing and reinvigorating an existing civic resource. Additional sustainable strategies included removing floor tile and polishing existing concrete slab. A shuttered skylight was uncovered and replaced, opening the gallery to natural daylight. Lighting fixtures were upgraded to be more energy efficient, and the layout was improved to allow for display flexibility. Existing furniture and casework were repainted and reused wherever possible. Due to extremely limited initial funding, the design was planned to be completed in discrete phases: flooring, followed by electrical power and lighting, ADA toilet upgrades, classroom upgrades, new display cabinetry, and skylighting. However, due to a favorable bidding climate, the use of simple forms and materials, additional fundraising, and a small amount of sweat equity provided by the artist cooperative, the entire build-out was undertaken at once.