This article is a press release, accompanied by additional comments from the Herald and a pull quote from Emily Jung Miller’s website, which is linked below multiple times. The Herald wishes to recognize everyone who is making this vital work possible (Links and Credits provided below). This is something everyone of every age will be able to enjoy and experience; and it is terrific!
Created by artist Emily Jung Miller, the 18-panel art exhibit blends ecology and art
to celebrate the natural beauty of Scoggins Valley Park
Beaverton, Ore. (October 15, 2025) – Explore Tualatin Valley Unveils “Wonder Windows” Public Art Installation at Henry Hagg Lake ~ Explore Tualatin Valley (ETV), the destination marketing organization (DMO) for Oregon’s Washington County, is proud to announce the unveiling of Wonder Windows, a stunning new public art installation by Pacific Northwest artist Emily Jung Miller at Henry Hagg Lake in Scoggins Valley Park. The project features 18 vibrant, six-foot-tall double-sided transparent panels, each illustrating the interconnected ecosystems of the lake. Supported by Explore Tualatin Valley with funding from Travel Oregon’s Regional Cooperative Tourism Program and Washington County Parks, the project is undergoing installation and is expected to be completed by mid-October.
Miller, a Forest Grove-based BIPOC artist, combined species and habitat research, site visits, and artistic interpretation to lead a local team in fabricating panels from steel and other multi-layer, custom-cut materials. Created over the course of six months, Wonder Windows celebrates the biodiversity of Hagg Lake through 36 unique nature scenes, highlighting more than 80 local species of plants and animals. The installation invites visitors to engage with nature through art, fostering a sense of wonder, curiosity, and connection. From the endangered Fender’s Blue Butterfly and its host plant, Kincaid Lupine, to native birds like the Bufflehead Duck and Cedar Waxwing, the installation brings the lake’s ecosystems to life. Other panels illustrate seasonal transitions with native species like Oregon White Oak, Cama,s and Mahonia (Oregon Grape), offering a glimpse into the interdependent web of life that surrounds Hagg Lake.
“I approached this project as a nature lover and water lover, with an open mind about how I would respond to each site,” says Miller. “They are meant to shift. Seasonal changes in the landscape will change the Windows, too. The transparency suggests a memory or a glimpse of a moment, past or future, held in the story of each place.”
“Emily’s work invites visitors to look at and through the Windows with wonder. The playful details in each piece – a sly slug or buzzing bumblebee – showcase her intentional research. I’m excited for park guests to discover the hidden creatures and layered richness of each Window throughout the different seasons at Hagg Lake,” says Karine Kadyan, Parks Management Analyst.
Editor’s Note:
Wonder Windows is one of the most impressive and meaningful public art installations I have seen in a long time. Emily Jung Miller took her time to experience Hagg Lake and its diverse surroundings. She felt the land, smelled the water, experienced the color of the trees and plants, and watched the birds dance across the water. Here, in a peaceful place made for us all to enjoy, she heard the whispers of the Atfalati people who thrived in our valley for thousands of years. Breathing all of that in, she internalized it, felt it, and became it. And through that level of commitment, we know we all get to enjoy Wonder Windows. I will be one of the first to see it and take it in. Hagg Lake has been a favorite of mine for decades. Now it will be even better!
Giving Credit Where It Is Due- From the Artist’s Mouth
Thanks to the fabricators and technicians who created the physical artworks while I managed the digital designs. I worked closely with Forest Grove metal artist Eric Canon and Portland fabricator Versa-Tech to create the custom steel frames, and with the printing team at Impact Sign in Hillsboro for the multi-layer, custom-cut artwork panels utilizing 5 different materials to achieve the different levels of transparency needed. Thanks to parks staff for thoughtfully choosing 18 artwork sites around the park, installing eighteen 140-pound, 10-foot-long steel frames in the ground, and positioning each artwork to look its best.
Wonder Windows was funded by Explore Tualatin Valley, Travel Oregon, and Washington County Parks. Thank you for your vision and support of the full scope of this project, which grew from a handful of artworks, into a park-spanning experience.
The project’s title came last, and was generously contributed by a youth in the community, as I struggled with big words like ecosystem and interdependence. “Wonder Windows – because they make you wonder.” Wonder holds both curiosity and awe, and the closer I got to these places, the more wonder I found.
Please read here in-depth review of this work and get to know Emily Jung Miller right here-
https://www.ejmillerfineart.com/news/2025/09/05/wonder-windows-at-hagg-lake/
