Resources for Boise's Cultural Community During COVID-19
The Boise City Department of Arts & History is committed to supporting Boise’s cultural community throughout this global health crisis. The following list of resources is ongoing—please check back for updates and contact us if you have something to add. Get the latest information on COVID-19 and the City of Boise.
Quick Links
A Few Ways to Support Our Cultural Community
Share Your Work
Explore the COVID Community Collection
Experience the James Castle House
Enjoy Boise's Art & History From Home or Near Your Home
Information & Resources
Surveys
Invest in Boise's Arts & Culture
A Few Ways to Support Our Cultural Community
- Support the Arts & History Grant Recipients.
- Buy tickets (where safety protocols are established and followed), art, books, records, and merchandise—shop locally as much as possible.
- Donate your ticket cost back to organizations with cancelled performances.
- Support local artists with a Capitol Contemporary Gallery Artist Gift Certificate.
- Stream music.
- Share new releases, writings, and artists’ work with others.
- Donate to organizations.
Share Your Work
Has this time of uncertainty inspired you to create?
Share your new work with us by emailing artsandhistory@cityofboise.org, direct messaging us on Instagram, Facebook, or Twitter, or by tagging #BoiseCreates.
Explore the COVID Community Collection
In the summer of 2020, we put out a call to the creative and cultural community for works documenting the time surrounding the COVID-19 pandemic. In addition to keeping our own records and collecting stories from the community, we wanted to provide artists with an opportunity to create something tangible to help us all better understand and process the significance of this experience.
The result is the City of Boise's COVID Community Collection, an assembly of 27 works from 25 Boise artists, together documenting and reflecting on the past year. Spanning a wide range of mediums—from poems and plays to paintings and prints to digital art and textiles—these works come together with breadth and depth to tell an unfinished story.
We hope that this collection provides a space for reflection and healing, and that the creative testimonies within it serve as a resource for future generations to gain an understanding of this crisis and its impact on our community,
Experience the James Castle House
The James Castle House, managed and staffed by the Boise City Dept. of Arts & History, offers one-hour long in-person site tours exploring the life and work of James Castle. Hosted by James Castle House staff, visitors gain insight into the history of Castle's life and explore original artworks and artifacts that informed his art-making practice every Thursday, Friday, and Saturday (times vary). Visit the James Castle House website to make a reservation. You can also experience and engage with the James Castle House online (At Home With The James Castle House; Collection), virtually (What's On?), and shop the General Store online. More at jamescastlehouse.org.
Enjoy Boise Art, History, and Culture At Home or Near Your Home
When heading outside, please remember to practice physical distancing and adhere to group size limitations.
Keep learning about the 100th Anniversary of Women's Suffrage with Notes from the City Historian.
The 19th Amendment recognized the right to vote for many women—but not all. In 2020, we celebrated the Boise individuals who mobilized and empowered women to advocate for suffrage, and expands the conversation to include underrepresented groups. Learn more: So We Did: Celebrating Women's Suffrage at 100.
Experience one of our cultural sites from a distance with At Home with the James Castle House.
Join us from the comfort of your home to explore resources, entertainment and learning opportunities for everyone. This new page will be updated regularly, sharing with you what we find so special about James Castle, his work, and his house.
Enjoy our archive of interviews with members of Boise's cultural community on the Creators, Makers, & Doers blog.
Developed in the spirit of the Boise City Department of Arts & History’s mission, the Creators, Makers, & Doers series is motivated to explore the lives and processes of the creative community and ignite conversation around all the great work happening Boise.
Explore our Collections from anywhere.
Partnerships with talented artists, historians, and hundreds of passionate citizens helped build the remarkable Collections under the curation and care of the City of Boise. It’s never been so easy to browse and search the City’s growing collection of Art, Archives, and Historic Artifacts.
Navigate our interactive map and go on a self-guided tour.
Find public artworks, historic assets, and site-specific research with our interactive map. Focus your search on a favorite Boise landmark or neighborhood, or just take a wander.
Download a public art brochure or request one at artsandhistory@cityofboise.org.
Boise Airport
Boise Bench
Downtown Boise
North/East/West End Boise
South Boise
West Boise
Take a virtual tour of Boise’s rich history with Remnants of Boise.
Explore the last 150+ years of Boise's growth and development. The tour consists of 25 locations that explore a different area of the city. Historic photographs, plats, and maps will reveal a better understanding of the evolution of each location.
Boise's Open Space: Celebrating 20 Years of the Foothills Levy
2021 marks the 20th anniversary of the first foothills levy passed by 59% of Boise voters on May 22, 2001. With a two-year, $10 million dollar commitment, Boiseans showed tremendous support for protecting open space in the Boise Foothills. To celebrate the landmark vote, the Boise City Department of Arts & History invites the public to visit and explore an exhibit of historic photographs and stories unlocking the origins, conditions, and events surrounding the foothills' environment, as well as the impact of the levy on Boise’s open space over the last two decades. On view on the third floor of Boise City Hall through September 30, 2021 during regular hours. Browse the exhibit with an online companion.
City Halls Past & Present - Online Exhibit
City hall buildings represent the city government and its center of power. They house government officials and staff who keep the city running, and also provide access points for citizens to reach the people who work on their behalf. The history of Boise’s city hall structures reflects the growth and evolution of the city itself. Over the past 157 years, Boise municipal government offices transitioned from borrowed spaces in offices and private residences to the current downtown City Hall Plaza, occupying a full city block, with a second facility in West Boise for the Police and Fire departments.
View the City Halls Past & Present - Online Exhibit
“Workin’ 9 to 5: Boise Suffragists in Downtown Boise"
Downtown history tours often focus on the architecture of buildings and the businesses they held. Invariably, these stories primarily focus on men. The aim of this tour is to depart from the traditional narrative and, instead, show the indelible mark women have left on downtown Boise. Join the adventure to learn more about our built environment through the lens of women's history. Take a (virtual) walk!
Boise's 1863 Plat Walking Tour
Explore the City of Boise through the lens of early settlers. Discover boundaries of the plat, including what was lost and how the area has been transformed.
View Boise's 1863 Plat Walking Tour (PDF)
Capitol Boulevard "Did You Know" Walking Tour
View Capitol Boulevard "Did You Know" Walking Tour (PDF)
Boise Mercantile District Walking Tour
Boise's Mercantile Block recalls the era of hotels, theaters and merchant houses that made Boise a retail hub.
View Boise Mercantile District Walking Tour (PDF)
West End Walking Trail Guide
A walk on the Historic West End Trail explores the neighborhoods that marked the western edge of Boise city limits until the 1950's. Just over 3 miles in length, the trail points out some of the people and properties that give the West End a rich history, as well as its architectural and cultural diversity.
View West End Walking Trail Guide (PDF)
Depot Bench Walking Tour
Learn about unique locations, architecture and historical trivia around the Depot Bench. You can access these tours from your computer or mobile device.
View Depot Bench Walking Tour (HTTP)
Information & Resources for Artists, Organizations, Museum Professionals, & Cultural Workers
We have gathered some helpful articles and compiled a list of resources to help support Boise’s cultural community during COVID-19. This list is collaborative and ongoing, so please check back often, and send your suggestions to artsandhistory@cityofboise.org.
Financial Resources
- Learn more about "Save Our Stages" grants and other COVID-19 Economic Relief Opportunities (Americans for the Arts webinar series 1/15/21 & 1/22/21)
- Idaho Commission on the Arts
- Idaho Nonprofit Center: Information on Senate Relief Package
- National Endowment for the Arts
- Small Business Administration PPP Guidelines
- American for the Arts Coronavirus (COVID-19) Resource and Response Center
- FEMA Application for Nonprofits
- CERF+: Emergency Grants and Resources for Artists
- Society for American Archivists Archival Workers Emergency Fund
- Foundation for Contemporary Arts Emergency Grants
- PEN America Writers' Emergency Fund
- American Guild of Musical Artists Relief Fund
- WomenArts.org Emergency Funds
- The Soze Foundation, TaskForce, and Invisible Hand Artist + Activist Relief Fund
- Sweet Relief Musicians Fund
- Musicians Foundation Fund
Opportunities
- Boise City Department of Arts & History Open Opportunities - Including Online/Virtual Opportunities!
- Americans for the Arts: COVID-19 Impact Survey for Organizations
- Americans for the Arts: COVID-19 Impact Survey for Artists
- Blue Review: Call for COVID-19 Stories
Articles & Materials
- American Alliance of Museums: 13 Tips for Working Remotely
- American Alliance of Museums: Resources & Information for the Museum Field
- American Alliance of Museums: Lessons from History: Museums and Pandemics
- Field Services Alliance Tips: Collections Care During COVID-19
- Peak Experience Lab: Empathetic Audience Engagement During The Apocalypse
- Howlround Theatre Commons: Panel: Artists In a Time of Global Pandemic (ASL & Captioned)
- ArtPlace America: This Is What We Train For
- Artwork Archive: Strategies for Running an Art Business During COVID-19
- The Creative Independent: A guide for financial survival during the COVID crisis
More Resource Lists
- Idaho Commission on the Arts COVID-19: Info & Resources for Artists/Arts Orgs
- National Endowment for the Arts COVID-19 Resources for Artists & Arts Organizations
- Preservation Leadership Forum: Resources in Response to the Coronavirus
- National Coalition for Arts' Preparedness & Emergency Response
- Alliance of Artists Communities Emergency Relief Programs
- COVID-19 & Freelance Artists: Freelance Artist Resources
- Springboard for the Arts: Coronavirus Resources for Artists, Creative Workers & Organizations
- Springboard for the Arts: Emergency Relief Resources for Individuals
- Springboard for the Arts: Emergency Resources for Organizations
- Poets & Writers Resources for Writers in the Time of Coronavirus
- ActorsFund.org Resources
- Artwork Archive: Financial Relief Resources for Artists During COVID-19
- Poets.org Resources for Poets & Poetry Organizations
If you are aware of other resources or information that could be added to this list, please email us at artsandhistory@cityofboise.org.