Community Calendar

Join us for an evening with Tara Karr Roberts for a lively discussion about her beautiful debut novel Wild and Distant Seas. The conversation will be led by Steven Olsen-Smith, Professor Emeritus of English Literature at Boise State University, followed by a Q&A with the audience and a book signing.

The event celebrates Wild and Distant Seas as a 2026 Idaho Great Reads selection. The book was chosen by the Idaho Center for the Book to be featured along with Great Reads selections from across the country at the Library of Congress National Book Festival on August 22 in Washington, D.C.

Wild and Distant Seas is a brilliant debut novel by Moscow, Idaho-based author Tara Karr Roberts. Inspired by Moby-Dick, Roberts spins a spellbinding epic all her own based on a minor character in Melville’s classic work. In a journey that crosses continents and eventually leads to Idaho, this gorgeous work of historical fiction follows four generations of women as they navigate memory, motherhood, and the power to chart their own futures. This title has earned awards in 2025 from the Idaho Library Association and the Pacific Northwest Booksellers Association.

Tara Karr Roberts is a freelance writer and newspaper columnist. She is a lifelong Idahoan who grew up along the Pend Oreille River and now lives in Moscow, Idaho, with her family.

Steven Olsen-Smith is Professor Emeritus of English Literature at Boise State University. He is the founding editor of Melville's Marginalia Online, a scholarly archive of the author's reading, and has published extensively on Moby-Dick and other writings by Herman Melville.

This event was made possible with support from the Institute of Museum and Library Services and the Chief Officers of State Library Agencies.

Free to the public! Watch Boise Best Comics work and hone their craft! Free Free Free! Comics Sign ups at 8:30pm show at 9pm!

Date and Time: On Tue, 08 Sep 2026 at 8:00 pm to 9:45 pm

Venue details: Liquid Lounge, 405 South 8th Street, Boise, Idaho, 83702, United States

Category: Arts | Performing Arts | Comedy

Artists: LJ Sullivan, Reese Samuels, Saul Berman, Max Knudson, Dustin Chalifoux, Aleko Simba, Derek Hayden, Dad Jokes Dawayne , Resheed Jellio

For the first time ever, Idaho Botanical Garden is welcoming a traveling exhibition, transforming pathways, gardens, and gathering spaces into an immersive outdoor adventure. Woodland Wonders features 21 larger-than-life woodland creatures and botanical sculptures, inviting guests of all ages to explore a world of art tucked among the beauty of the Garden.

Wander through the landscape and discover towering foxes, a curious owl, a graceful deer, colorful pollinators, and other whimsical creations inspired by the natural world. Around every bend, you’ll find a new opportunity to pause, look closer, and experience nature through the lens of art.

This six-week introductory nature journaling workshop for adults will meet on certain Wednesday mornings at the Garden City Library from July 1 to September 16, 2026.

Please be available to attend all 6 classes

Each 1.5 hour session will include instruction indoors, followed by outdoor sketching, writing, and recording about nature observations and explanations, then indoor/outdoor sharing of experiences. The classes are designed to enhance nature connection and build a community of nature journalers.

The first class will include an introduction to phenology wheels, a creative way to document seasonal changes. Additional sessions will include an introduction to nature journaling techniques, and then a focus each week on using words, pictures, and numbers on your journal pages.

Participants will be encouraged to focus on one of the five senses (seeing, hearing, smelling, touching) each week too, as well as considering their experience of birds, flowers, insects, and trees. The last class will end in a celebratory conclusion while enjoying the final sense (tasting!).

The course is suitable for adults and seniors of all skill levels. Please commit to attending all six classes if you register.

You don't need to be an artist or a naturalist to begin - you can learn nature journaling and practice these skills anywhere, anytime - and develop your own personal style over time. Let's get started!

The class is limited to 10 participants to ensure maximum attention. Some supplies will be provided (sketchbook, pens and colored pencils) but you are also welcome to bring your own. Handouts will be provided, as well as additional resources. 

Lamont Lyons states: When I go out with my camera, I don’t ask myself what can I take a photograph of, but rather what I will be given. Minor White, a noted photographer and teacher, said “One should not only photograph things for what they are, but for what else they are”. Often, I see in my mind’s eye something very different from the ordinary view. I might compose from a different angle; I might imagine it in high contrast black and white or with colors manipulated in unexpected ways. In the end, the photograph becomes something seen differently or ‘for what else it is’. It is a whole in itself. It does not require interpretation of explanation, leaving plenty of room for ambiguity and wonder. As you view each photograph in this exhibition, I invite you to just be there with it. Be still. Live with it a few moments. Perhaps you will feel the joy I felt while making it.

In her artist statement, Stephanie Orton states: After emerging from a nine month major depressive episode, I created this body of work in response to my mother’s rapid decline from Parkinson’s Disease. September 7th 2025 was her first stroke; and her subsequent death occurred on February 22nd 2026. Studying Revelations per her recommendation, and Genesis, I read Homer’s The Odyssey, and I blasted Ozzy Osborne while creating work in my Boise studio, The Yamada. Using Historical, Biblical, Lunar, and floral iconography, I created the paintings. Allegorical Revelations proclaims a blood moon which happened 02/17/2026, and the lunar eclipse 03/03/2026. It also references angels. While visiting the Dry Creek Cemetery and found a statue of Gabriel which I recreated in oil. Tyrian Purple mixed with Damar varnish, I layered the works with the rarest color which dominates the series. Giving all works an eerie reddish tone, I introduced a new tone to my repertoire, whereas my past works have been subjugated by blues and grays. I scoured stamp collections, photographed the moon phases, amassed vintage postcards and Christian iconography assembling the imagery you will see in the exhibit.

Now & Then, Idaho celebrates the remarkable career of John Killmaster, one of Idaho's most influential artists. Spanning more than five decades, the exhibition traces the evolution of his practice through expressive landscapes, bold abstract paintings, and pioneering vitreous enamel works synonymous with his artistic legacy.
Bringing together works from across more than fifty years of artistic exploration, Now & Then, Idaho offers a rare opportunity to experience the breadth of Killmaster's career and the enduring curiosity that has defined it.
The exhibition celebrates an artist who continues to evolve his practice at 91 years of age, inspiring audiences through his innovation, craftsmanship, and unmistakable sense of place.

Opening Reception is on September 9, 2026 4 PM to 8 PM at Idaho Art Gallery in Downtown Meridian
On View: September 01-26, 2026

FREE & OPEN TO THE PUBLIC

Learn the ins and outs of throwing on the wheel, or use your registration to utilize our space and resources. Perfect for beginner, intermediate, and advanced potters alike. Even if you don't need guidance, there will be a Cat Clay staff member available in all sessions to provide support and answer questions!

Living with Death was created by the End-of-Life Doulas of Idaho to help the community have education, conversation and support about living and dying. It's always an evening of open discussion and practical insights. The topic changes each month. Come join us for an open, honest conversation.

Join us every Wednesday in the Boise Brewing taproom for trivia with Geeks Who Drink, hosted by Professor Truman. Stretch those brain muscles and test your knowledge of random trivia facts, including music and film clip rounds! Plus, you have a chance to win beer in every round! Top 3 finishing teams each week receive Boise Brewing gift certificates.