Arts & Culture

On Monday, we were joined by Jodi Eichelberger, artistic director of Boise's storytelling arts organization Story Story Night. He told us about their summer season, named Story Story Late Night for its 21+ content, which kicked off Tuesday. 

Journalism, broadcasting and podcasting in Idaho has a big problem. The overwhelming majority of reporters, hosts and producers speak from one perspective: whiteness. 

Story Story Late Night — the adults-only version of Boise's storytelling arts organization — kicks off its summer season tomorrow. 

This latest theme will take you back to the good ol’ days of the old school B-movies. 

In the wake of the murder of George Floyd by Minneapolis police officers nearly one month ago, the conversation about race changed rapidly in the U.S. Calls for white people to educate themselves about systemic racism and how they benefit from it were brought to the forefront. And many white people who hadn’t engaged before seemed to listen.

For more than 20 years, the City of Boise’s Arts and History Department has offered grants to individuals and organizations big and small to fund projects that benefit the people who live in the city. Boise has expanded this program to grant $150,000 annually. But this year, because of the pandemic, they’re hosting two rounds of funding instead of one. This round will close on June 30. 

Today is the 155th anniversary of Juneteenth. The holiday commemorates the freedom of the last slaves in the nation, as news of the Emancipation Proclamation finally made its way to slaves in Texas two years after President Lincoln’s speech. This year, as calls for racial justice and an end to systemic racism ring across the country, the day has special significance to one Idaho family. 

This Saturday, June 20 is the 20th celebration of World Refugee Day, but because of the coronavirus, the Idaho Office for Refugees is opting for a virtual celebration to keep everyone safe. 

This isn't goodbye, it's see you later — yes, that's a wrap on Season 5, YKTPers. And we're sending you off with a little ditty that withstands the test of time: denim. It's durable. It's vintage. It's unassuming. Much like this local shop.

For nearly 100 years, the Scholastic Art & Writing Awards has been recognizing the creative work of high school students across America. Only sixteen students are chosen in the entire country, and this year, Moscow, Idaho's own Jieyan Wang won gold, and a $10,000 college scholarship. 

We know that there isn’t an industry that hasn’t been touched by the effects of the coronavirus pandemic. Arts organizations are in a serious predicament. With no live performances, many artists and companies are looking for other ways to share their art and make ends meet. 

Guided by evidential medium Kerry Ryan, LD & Joel get in touch with the high vibrations and contemplate why tragedy often inspires soul searching.

It’s been more than two months since many of us started staying home. Life has been different; there’s a different pace, a different rhythm. For the team at Boise State Public Radio, our domestic and family life has merged with our work lives. Our homes now double as our home studios and offices, and the members of our family (people and pets) have become our coworkers.

Most of the nation’s more than 5,500 indoor theaters have been closed since Mid-March. But with a little gas in the tank, you can still have a night out at a movie in southwest Idaho. It's a throw-back for some to the late 1950s, when the number of drive-in theaters peaked at nearly 4,500.

Movie theaters across Idaho have been closed since Gov. Brad Little’s stay-at-home order was put in place in March. Even though that order expired, movie theaters are in the last category of businesses that will open. If all goes according to plan and there aren’t significant spikes in the state’s coronavirus cases, screens will be able to reopen June 13. 

It was January 1863 when a Shoshone Tribe woke up to find U.S. Army troops outside their camp. By the end of the day, more than 350 Shoshone people were massacred in what is now southeast Idaho. 

This quaint single-family home in Caldwell is actually a complex Venn diagram of the following: music scene, skateboard scene, snowboard scene, art scene, civic scene ... and goat scene? And Joel & LD get to experience the magic hour.

A new collaboration between the City of Boise's Arts & History Department, the Morrison Center and Treefort Music Fest will give $1,000 to local artists working on projects related to their experience of COVID-19. The goal? To get money direclty into artist's hands with donations from the community, and to make sure this historic time is highlighted in the arts. 

Balloons are SO much more than clown props and party decorations, and by the end of this episode you’ll get why. Come along, friends, as LD and Joel get to know the Gigis, Stephanies, and Olivias of balloon art!

When the coronavirus began to spread in Idaho in March, folks who could retreated to their homes. But even with the governor’s stay-at-home order, getting outside for walks is something elected officials and health experts encourage folks to do. That inspired Boise artist Wendy Blickenstaff.

Boiseans might recognize her from her 2019 art installation “Open Air Archive” which pasted portraits of refugees and immigrants on the sides of buildings across Boise last spring. Now, artist Angie Smith is working on her latest photography project, “19 Love Stories,” which is documenting through photography the experiences of Boiseans during self-isolation. 

LD & Joel explore the "sober curiosity" movement via shrub shots, then get schooled on the mothers & daughters of SCOBYS. (Also, give Joel a hug next time you see him.)

Idaho artists and artistic organizations are feeling the punch of COVID-19, with cancelled shows and closed stages with no timeline for getting back on tour. Boise-based jazz musician Curtis Stigers has had to cancel all of his concert dates for the foreseeable future. However, with a new album out and with a lot more time on his hands, he’s been writing more and playing more. 

Nonprofit arts organizations are having to make difficult decisions these days. With performances out of the picture, how will they stay afloat? 

Between the technology and the logistics, transitioning quickly to work-from-home as a radio station is not easy. Community radio station Radio Boise has over one hundred radio programmers and DJs, which takes a lot of coordination, even in pre-pandemic times. 

This week, LD & Joel explore the labyrinth that is Buck's Bags. From saddle packs to cheer uniforms, NFL bags to pontoon boats, this place is low-key a big deal. And to think: it all started with the cape bag.