Arts & Culture

Many businesses and organizations are being greatly impacted by the coronavirus pandemic, as they’ve had to close their doors as part of the push to social distance.

Season 5 is here, and boy have we missed you all. These are _____ times, friends. (weird, sad, scary — fill in the blank.) If you're looking for some sense of normalcy, then tag along to Garden Valley where Joel & LD compile a team of elite* athletes to compete in a cutthroat* winter sport: snolfing.

(*Because this is Joel & LD we're talking about, nothing they do is elite or cutthroat — more like severely average and kinda cute.)

Today we’re looking ahead to the end of 2020 and into next year, as we dream about enjoying the arts. For years now, The Morrison Center has hosted “Broadway in Boise.” The upcoming season was just announced, which will feature "Hamilton," "Cats" and several more well-known musicals. 

Running out of things to do all cooped up at home? You’re in luck: Boise State Public Radio's Morning Edition host (and resident film critic) George Prentice joins Idaho Matters to share his suggestions for must-see movies to watch in quarantine. 

Even with the coronavirus outbreak taking up most of the news, Idaho Matters wants to continue bringing listeners some lighter stories. 

Joining the show today is Sarah Kornfield Kelly, the chef and owner of Boise’s Petite 4 restaurant, who also happens to be a 2020 semi-finalist in the chef category for the James Beard Awards (basically, the Oscars for chefs!). 

The need to connect and be able to continue to share stories with each other during this time of social isolation is critical and vital to so many of us. So Boise's Story Story Night has worked quickly to take its stage show – with an audience of upwards of 300 people – to a webinar that will continue to feature storytellers mixed with a community slam.

  For close to three decades the Boise Blues Society, a volunteer non-profit organization, has been bringing blues music to the Treasure Valley with the main goal of inspiring and educating youth through the power of music. 

Treefort Music Fest was set to kick off next week. The 5-day multi-genre festival usually happens right after SXSW in Austin and brings 20,000 fans of music, technology, film, yoga and more to downtown Boise. 

Beginning in 1978, in the wake of Title IX, the notion of young women competing in college basketball at a high level was barely a blip on anyone’s radar. That was when Robin Selvig at the University of Montana took the women’s basketball team and made it his life’s work. 

This interview originally aired Dec. 18, 2019. 

Most people today will walk around with a smartphone in their pocket, giving people access to worldwide communication, internet access, and computing power that was unfathomable even 20 years ago. However, smartphones have also given access to high quality cameras to everyone. Mountain West News Bureau reporter Madelyn Beck investigates the impact of this technological improvements on the photography industry.

The James Castle House hosts artists of various backgrounds around the year. Named after the self-taught artist who lived in the home in the early to mid-20th century, the house allows current-day writers, painters, sculptors and more to break away from their daily return and focus deeply on a project. 

The internment of Japanese Americans in Idaho during World War II is a dark part of our history that’s inspired art and social criticism. This Thursday and Sunday, the Idaho State Museum in Boise will screen a documentary, called “Bamboo and Barbed Wire,” on the Minidoka camp in South Central Idaho.

We know about the delegates back in 1889 who wrote Idaho’s constitution. But who actually wrote it down, putting pen to paper to capture it for posterity?

Since the 1930s, the Boise Art Museum has been committed to showcasing local Idaho artists. Every three years, the museum selects a couple dozen Idaho artists — not limited by medium —for a special exhibit. 

While we're putting together the next season of You Know The Place, we thought you might enjoy a YKTP-inspired project hosted by a 7-year-old superfan, his dad, and his baby brother.

Season 5 drops Thursday, April 2! Keep your eyes (and ears) out!

Idaho’s largest and oldest performing arts organization is changing leadership. Laura Reynolds is the Boise Philharmonic’s new executive director, and joins Idaho Matters to talk about her new position. 

Idaho Dance Theater is prepping for its latest performance. Coming up this week, the performance, called Vigor, will focus on active strength and energy of the body and the mind. Marla Hansen is the artistic director and joins Idaho Matters to talk more about the show. 

Have a question or comment for the show? Tweet @KBSX915 using #IdahoMatters

We’re excited to share the most recent episode of our podcast Wanna Know Idaho. The podcast explores the curious elements of life in Idaho… with you, our listeners!

This interview orginally aired Dec. 19, 2019

Les Bois Film Festival is returning to Boise this weekend. The event, which is locally produced, features films about conservation and the outdoors. 

Most of us have some piece of art we love but never got around to hanging. It sits in storage, inspiring guilt and is never fully appreciated. 

The art of gun engraving is alive and well in eastern Idaho thanks to a few dedicated cowboys. 

One of the highlights of Idaho’s entertainment calendar is the Sun Valley Film Festival, which continues to attract a combination of movie fans, Oscar-winning filmmakers and emerging actors and directors.