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FReak alley
ArtIstIc lAnDscApE Boise artists keep the cityscape vibrant anne henDerson Wander the streets of Boise, take a look in and through alleyways and parking garages, and you will find evidence of Boise’s growing public art collection. Boasting 45 projects in downtown alone, the collection could be expanded by including street art elements like the now-pervasive yarn bombs lining parking meters and bike racks. Who is behind these works of art? It turns out, in most cases, installing public art takes a concerted effort by artists, building owners, city officials and other community members. “My dad is Farmer Brown. So, as a kid, we were always doing hay rides, haunted houses, music. I have a passion for the arts, and I saw an opportunity where I could give back to the community,” said Seth Brown, owner of to entertain u, who helped organize the Idaho Building parking garage and Freak Alley mural projects. Brown said the success of the Freak Alley proj62 | AnnuAl MAnuAl 2012-2013 | boiseweekly
ect—which has filled the alley between eighth and Ninth streets and Bannock and Idaho streets with a colorful collage of murals painted by local artists—required support from the site’s management company, an understanding of the law and finding artists to participate. “We didn’t charge the artists anything. We got the art supplies donated, and through collaboration we were able to make it happen,” Brown said. Painting in the alley actually had its start nine or 10 years ago, he said. that was when colby Akers, an artist and taxi cab driver, asked about painting there. “Some people want to preserve the art that is in the garage and alley, so we are looking at additional locations to expand into rather than paint over what is there,” Brown explained. “We want to see change in Boise. We want to see it become more and more beautiful,” he said.
If you have wandered the alley, you have likely seen the work of Nicholas Burgdorf. Bright streaks of neon pink run through the rosy cheeks of a squinting girl, the centerpiece of the mural. “creating art out of nowhere and in front of people is fun,” Burgdorf said. “there is just something really exciting about being there.” Burgdorf said his interest in public art started years ago. “I used to live in Phoenix in my early 20s, and I’d seen live art there,” he said. When he moved to Boise, Burgdorf admits he had negative feelings about the art scene. “two years or so ago, I realized, ‘Why don’t I do this stuff myself?’” So Burgdorf began collaborating with friends to throw shows in bars and other unconventional settings. “I have a do-it-yourself way of thinking when approaching the Boise art scene; engagement is key,” WWW.b oI s EWEEk ly.com