Arts & Culture
Seeing Is Believing Magic Valley Arts Scene enhanced by devotion to visual arts
The eyes have it when it comes to arts throughout Southern Idaho, with facilities and organizations dedicated to promoting, preserving and enhancing the visual arts.
Herrett Center for Arts and Science As if all that wasn’t enough, there’s the one-stop cultural and historical extravaganza of the Herrett Center for Arts and Science on the main campus of the College of Southern Idaho. The museum’s main purpose is education, and it collects, preserves, interprets and exhibits anthropological artifacts and natural history specimens, focusing on the prehistoric American continents. And while the natural history galleries offer plenty to see, the Herrett also looks to the skies with the Faulkner Planetarium and Centennial Observatory. The Faulkner is the largest planetarium theater in Idaho, seating 144 people under a 50-foot dome. It has a Digistar II digital graphics projection system, one of the most advanced in the country. The Herrett also hosts special and traveling exhibits throughout the year, so there’s always something new to see. – Joe Morris
Twin Falls Center for the Arts
Leading the charge is the Magic Valley Arts Council, which works to promote arts and cultural experiences throughout the greater Twin Falls area. It acts as an umbrella for many different groups, and is able to help projects large and small go from idea to reality. One such success is the Canyon Rim Public Art Project, which saw the placement of a major sculpture at the Perrine Bridge Trail View Point. Then there’s the Arts on Tour program, which features nine performing arts productions at the College of Southern Idaho over a season that runs from September through May. The council’s other programs include Kids Art in the Park, the Missoula Children’s Theater, 2nd Century Photo Contest, the Brown Bag Lectures in conjunction with the Twin Falls Public Library, the Summer Chalk Walk at the Municipal Band Concerts and the First Friday gallery opening events that take place every other month, beginning in February, annually. Best of all, the council is working to make its presence even more permanent with the new Twin Falls Center for the Arts. The facility will be on the Canyon Rim, and will include a small performance venue, multipurpose classroom space, an outdoor plaza with performance area and exhibit space throughout the building. It will also feature a new restaurant, and professional office space for lease.
Jeff Adkins
Magic Valley Arts Council
Schafly on Site, a piece by John Killmaster, on display at the Herrett Center for Arts and Science in Twin Falls
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