On the first Thursday of every month, downtown Boise transforms into a community hub. Businesses on every corner open their doors with special events, featuring local artists and discounted prices, and locals and newcomers alike are given the special opportunity to explore the city’s new and long-time businesses with Idaho roots.
The event began as an art crawl, but over the years First Thursday began inviting retail spaces, restaurants and hotels to participate in their own way. Organizers say a core value of the event and several participating businesses is providing an affordable chance to get to know downtown Boise.
“There is a heart and a soul in [downtown Boise] that there isn’t in other places,” JW Robb, activation manager at Downtown Boise Association, the nonprofit organization that hosts the monthly event, said. “[First Thursday] offers an opportunity to come explore downtown Boise in a world where people are a lot more economically challenged.”
First Thursday recently began assigning different themes each month. September’s theme is in tandem with the Boise Art Museum’s yearly Art in the Park event. The Downtown Boise Association is hosting a live painting session featuring local artists in the Grove Plaza with Boise Art Museum.
“There are new things going on downtown all the time,” Robb said, “even if you went 20 years ago, 10 years ago, last month, it’s going to be different.”
Nelli Garibyan’s Idaho Art Gallery, on the corner of Idaho and Capitol, features a new artist every month for First Thursday.
In September, visitors will have the pleasure of seeing Martha Channing in the solo showcase room. Channer’s showcase – Archaeology: Hidden Treasures – is a “mixed media immersive exhibition that explores symbolism, mythology, and the hidden landscape through the unconscious,” Garibyan explained.
“I feel really, really fortunate to get to meet and know these [artists]. They’re so creative and they’re so deep,” Garibyan said, “They’re lovely people and I get to help them try to propel their career forward and it’s kind of a gift – a gift I didn’t know I wanted or needed.”
Garibyan wants her gallery to make art accessible and affordable, inviting customers to view art with no entry fee.
“My hope during First Thursday [is that] people feel like they’re part of a community,” Garibyan said, “I think art is really important. There’s a lot of things happening in the world that are ugly and I think art can turn that around,”
Just down the street, Randy Van Dyck, owner and operator of Capitol Contemporary Gallery, remembers when First Thursday was simply an art crawl. As a long-time Boise resident, Van Dyck experienced the event from every perspective — a business owner, an artist and a customer.
“It was cool to grow it into something that was much bigger than just a gallery walk, [but] I’ve always thought of it as an art walk. I’ve never thought of it as anything else,” Van Dyck said. “It allows people to come in and go through a gallery without feeling any pressure.”
For September’s First Thursday, Capitol Contemporary will feature artists Linda Williams and Anne Peterson. Peterson is known for abstract, colorful work, while Williams art focuses on landscapes as well as the interiors and exteriors of many downtown businesses.
“[Linda Williams] does some really amazing work of restaurants, businesses and landscape work,” Van Dyck said. “[They are] two of the sweetest, kindest artists you will ever meet.”
Van Dyck hopes First Thursday allows longtime art lovers and newcomers alike to enjoy high quality art, keep the artistic spirit alive and give local artists a chance to showcase their work outside of their studios.
For those more interested in creating art, Lenses & Brushes is an art and photography studio on Eighth and Broad that opens its doors for First Thursday.
The owner, Heidi Cabrera, describes the studio as “a hub for film photography, digital photography and painting.” Additionally, her business acts as a retail space with cameras and film for sale as well as a public rentable darkroom in Boise.
“I really want people to have a space where it’s not about perfection,” Cabrera said, “It’s about community. It’s about making something, trying something new.”
Cabrera hopes that Lenses & Brushes will allow Boise artists to find a community space to both create and view art. In September, her business will feature local photographer and artist Chris Collins for First Thursday.
“He does a lot of different mediums,” Cabrera said, “[he does] film photography, he makes zines, he has patches and different things that he sells.”
Cabrera tries to stray away from rigid guidelines or formats when she features artists, making each experience a little different.
The art crawl turned cultural touchstone invites crowds of artists, business owners and customers alike to engage in downtown life at the beginning of each month – creating an affordable and welcoming atmosphere in downtown Boise.
