Kehinde Wiley,  The World Stage:  Israel

June 22 – October 27, 2013

One of the most significant young artists today, Kehinde Wiley (American, b. 1977) is known for his vibrant, large-scale paintings of black urban men rendered in the self-confident, empowered poses typical of classical European portrait painting.  The World Stage:  Israel is part of the artist’s series exploring the global black diaspora and the international phenomenon of urban youth culture.  Paintings in The World Stage: Israel are based on photographs the artist took of men of diverse religions and ethnicities living in Israel. The elaborate decorative backgrounds are based on historical Jewish designs and motifs. The portraits are complemented by a selection of Jewish textiles and works on paper to provide examples of the types of traditional artifacts that inspired Wiley. On loan from the Ahavath Beth Israel synagogue in Boise and the Skirball Museum, Skirball Cultural Center, Los Angeles, the objects include Torah ark curtains, a marriage contract, and papercuts.

Organized by the Boise Art Museum

Sponsored by the Laura Moore Cunningham Foundation
with additional support provided by

IMAGE: Kehinde Wiley, Alios Itzhak (The World Stage: Israel), 2011, oil and enamel on canvas, 115" x 80", The Jewish Museum, New York, Purchase: Gift of Lisa and Steven Tananbaum Family Foundation; Gift in honor of Joan Rosenbaum by the Contemporary Judaica, Fine Arts, Photography, and Traditional Judaica Acquisitions Committee Funds, 2011-31

More about Kehinde Wiley >>

Lisa Kokin

October 5, 2013 – April 27, 2014

For the past two decades, Lisa Kokin has been at the forefront of an emerging new art form:  the artist’s book.  Through preservation and destruction, she utilizes book spines and covers by disguising and weaving them into colorful wall installations.  The artist pushes her medium beyond the customary use.  Sewing, stapling, riveting, shredding, pulping, gluing and reconstituting books salvaged from such sources as recycling centers, Kokin repurposes the discarded books into works woven with text and image that cast intricate shadows onto the walls.  The branch shapes make reference to the origins of the books as trees or plant fibers.     Lisa Kokin received her BFA (1989) and MFA (1991) from the California College of Arts in Oakland, California.

Organized by the Boise Art Museum

IMAGE: Lisa Kokin, Lost River (detail), thread, wire, book pages
from Lost River Buckaroos, 75" x 51" x 12"

2013 IDAHO TRIENNIAL

November 16, 2013 - April 27, 2014

Idaho’s premiere exhibition opportunity for Idaho artists, this juried exhibition features the best of Idaho art in a variety of media.  Held every three years, the Triennial is a statewide, juried art exhibition that reflects the quality and diversity of artwork being created in Idaho. The 2013 Idaho Triennial will be documented with a catalogue highlighting the selected artists and their artworks.

Sponsored by the
J.R. Simplot Company Foundation
and Holland & Hart, LLP

Anna Fidler: Vampires and Wolf Men

February 1, 2014 – May 25, 2014

A long-term fascination with horror films inspires Anna Fidler's powerful portraits of imagined denizens of the night, vampires and wolf men.  Based on photographic portraits of early residents of Oregon, Fidler’s monumental scrolls are reminiscent of topographical maps and informed by ancient superstition as well as contemporary pop culture.  The artist intricately works the surfaces of her drawings with fine contour lines using colored pencil, micaceous iron oxide paint, and thin acrylic washes.   

Organized by the Boise Art Museum

IMAGE: Anna Fidler, Henry Pittock, 99" x 72”, acrylic, colored
pencil on paper, 2012. Courtesy of the artist.

Crafting A Continuum:
Rethinking the Contemporary Craft Field

May 17 – August 10, 2014

Established and emerging artists who are the driving force
behind the model of rethinking craft are featured in this exhibition showcasing more than 60 ceramics, wood and fiber works from The Arizona State University Art Museum and Ceramic Research Center. These works reflect current trends in the contemporary craft field both nationally and internationally, with artists and leaders such as Akio Takamori, Philip Moulthrop, Dorothy Gill Barnes, Matthias Pliessnig, Anders Ruhwald and Alison Elizabeth Taylor. 

Organized by the Arizona State University Art Museum and Ceramics Research Center and curated by Associate Director and Senior Curator Heather Sealy Lineberry and Curator of Ceramics Peter Held with assistance from Windgate Curatorial Fellow Elizabeth Kozolowski.

Folding Paper:
The Infinite Possibilities of Origami

October 24, 2015 – January 17, 2016

Folding Paper is a groundbreaking exhibition that explores the history of folding and the evolution of origami from craft to fine art.  Works by 43 master folders from around the world – from countries as diverse as Japan, the United States, Uruguay and Russia – showcase the power and potential of contemporary origami.  In these artists’ hands, paper is a medium for endless creativity.  These spectacular works illustrate origami’s transformation into a form of artistic, scientific and spiritual expression.

Folding Paper is curated by Meher McArthur and tour organized by the Japanese American National Museum, Los Angeles, and International Arts & Artists, Washington, DC.  The exhibition was generously supported by the E. Rhodes & Leona B. Carpenter Foundation

Sponsored by the Laura Moore Cunningham Foundation