BOISE — Work continued Thursday on a first-of-its-kind mural in downtown Boise. Soon the final product at the intersection of 8th and Fulton streets will look a lot more colorful.
On a traffic note, the intersection of 8th and Fulton is expected to be closed through Friday.
The mural is being painted directly on the roadway surface and features a colorful pattern of blues and greens, two colors the art team feels represents Idaho’s beauty.
Mural being painted on Boise intersecton
In Dec. 2016, the Ada County Highway District gave the city of Boise permission to conduct a pilot project to paint intersections as a temporary public art project that enhances the sense of place and engages the community.
As a first-of-its-kind public art project in Ada County, the mural will serve as an experiment with the intent of developing a program model for other possible intersection murals across the city.
The city will run the process from installation to removal for a period of one year, during which data will be collected to gauge the impact of the artwork on both pedestrian and vehicular traffic, material longevity and durability, and process for implementation and removal.
Organizers say the design will serve as a pulse point along the 8th Street corridor and hopes to offer an exciting perspective to passersby.
Local artist Jason Keeble and his team from trademark studio are excited to work on this unique project.
"It's kind of fun to do something that is going to be on the ground for a while, we hope. People can enjoy it as they ride their bikes over it or drive over it or whatever they are doing," said Keeble.
Keeble was selected through a competitive call to artists process in April 2017.
The team was provided a total project budget of $9,000 to cover design, materials, labor, permitting and traffic control coordination.
The project is being made possible through collaboration with the Boise City Department of Arts & History and ACHD with funding support from the Capital City Development Corporation.