BOISE, Idaho — This article originally appeared in the Idaho Press.
As Boiseans bike and walk the Greenbelt during the warm summer months, it will be impossible to ignore the faces and symbols painted throughout the new mural inside the Eighth Street Tunnel.
The mural, E Pluribus Unum (Out of Many, One), was dedicated on Monday at Boise’s Anne Frank Memorial. The memorial is the only one of its kind in the United States and one of the few places that display the entire Universal Declaration of Human Rights, Public Art Program Manager Stephanie Johnson said.
The painting project started after anti-semitic graffiti was found in the tunnel in December 2021. That graffiti sent a signal of othering and exclusion: the opposite of belonging, Executive Director at Wassmuth Center for Human Rights Christina Bruce-Bennion said.
The graffiti, artist Addie Boswell said, was the destructive work of a moment — something her mural directly combats.
“Breaking glass is easy. Tearing things down is easy,” Boswell said. “This kind of work will never be broken by the work of moments. That gives me a lot of hope.”
Boswell painted the mural in a week using acrylic paint and with the help of around 60 local volunteers.
“Public art is so vitally important because of the democratic process,” Boswell said. “There were so many voices in this project all the way through. That’s really public art at its best.”
During her research process, Boswell was inspired by the AIDS Memorial Quilt, which now includes 50,000 panels dedicated to over 110,000 individuals. Like the quilt, this project’s goal was to try and help people see other perspectives — a tall order for any artist, Boswell said.
With that order in mind, the mural is unique to what Boswell has done in the past — while she has usually stayed away from using symbols in her art, this mural is covered in symbols and symbolism. A giant chestnut tree, a symbol of freedom, surrounds the tunnel ceiling as a reminder of one of the only things Anne Frank could see out her window for years, Boswell said. Every individual also has a ring of light around them — a representation that people all have something in common.
The American flag starts out as stars and stripes, and slowly turns into the Juneteenth flag. The symbol of the recovery and disability pride flag can also be seen on the tunnel’s cement walls.
“It’s about acceptance and inclusivity,” Boswell said. “In this case, the symbols seemed necessary because these are examples of things that people take pride in.”
Mayor Lauren McLean called Boswell’s art “experiential” because it is meant to change the understanding and experience of Boise. Creating stories and making art reminds people of who they are and this mural is meant to remind people about what Boise stands for, McLean said during the dedication.
“Everyone is welcome here,” McLean said.
This article originally appeared in the Idaho Press, read more on IdahoPress.com.
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