Idaho Falls Art Installation Invitational
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I propose an annual public event called the Idaho Falls Art Installation Invitational or maybe just a catchier Idaho Installation Invitational (IFAII, or III). It would be an annual event where the city and local businesses pitch in to commission an artist to visit Idaho Falls and build a public art installation.
Art intallations are multimedia sculptures, but differ because they usually are temporary. Sometimes art installations are conceptual and designed to engage viewers minds and opinions (often controversial and so generate lots of debate). Sometimes art installations are created just for the sheer beauty of what happens, like wrapping buildings in shiny fabric. Imagine how beautiful the Idaho Falls Mormon Temple, the Taylor Pedestrian Bridge, or the water tower would look wrapped in sheen fabric?
The commissioned art installations could be created indoors if a particular interior space works best for the artist’s conception. However, it would be better to encourage more artists to construct their installations outdoors in public view, and within the Idaho Falls city limits.
An art installation invitational would be great for Idaho Falls not just for the increased culture, but also since installations are temporary they bring in lots of tourists for the short period of existence. That ought to get local businesses interested in supporting this idea.
The most famous installation artist is Christo and Jean-Claude, who’s installations attract millions of visitors. Obviously attracting this famous pair to create an art installation in Idaho Falls would be a coup for our little city. This is a directory of other famous installation artists we might invite. I am sure there are several local artists who would become interested in this opportunity, and could submit proposals also.
I think Christo’s installation schedule would work out well for Idaho Falls, to leave these public art displays up for two weekends. I listened to a lecture from Christo, and his reasoning was that sometimes people just cannot get off work or have an important event (i.e. wedding) on particular weekends. So to make the installation most accessible, it is best to cover two full weekends.
This event obviously needs to be timed for good weather, and our springs are too volatile. Late July or August could work, but I think early September would be best. Part of the event then could include the invited artists giving seminars to a few local schools, which would be great art exposure and inspiration to our local youth. Precedence for this idea comes from Moscow’s annual Lionel Hampton Jazz Festival, where the invited musicians teach numerous seminars to local school kids the week of the festival.
So this event would put Idaho Falls on the international art radar, would bring in many tourists to our local economy at an annual time when tourism is decreasing, and would give our youth unique artistic exposure and inspiration. The actual art would be impermanent, so there would (hopefully) be little debate or few people getting offended.
Mostly I think it would just be a neat tradition for Idaho Falls to do. What do you think?
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0 I still think this is a neat idea. If we bring in an artist to create a temporary art installation, they should also give a speech/lecture on their concept.
I think I like this idea mostly because it would expose Idaho Falls to new ideas on a regular basis. Having temporary public art installations exposes the new ideas to more people than a regular gallery show.
What artist(s) would you invite?
What kind of installation might you try?
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Isn’t this the time of the Youth Jamboree, or whatever it’s called. It’s the Arts Council week where they do things on the greenbelt. I may have the date wrong. I like the idea, but would have to see if it could be a different weekend than the Duckies and the Arts Council stuff, or find a way to blend one of the weekends into what is already going on here.
Is the Duckie race on your links? Probably Chamber of Comm., Rotary Club etc. would have the date, or Arts Council.
Good idea overall.