ENTRY D

Public Art Tour Field Trip

The class met at the city hall for an abbreviated, yet guided, tour of public art in Boise. We looked at public art in various different settings ranging from the wall of city hall to graffiti in an alleyway. The works were explained by our guide in addition to a reiteration of the importance of public art. On this trip I learned that Boise actually does have a public art program, which I had previously taken for granted.

Integration Ideas

• This tour could easily be incorporated into a social studies class lesson featuring the functioning of city government.
• Much of the art is inspired by Idaho history, making this a legitimate field trip for students studying that topic.
• Nature and wildlife is heavily emphasized in a lot of the city's public art which is very relevant to science for the children.
• The art in the city's collection is also inspired by various cultures which are prominent in the community. This could be a great opportunity to help students explore the social aspects of their society.