Idaho Art Lab offers unique opportunities to local and visiting artists

By Moses Fox

ST. ANTHONY — The Idaho Art Lab is home to the artists of Southeast Idaho. Since 2010, the Art Lab has been an integral part of the local artistic community. They have fostered and taught the next generation of Idahoan artists, welcoming and nurturing any talent they can. No matter their level of skill, everyone is welcome.

They offer on-demand classes for a broad range of pursuits—lapidary (gem faceting and polishing), sculpting, pottery, painting, and photography are just the beginning. The Lab is still expanding their classes with new curriculums for 3D printing and silver smithing in development.

Aside from their classes, they host events ranging from painting excursions in Yellowstone National Park, to art exhibitions and workshops led by visiting artists. Every year, the Idaho Art Lab hosts a plein air retreat in Yellowstone, where participants stay at Lamar Buffalo Ranch in the Lamar Valley. There, they receive instruction while learning to recreate the iconic scenes originally painted by Thomas Moran.

The most notable program the Art Lab runs is a residency program, which brings in artists from all over the world—from Hollywood special effects and sculptor Don Lanning to

college professors from Idaho State University and Brigham Young University-Idaho. These artists are hosted and housed by the Art Lab, where they teach master classes in their chosen subject. This program not only provides teaching to anyone who registers, but also gives the artist time, space, and materials to work on their own projects. Two local creators, Daniel Borup and Sharon Lewis, have utilized this resource and taught master classes for the community.

The Idaho Art Lab also hosts an 8-week art gallery and exhibition twice a year, in March and September, where local artists can display and sell their work. This is an incredible opportunity for artists to display their work and for the community to support their local artists.

The Idaho Art Lab offers tools and workspace rentals for artists looking for a place to gather, collaborate, and enhance their work. The founders explained, “It's knowledge, it’s sharing, and everybody has something to give, and what we give our artists is the close proximity to Yellowstone National Park, which provides a new experience for them.”

The Lab plans to expand its program into an art campus, where experts and learners can lodge, collaborate, and share knowledge.

If you’re interested in learning to paint, sculpt, throw clay, or any number of artistic pursuits, contact the Idaho Art Lab to find the perfect class for you. If you are an artist seeking a creative community and place to practice, the Lab is where you’ll find fellow artists you never knew existed.