Be Inspired

Music concerts, summer theater and art festivals...these are some of our favorite things of the season.

“We have a diverse population, and people very much enjoy seeing what others have to offer,” said Gay Glasson, Events Coordinator for the Coeur d’Alene Downtown Association. “We have a strong arts community who like to show their wares.”

And this summer is chock-full of events. There are Art Walks, street fairs and Art on the Green, to name a few.

Coeur d’Alene Downtown Association

On the second Friday of each month, come do the Art Walk on Sherman Avenue, and see what the galleries have to offer. This is when art galleries show off their latest exhibits, many of them offering food and drinks to their visitors. The Art Walk, organized in conjunction with the Coeur d’Alene Arts and Cultural Alliance, is from 5 to 8pm. Every month a new gallery is featured – this month’s is The Painter’s Chair Gallery.

There is also the Annual Downtown Street Fair which coincides with Art on the Green, July 31 through August 2. This will be their 24th year. There will be somewhere between 220 and 250 outdoor vendors from Northwest Boulevard and Lakeside up to 7th Avenue with various musicians and bands on street corners.

“There are mosaic tile table next to chain saw art, wine sachets, loose leaf teas … to area businesses such as Edward Jones,” said Glasson.

Coeur d’Alene Arts & Culture Alliance

The Coeur d’Alene Arts & Culture Alliance organizes a variety of artistic events. Among them is Arts Buzz, held the first Friday morning of the month at the Chamber of Commerce to discuss monthly art events. They also organize Music for the Wise, which brings musical performances to assisted living facilities in the area.

The group also organizes the Global Summer Concert Series every Tuesday from 6 to 8pm at 316 Sherman Avenue. Enjoy anything from Rock ‘n’ Roll, Big Band, Irish and Blues. Check out their calendar at www.artsincda.org for specific dates of other weekly music venues, such as Live After 5, Downtown Coeur d’Alene Sherman Square Park Concerts, Coeur d’Alene City Park Bandshell Concerts and Boardwalk Marina Live Music and Wine Tasting.

Art on the Green

This is the festival’s 47th year where close to 200 artists from all over the United States come to show their talents and works. More than 50,000 people visit the event held on North Idaho College’s campus by Lake Coeur d’Alene. Five hundred volunteers help run the event sponsored by the Citizens’ Council for the Arts. Its proceeds go to a number of art programs, such as ArtShop, which benefits area students in a workshop the week before the festival.

The festival is a tradition for many people because it’s an excellent family venue. The festival boasts two music stages numerous food booths. And it’s the highlight of the summer for many of us.

Taste of the Coeur d’Alene

This event overlaps with Art on the Green and the Annual Downtown Street Fair and is organized by the Idaho Panhandle Kiwanis. It runs August 1 to August 3 at the City Park. There will be more than 100 vendors, live music, children’s activities and a beer garden that includes area craft breweries.

Coeur d’Alene Arts Commission

The Coeur d’Alene Arts Commission is in charge of the city’s beautification projects. Some of its more obvious projects are displayed around the downtown area.

The Arts Commission promotes artistic work through several programs. For example, the ArtCurrents program calls for artists to display their sculptures outside in downtown Coeur d’Alene for one year. The next round of artists will be displayed in August, said Sean Holm, Arts Commission Liaison.

There is also the Utility Beautification Program where artists apply to have their artwork displayed on utility boxes around the city. The artwork is scanned and printed, and the utility boxes are wrapped with it. This year, the artwork of two student artists will be displayed. “It’s a great program,” Holm said. He said they get many calls from other cities about how to do the program.

Also in the pipeline is a sculpture to be unveiled to honor Chief Morris Antelope. It will be placed close to where tribes used to congregate to trade. The sculpture was made possible by the Arts Commission, the Coeur d’Alene Tribe and North Idaho College.

“All three came together to create this great work of art,” he said.

The arts in Coeur d’Alene are alive and well and are coming at us full blast. Come enjoy them with your fellow neighbors!

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