Native American Heritage Month’s history started in 1990 when President George H.W. Bush approved a joint resolution for November of that year to be “National American Indian Heritage Month”. Since 1994, the United States has made similar proclamations every year for November. But that’s not where it began. At the beginning of the 20th century, the annual Congress of the American Indian Association meeting approved a plan for a national American Indian Day. Then president Rev. Sherman Coolidge, an Arapahoe, issued a proclamation calling for the second Saturday in May to be American Indian Day. Within that proclamation was the first formal appeal for the United States to recognize natives as citizens. Today, many states recognize Columbus Day as Native American Day, but it is still not recognized as a national legal holiday. Idaho In the state of Idaho, there is a rich history of Native Americans dating back 10,000 years. It is projected that there were over 8,000 people living in the region. 2 distinct groups represented the people, The Great Basin Shoshone and the Bannock tribes of the Shoshone- Bannock, the Shoshone Paiute, and the three tribes from the Plateau region; Coeur d’Alene, Nez Perce, and Kootenai. The …
Hispanic Heritage Month
We are in the middle of Hispanic Heritage Month (September 15- October 15) and here in the Wood River Valley we’re continuously grateful for the Hispanic community and all that they bring to our valley.
Locals Guide to Art Galleries in Sun Valley
Ketchum local Rudi Broschofsky grew up with art—after all, his parents opened Broschofsky Galleries in 1987 when he was just 5 years old. Spending days in the gallery after school and helping with Gallery Walks enmeshed him in Ketchum’s art scene and gave him an appreciation for art that would last a lifetime. After becoming partnered into the gallery in 2005, Rudi moved to Portland for several years where he started his own street art gallery, Flat Blak, before moving back to Ketchum almost two years ago to take over the majority of day-to-day operations at Broshofsky Galleries. An artist himself, Rudi’s street art approach to western art can be seen in various spots around town like his “Roper” sculpture on Main and Fourth in Ketchum. As a lifelong local, artist, and gallery owner, Rudi is the best man in town to give you the 411 on Ketchum’s art gallery scene. How would you describe the gallery scene in this town generally? Rudi: I’d say the gallery scene here is better than most cities actually. A lot of people don’t realize the magnitude of the art scene here in Ketchum, it’s world-class and conveniently stuffed within a few short blocks. …
Sun Valley’s Diverse Arts & Culture Scene
You might not expect a small mountain town in the middle of Idaho to be an oasis of arts and culture, but then again Sun Valley is known for differing from expectations. Sun Valley is one of America’s top small towns for art. With more than a dozen galleries, several live theater companies, the lauded Writers’ Conference, the Sun Valley Film Festival, free summer symphony concerts in the Sun Valley Pavilion, and one of the West’s premier nonprofit arts organizations, the Sun Valley Museum of Art Sun Valley packs an enormous cultural punch for its size. Blogs and Videos Art Galleries and Museums Sun Valley has more art galleries and museums than you could see if you spent a whole year here! So we’ve added a direct link to the directory of them all below. Performing Arts From ballet to abstract improv, Sun Valley has a live performance to keep you entertained. Live Music Ketchum and Sun Valley have a variety of venues and get some great musicians as they stop in on their cross country tours. From big name concerts at the resort to the local favorite Ketch’em Alive free music every Tuesday in Forest Service Park there will …
Locals Guide to the Miscellany II
On Wednesdays, there is one thing that everyone in the Wood River Valley, no matter where they are, where they live, or where they work does: read the Mt. Express. This long-time local source of news not only catches one up on the past week’s highlights, but also features a fun, long-standing tradition: Miscellany II aka Misc II. It is like Craigslist and internet trolling long before the internet. A section of the newspaper where anyone can submit free, anonymous commentary, Misc II is a must-read for anyone looking to be kept in the loop on town happenings, drama, or missed connections. In 150 words or less, submitters espouse on topics as diverse as dog poop at trailheads to the status of local hotsprings to calling someone out (though without using any names—a rule of Misc. II). To get the real scoop behind this small, but mighty section, Visit Sun Valley spoke to two lifelong locals, Spencer Cordovano and Jacob Frehling. Cordovano was born in Ketchum and is the man behind F11 films through which he has made movies with notable clients such as Matador Network, Smith, the Sun Valley Film Festival, Dropbox, and more. Frehling is the owner of …
Most Instagrammable places in Sun Valley, Idaho
If you have ever visited the Sun Valley area, chances are there is at least one image of our breathtaking locale in your Instagram feed. Or maybe you haven’t visited yet but hashtags like #seeksunvalley on our @Instagram page have caught your attention and have drawn you into exploring this amazing place. Whether you are a seasoned visitor or a first timer, we complied a list of the must see places in and around Sun Valley to fill your Instagram feed with the best there is to offer. The Sun Valley Barn An icon of Sun Valley, many a photo has been taken in front of this barn and numerous reproductions of it in paintings and memorabilia have been made over the years. Located on Sun Valley Road between Ketchum and Sun Valley, the red barn is hard to miss. Built in the early 1880s, its thought that this barn used to service ore wagons that traveled Trail Creek Road. Speaking of, swing by the Ore Wagon Museum for some more history and to grab a few grams there too. Across Sun Valley Road from the barn is a stop many make to photograph the beautiful horses that are occasionally …
Sun Valley vs. Ketchum… What is the difference?
If you are just beginning your research about the area or maybe you’ve even visited a few times you might be wondering, “What is the difference between Sun Valley and Ketchum?” The short answer to that question is not a whole lot, but there is way more to the story and history of how these two came to be. Ketchum Lets start with Ketchum since it came first in history. Trappers were the first to venture here in 1824. But it wasn’t until the 1870s when prospectors begin to populate the valley in search of fortune. By the early 1880s, Ketchum was not only a booming mining town, but it also was famous for its healing hot springs. The Guyer Hot Springs Resort, located on Warm Springs Road, was popular with people from around the country for its mineral waters, croquet, tennis, and fun. By the end of 1884, Ketchum boasted 13 saloons, four restaurants, two hotels, and all types of businesses necessary for a thriving town. Originally named Leadville the town was renamed after David Ketchum, a trapper, guide, and one of the first permeant residents to set up near what is now modern day Giacobbi Square. The area …
Sun Valley Music Festival Winter Series
The Sun Valley Music Festival Winter Series has become a must-see winter event in the Wood River Valley. You’ll find a reinvented classical music experience through the use of eclectic musical selections, unconventional seating, unique staging, atmospheric lighting, and an ever-shifting soundscape. Sun Valley Music Festival The Sun Valley Music Festival and its previous identity as the Sun Valley Symphony, has been around for 36 years and is the largest privately supported, free-admission orchestra in the United States. Led by Music Director Alasdaire Neale, over 100 world-class musicians from North America’s most distinguished orchestras help comprise the Festival Orchestra which performs both in the summer season concerts in July and August and for the February Winter Season. Beyond these concerts, the Sun Valley Music Festival also offers education programs and an annual gala. Winter Concerts This is the second year for the annual Winter Season concert series, held in February. This year’s series will take place over three nights of concerts from February 27-29 at The Argyros Performing Arts Center in Ketchum. Each free concert begins at 6:30pm and features three acts of around 30 minutes each as well as two 20-minute intermissions. The Sun Valley Music Festival relies on …
What We’re Made Of: Art Connoisseur – Meredith Skillman
It’s no secret that the art and culture scene in Ketchum is akin to big cities like New York City. There are numerous concerts like the acclaimed Sun Valley Music Festival symphony performances and big names in indie, rock, jazz and more from the Sun Valley Center for the Arts. There are plays put on by the Company of Fools and the Spot and annual cultural events like the Wood River Studio Tour. But in terms of everyday art in Ketchum, nothing represents the scene better than Ketchum’s numerous art galleries. Displaying mediums from photography to sculpture and more, there’s a little something for everyone and it all caters to a sophisticated demographic. It was for this cultural scene that Meredith Skillman, the Gallery Registrar at Gail Severn Gallery, decided to call Ketchum, Idaho her home. “There aren’t many places in the U.S. where you can get the small-town experience and also work in art galleries,” said the North Carolina native who moved to the Valley seven years ago. Skillman had originally intended to be a musician like both her parents, even majoring in vocal performance at University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill but switched to art history after …
The Community Library’s “Hemingway in Idaho’s High Desert” Audio Walking Tour
The presence of author Ernest Hemingway can be felt all through the Sun Valley area. During his time here, he was a regular at many of Ketchum’s dining and drinking institutions, penned novels and short stories in its hotels, and enjoyed visiting many places that are still in existence today, albeit as new businesses. To emphasize just how much Hemingway was a part of so many places in this town, The Community Library is now offering a free 12-stop Hemingway audio walking tour through Ketchum and Sun Valley, Idaho