There’s a good chance you haven’t heard the name Kika MacFarlane, but you’ve likely seen her work in various spots across the Wood River Valley. The art director, designer, illustrator, and animator based out of Hailey has worked with various local companies and businesses, creating such fun works as the mural on the backside of Sturtevant’s in Hailey, a colorful bench that sits outside The Wylde Beet restaurant as well as a T-shirt for them, the art wrap for The Community Library’s bookmobile, posters for the Alpine Ski World Cup, or the new logo and branding for local women’s mountain bike apparel Wild Rye.
After studying design and liberal arts, Kika went on to design graphics in-house for Patagonia and Stio, then eventually cofounded her own studio, Two Toes Creative (with cofounder Tala Schlossberg, who lives in New York) where she makes animated videos, designs for purpose-driven brands, and leads creative retreats. Prior to moving to the Wood River Valley three years ago, Kika was based in another mountain town, Jackson Hole, Wyoming. Though Jackson had a similar vibe to Ketchum, her and her then boyfriend (now husband), who grew up in the area, felt ready for a change and moved in 2022.
Moving to the area has proved to be inspirational for Kika’s work, both for jobs with local companies and those outside the area. “I feel like since moving here, my biggest inspiration in this town—which I didn’t expect—is the river,” she says. “I feel like I’ve fallen in love with the Big Wood.” Kika spends a lot of time moving her body outside for inspiration, and that often involves fly fishing, walking along the river, or swimming. “That through line for the whole valley has wormed its way into my heart and my artwork.”
Since moving to the area, Kika has connected with multiple local organizations and businesses for work, including Project Big Wood, Idaho Rivers United, and Sun Valley for their Baldy Bluebird Festival and an adventure snow park on Dollar that will be up this winter. She’s also worked with Sun Valley Museum of Art (SVMOA), leading an art class and putting on an art show as part of the museum’s Idaho Rivers show, which showcased work done on one of Kika and Tala’s retreats on the Main Salmon in 2024.
Outside of the Valley, Kika has worked with numerous brands, including the IKON Pass, Substack, Bass Pro Shops, Patagonia, Coors, Chums, and The New York Times. Of late, Kika says she’s been doing a lot of video, just wrapping projects for Patagonia and the Nature Conservancy. Her work ranges from doing videos to branding projects for new brands and organizations to illustration projects, like a towel design she’s currently working on for Cascade Towels, set to come out next year.
Making time for her personal art is important to maintaining her creativity in her job and informing her design process, which involves spending a lot of time making art outside, whether that’s bringing art supplies to the river or just doodling things in her sketchbook. “Art, even though it’s my job, is a big hobby of mine—making silly little crafts that I never show anyone,” she says.
Her and her husband recently bought a house in Hailey, helping to deepen the roots they’ve started to put down here. Outside of her passion for art, Kika also loves to mountain bike, run, hike, swim, fly fish, and ski both in the back country and at the resort. “We love it here and are excited to stick around and be a part of this Valley for a long time.”
