Grove Street Illuminated and Boise Canal
Grove Street Illuminated and Boise Canal
9th and Grove Street Downtown Boise, ID
2003
DesignTeam: Amy Westover, Jensen Belts Landscape Architects, Classic Design Studio, City of Boise Historical Dept.
Commissioned by City of Boise, CCDC and GBAD
Grove Street Illuminated and Boise Canal are two related site specific public art projects and the first works completed under the Percent for Art program in Boise Idaho. A revitalization of a downtown plaza and parking garage resulted in a landmark sculpture for the city. Located on a main downtown street with a rich historical significance, it was important for the sculpture to function as a “gateway” piece for The Greater Boise Auditorium District as well as offer an experience for pedestrian and vehicular traffic.
The three large "rings" that formally make up the sculpture refer to the cycles of time and change that have taken place on Grove Street while the ten “manhole” covers mark the axis of a now underground canal that helped give Grove Street it’s name. I see the canal and the flowing water as a bridge connecting the rich historical past to the present time and place. Historical photographs, newspaper clippings and engraved text helps connect visitors to district and city identity.