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CONTENTS FOOD, ARTS, AND CULTURE 14 Idaho Movie Palaces: The Bygone Era is Back 20 Why 1883 Star LaMonica Garrett's Role Made Him a Cowboy to the Core 31 Why Life's Kitchen's Mission Matters Now More Than Ever 34 Painting to Pave the Way: Aaron Hazel 39 Swiss, Austrian, Bavarian, and Germanic delights in Boise found at Das Alphenhaus Delikatessen COMMUNITY 9 Idaho's Worldwide Falconry Connection 17 Speaking for the Horses: Wild horses find hope in Challis 23 Dip into Boise's History 26 Zone of Alienation: Ukrainians in Idaho watch in horror as Russia invades their home 40 Listen Up: River Street Evolution ALSO IN THIS ISSUE 5 Contributors
Happy spring, depending on what day it is in Idaho! This year, the weather has been as unpredictable as the appearance of the next COVID variant and outcome of the war in Ukraine. Indeed, life requires us all to strap in and hold on. This issue of IdaHome, however, reliably delivers some good news along with hard realities. From Ukrainian refugees to wild horses and historic movie palaces to the hit TV show, 1883– we can’t predict the future, but we do our best to offer insights and inspiration on the interesting and unknown. ENJOY!
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CONTRIBU TORS After graduating from the University of Iowa with a master’s degree in journalism, Harrison Berry returned to Boise, where he spent eight years working for Boise Weekly, rising to the position of managing editor. His work has appeared in publications from Business Insider to American Theatre. He currently works for Boise State University.
Cherie Buckner-Webb is a former Idaho State Senator, executive coach, speaker, business consultant, strategist, and fifth-generation Idahoan. In addition to her work in corporate and nonprofit environments, she assists institutions of higher education in the development of diversity curriculum and training and sits on a variety of local and national boards.
Arianna Creteau is a freelance writer based in Northern Idaho. A dessert enthusiast, avid hiker and amateur runner, Arianna spends her weekdays working a desk job and weekends chasing adventure. Her previous work has been published in Boise Weekly.
Micah Drew is a writer currently based in northwest Montana. A multiple Montana Newspaper Association award-winning journalist covering politics, sports, and the outdoors, he has written for Edible Idaho, Boise Weekly, and High Country News. When not in the newsroom, he can be found trail running throughout the West.
Mike McKenna is an award-winning author and journalist from Hailey. Mike’s writing has appeared widely, from Forbes, People, and Trout to numerous regional newspapers. He has served as the editor of The Sheet and Sun Valley Magazine and is the author of two prizewinning guidebooks, including Angling Around Sun Valley.
April Neale is an entertainment features writer and has read her work on NPR and Spoken Interludes and writes for various industry trades and entertainment websites. Neale is a member of the Critics Choice Association, Alliance of Women Film Journalists, Hollywood Critics Association, Television Critics Association, and other professional entertainment organizations.
Pamela Kleibrink Thompson is an internationally-acclaimed recruiter, career coach and animation veteran. She's been published in more than 124 different publications and is also writing children's picture books. As a career coach, she works with creative people to help them pursue their passions.
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Idaho’s Worldwide Falconry Connection BY MICAH DREW
An image from Traite de Fauconnerie, by Schlegel, Hermann / Verster van Wulverhorst, Abraham Henrik. Published by Leiden & Düsseldorf, Arnz & Co., 1844-1853. Courtesy of the Archives of Falconry. www.idahomemagazine.com
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Top: Idaho Falconers Association President Afshin Mofid. Courtesy Afshin Mofid Middle: Part of the Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Arab Heritage Wing at the Archives of Falconry. Courtesy Munir Virani – MBZ Raptor Conservation Fund Bottom: Examples of a hood and hawking bag used by falconers. Courtesy Archives of Falconry
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n 2007, Idaho residents were awaiting the unveiling of the state quarter, with many expressing worry that Idaho’s commemorative coin would feature a potato. Instead, the design that would end up in the pockets and collections of Americans across the country featured the fierce head of a peregrine falcon, a looming presence keeping watch over an outline of Idaho. To this day, the design may confuse those who do not understand Idaho’s deep connection to the raptor. South of Boise the World Center for Birds of Prey houses the headquarters of the Peregrine Fund, a conservation nonprofit established in 1970 by scientists and raptor lovers concerned about the decline of the peregrine falcon, one of the most spectacular raptors in North America. The peregrine had completely disappeared from the eastern United States and western populations were in serious peril, but after a decades-long captive breeding program the peregrine was removed from the federal Endangered Species List in 1999, a feat attributed to the tireless work of conservationists and falconers, who are often one and the same. “Falconry involves a deeper connection not just to the raptors but to nature and it has disproportionately produced conservationists who have been successful around the world,” said John Goodell, Executive Director of the Peregrine Fund’s Archives of Falconry. “You know all the co-founders of the Peregrine Fund, they’re all falconers and they would all say that flying peregrines and other raptors really sparked not only the interest in their careers but actually motivated their dedication to the recovery of the bird. They kind of saw falconry as a noteworthy and unusual impetus to conservation action.” “If you’ve been around the falconry world, you’ve seen them in the wild, flown them yourself, had them sitting in your house looking at you, hunted with them and spent 10,000 hours with them or more,” Goodell continued. “If they disappear from that nest site near your favorite lake, it’s a profound missing element that goes beyond science. It’s closer to the feeling you might have if you lost a family member.” The Peregrine Fund remains one of the top raptor conservation organizations in the world, and its headquarters also serves as an educational center offering visitors close looks at live raptors as well as showcasing the history of conservation and falconry through its world-renowned Archives of Falconry. The Archives present a bridge connecting present day falconers and thousands of years of history that spans the globe, and emphasize the intertwinement of the sport and worldwide efforts to save birds. Over three days in early April, nearly 200 falconers from around the word descended upon Boise to take part in the spring Rendezvous held by the Archives of Falconry at the World Center for Birds of Prey. The annual event, returning after a pandemic-hiatus, was a chance for practitioners of the ancient sport and conservationists to gather together to celebrate the culture of falconry. Over the long weekend, attendees heard presentations by the top raptor conservationists in the field, saw a rare screening of a documentary by John and Frank Craighead, “Life with an
Indian Prince,” about falconry practices in 1940s India, and got a sneak peek at a newly renovated Sheikh Zayed Arab Heritage Wing of the Archives Across all exhibits, the Archives of Falconry includes 4,000 books and articles, 1,200 paintings, illustrations and sculptures, 2,240 falconry artifacts and nearly 600 archival documents and film from all parts of the globe. “We’re striving to make the archives more accessible globally, certainly to the falconry community, but also to other interested folks,” Goodell said. “A big part of what we do is interpret falconry history and heritage, both ancient and contemporary and try to preserve kind of the physical evidence of falconry.” Evidence of falconry goes back to 3500 or 4,000 B.C.E, an “ancient sport that’s about as ancient as our records of civilization that are etched in stone,” according to Goodell. The connection between historical evidence of falconry and modern falconry is clear, and in 2010 UNESCO added the sport of falconry to its list of Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity. One of the most striking and immersive exhibit halls at the Archives is the Arab Heritage Wing. In 2007, the Archives received a generous gift from His Highness, Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed, to construct a new wing in honor of his father, the late Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan, former President of the United Arab Emirates (UAE) and an avid falconer. The initial Arab Heritage Wing included a goat-hair hunting tent from Syria, interactive audio and video displays on the history of falconry and modern day recover efforts in the Middle East and a collection of historical materials dating back to the 1400s. The renovation, completed this spring, greatly expanded the exhibit space and is now open to the public. “When you walk into the exhibit, suddenly you’re transported to the desert, and you can see falconry heritage unfold over thousands of years,” said Dr. Munir Virani, CEO of the Muhamed Bin Zayed (MBZ) Raptor Conservation Fund. Falconers from the Arab world introduced falconry techniques and implements, such as the hood and lure, to Westerners, and Virani said that kind of interconnected global heritage is what ties falconers together in a way that no other sport or cultural movement does. “If you think about people from multi-diverse communities coming together because of their birds, they don’t have to speak the same language,” Virani said. “Their connection through falconry is so powerful. Perhaps I don’t have the words to say it. It’s just magical.” Virani has worked with the Peregrine Fund since the early 1990s, and was previously the Global Director for Conservation Strategy and External Affairs. Over the decades he too has seen firsthand the importance of educating the public, particularly youths, about raptors and falconry. He estimates roughly 5,000 kids visit the World Center for Birds of Prey each year, but adds that because of space, hundreds of kids and school groups have been turned away because of the site’s popularity.
Top: Morley Nelson, pictured with a golden eagle, successfully lobbied Congress and established The Morley Nelson Birds of Prey National Conservation Area, covering nearly a half million square miles along 81 miles of the Snake River.” Courtesy Archives of Falconry Middle: Part of the Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Arab Heritage Wing at the Archives of Falconry. Courtesy Munir Virani – MBZ Raptor Conservation Fund Bottom: Frank and John Craighead with Indian prince K. S. Dharmakumarsinhji (Bapa) Courtesy Archives of Falconry www.idahomemagazine.com
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“These exhibits, this place, offers the opportunity for kids in Idaho of the collection as possible. In October the Archives launched to feel ownership of their state for having done something signifia series of virtual exhibits online, and most of the collection is cant in saving a species. If even one child gets inspired by this, you’re now searchable and accessible online. Goodell said there have looking at the next Sheikh Zayed or (Peregrine Fund founder) Tom been massive amounts of online traffic from falconers, journalists, Cade,” Virani said. “One of the greatest benefits of raptors in terms researchers and artists around the world since the launch. of educating people on why there’s a need to conserve them is that Currently there are virtual exhibits exploring a Life Magazine you can get up close to a bird and that’s very inspiring. You can’t photographer who traveled to Assateague Island in 1952 to carry a lioness on your back into a classroom document the trapping of tundra falcons, and talk about it.” an interactive timeline of falconry around Afshin Mofid, president of the Idathe world, the evolution of the hood and “The state has long ho Falconers Association says that local an exploration of current falconry organifalconers are spoiled with the Birds of Prey zations around the world. played a role in raptor Center and Archives so close. One popular collection in the Archives conservation through the “Any falconer in Idaho is so lucky to have is about falconry in India prior to, and Peregrine Fund’s world these resources under our nose,” Mofid said. during World War 2. In addition to the headquarters, and the “I’m from Iran and there’s an Iranian book film, “Life With an Indian Prince”, the on falconry from the 1840s, and the only exhibit contains the Craighead brothers’ newly expanded Archives copy in the country is in the Archives — it’s journals from observing the Raj princes’ of Falconry showcases the a direct line to my heritage.” falconry practices. There’s also a collection history of falconry around In Idaho, there are roughly 150 licensed of more than 100 sketches and paintthe world and the crucial falconers, but only around 80 have birds ings created by Robert Widmeier who according to Mofid. Present day falconry is was stationed in India during the war role it plays in species one of the most regulated forms of hunting and participated and documented the conservation.” in the United States, and practitioners must falconry practices. The exhibit can be seen apprentice themselves to a master falconer in person and will soon have an online for year before obtaining their own licenses. component. “Because of the space and public lands in Idaho, as well as the “Falconry is literally gone in India now,” Goodell said. “There’s habitat and terrain in Southern Idaho, it’s always been a place for been a little resurgence in Pakistan since the partition, but it’s a falconers to gravitate to,” said Idaho Falconers Association presigreat example of why we’re here, because it’s one of those threads dent Afshin Mofid. “In the last 10 years we’re really seen interest in of falconry through time that almost broke. What we have of that falconry pick up.” time is preserved here for people to look at.” Back at the Archives, Goodell hopes for a continued expansion, The Archives of Falconry at the World Center for Birds of including renovating the main display room and adding a new visiPrey are located at 5668 W. Flying Hawk Ln in Boise, and can be tor center. During COVID staff began working to digitize as much visited Wednesday through Sunday, 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. Left: One of the Craighead brothers with falcons: Courtesy Archives of Falconry. Right: A painting of Sheikh Mohamed Bin Zayed Al Nahyan. Courtesy Munir Virani – MBZ Raptor Conservation Fund
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ne o g y The B
k c a B Era is
Top right: The lobby of the Parma Motor Vu drive-in where the Manley popcorn popper, the original from 1953, still makes the best popcorn ever. Left: “Sun Valley Serenade” photo courtesy of Sun Valley Resort. Above: The Panida Theater built as a vaudeville and theater house in Sandpoint in 1927 still hosts films and events today. BY PAMELA KLEIBRINK THOMPSON
M
itchell Mark and his brother Moe opened what many consider the first movie palace, the one-million-dollar Mark Strand Theater in Times Square, New York City, in 1914, and hired Samuel “Roxy” Rothafel. Roxy introduced uniformed ushers with courtly manners; regal draperies and plush carpeting; soft, colorful lighting and orchestral musicians that played musical accompaniment to the silent movies. Roxy made motion pictures a celebrated event, elevating the movie-going experience into a realm of American cultural importance all over the county. Even in Idaho. Jason Speer became the owner of the Roxy Theater in Cascade, Idaho, with his wife Trisha and Mark and Kristina Pickard in 2006. Built in 1939, the Roxy, a smalltown, single-screen theater with big-city
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tech on the inside, has 238 auditorium seats and 10 cry-room seats, “where parents of little ones can still see the movie if the kids are fussy.” “When we purchased the Roxy our four kids were all at home. We raised them there and taught them how to work the positions. It was a lot of fun for Trish and me to watch them grow while helping run the family business,” says Jason. Before the Speers owned the Roxy they took their kids there almost every weekend. “It was a fun thing to do. That is how we got to know the previous owners and fell in love with the Roxy,” he continues. Jason reflects on special events like having Spiderman swing off the stage and into the auditorium before the opening of the movie or Batman on the roof for a midnight show of Dark Knight. “We told the kids we had a
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ghost named Sam. The old chairs had to be folded up by hand. We would go through after the kids folded the seats and put the center seat back down. Just one seat for Sam. The young kids could never figure it out,” Jason laughs. The Roxy offers a mix of first-run and second-run movies and five live shows a year and also serves many local community needs. Concerts, talent shows, weddings, funerals, just about everything has happened at the Roxy. Jason looks forward to opening seven days a week soon and bringing people together again. His plans include scheduling live events once a month, and maybe even a few comedy shows. “It’s wonderful to hear people laugh,” he says. And for everyone who likes to laugh, the Roxy awaits in Cascade.
COURTESY SUN VALLY RESORT
Left: The Roxy Theater in Cascade above right: Sun Valley Opera House. Right: The Kenworthy Theater opened for vaudeville performances and silent films in 1926 in Moscow, Idaho. Courtesy of Kenworthy Theater
For those who prefer eating popcorn under the stars in pajamas from April through October, the Parma Motor Vu drive-in has been welcoming 240 vehicles since the summer of 1953. “What I like most is the warm summer nights full of family-friendly entertainment,” says Susan Cornwell Haaheim, who became the third-generation owner/operator in 2019. The Parma Motor Vu was built by Susan’s grandparents, Bill and Gladys Dobbs. “It is truly a family affair–from my mother (Karen Dobbs Cornwell) who pops popcorn most nights, to my pre-teen son who is in charge of grounds clean-up. It is a labor of love that we all cherish. At one point my mom had seven grandchildren on the payroll,” she shares. Besides family, Susan says, “One other main staple for the Motor Vu is our Manley popcorn popper. It is original, from 1953 and still makes the best popcorn ever.” Her favorite story is “...being in the box office with my grandfather, mid-1970s, and watching him check the trunk of a car for people trying to sneak in! I thought that was so funny.” Five decades ago, families frequented thousands of drive-in theaters in the U.S. “Now
it is around 350,” says Susan. “Only a few are still owned by the original family.” “The place is 69 years old, so there is always something to attend to. There is no more film, so we have a digital projector and a 60-foot screen. The screen is the original,” Susan adds. “When we do a throw-back and play the original Grease, you can hear people singing along throughout the lot. So as long as there are movies to play and folks who want the drive-In experience, we’ll be here.” Movie stars more than movie houses align with images of Sun Valley Resort, but the Sun Valley Opera House has been projecting films since 1937. “It has a neat curtain–a red velvet drape, very old-school,” says Chip Booth, Director of Entertainment at the resort. “The architect had a DIY attitude. He built the curtain. It still works. It’s elegant.” “It’s a funny old building…not a modernized space. It has a lot of charm. The outside is glorious, iconic, amazing,” he adds. Currently, the Opera House hosts more local events than movie premieres, except for screenings during the Sun Valley Film Festival. Chip’s favorite clientele are “...the locals. I recognize
half the audience…I love that. The Opera House is a gathering place.” In March, the Opera House hosted a special showing of the new documentary, Picabo. The feature-length film chronicles Picabo Street’s life from her days growing up in Triumph, Idaho, to becoming the 1998 Olympic alpine skiing gold medalist. “We hope at some point that we can expand the building in some way,” says Chip. “But I feel strongly that we must preserve the character and charm of the Opera House.” Preservation is what all the great movie palaces require and many have suffered greatly from pandemic shut-downs. Without local dedication, they may never be resurrected. Audiences are ready and willing to get back to the uber-movie experience of sitting in the dark for the newest Marvel 4K surround-sound superhero blockbuster. However, there is something magical about sitting in the dark in a space where people sat 100 years ago watching Charlie Chaplin accompanied by live pipe-organ music. Don’t miss your chance to experience living history! Roll ‘em!
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Speaking for the Horses Wild horses find hope in Challis
PHOTO BY ANDREA MAKI
BY MIKE MCKENNA
T
here are moments in life when it seems like fate whispers to us. For Andrea Maki, fate didn’t so much whisper as whinny. In 2009, Andrea—an artist and photographer from Seattle—found herself in the mountains of Idaho, not too far from the Salmon River. She had a chance to encounter horses from the Challis Herd Management Area (HMA) during a round-up. Wild horses thrive around Challis, one of a half-dozen HMAs in the state. To keep populations at bay, every few years helicopters are usually used to round up
the horses and remove them from the wild. While some of the horses will go on to be adopted, others won’t be so lucky, and none of them will ever be wild and free again— at least that used to be the case. When Andrea witnessed the round-up she could feel the pain and fear the horses were going through. “I made a promise to those horses that I would try to help, “ Andrea says, and she has been keeping that promise ever since. Over 460 wild horses were roaming around Challis that year, in terrain that the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) says can only maintain healthy populations in the 185-250 range. The 167,848-
acre HMA is also home to other wildlife as well as grazing allotments for cattle ranchers. Miners and ranchers who first brought livestock to the region in the 1870s are said to be much of the original source of the Challis herd, but there are beliefs that wild horses’ history in the area runs much longer than that. The genetics of the Challis herd include New World Spanish, Heavy Draft, and even True Pony. The wild breeds of Challis are considered large horses for such rugged, mountainous terrain. The black, gray, and reddish-brown colored horses can be 14 to 16 hands and weigh up to 1,000 pounds.
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ALL PHOTOS BY ANDREA MAKI
Wild horses are clearly thriving around Challis, but sometimes they are doing so to the detriment of others’ needs for the land. A solution besides the costly, controversial round-ups and slaughter had to be found. So Andrea helped lead a team from diverse backgrounds to come up with a plan to save more wild horses. The stakeholders included ranchers, land managers, scientists, and at least one artist/wild horse advocate. “There has to be a balance on public lands,” Andrea says. “Horses have a right to be here and who is going to speak for them?” The group came up with some safe and effective solutions. First, wild horses would be given fertility vaccines that can be administered, or darted, from a distance. Next, hay bale traps would be used to cut
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down on helicopter round-ups. Finally, the nonprofit Wild Love Preserve was founded to support the wild horses and find homes for those captured that the BLM couldn’t adopt out. The program has been a success and a model for other HMAs throughout the Western states. The Challis herd numbers have stayed roughly the same and within the prescribed healthy population range. Meanwhile, millions of dollars in taxpayer funds have been saved with these less expensive management practices, and those culled from the herd have found homes. “It wouldn’t have worked if we didn’t have all the stakeholders come together,” Andrea says. “Wild horses can thrive and co-exist in the ecosystem. This is a really special situation; it’s a microcosm of the West.”
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Since its inspired beginnings in 2010, Wild Love Preserve has now added 185 horses to their leased 400 acres in Challis. When the horses are released back into the familiar land, Andrea is reminded of why she first decided to speak for the horses. “The horses are like kids in a candy store, quite happy,” she says. “We’re just trying to give horses an opportunity to be who they are.” Andrea and Wild Love Preserve will continue to work hard and keep speaking up for the Challis herd despite any obstacles that tumble their way. As Andrea says, there are always ways to find solutions to any problems and, “Truth is often found in those quiet places.”
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Why 1883 Star LaMonica Garrett’s Role Made Him a Cowboy to the Core
Pictured: Sam Elliott and LaMonica Garrett team up for a high stakes journey across the Wild West in 1883, The prequal to Yellowstone. Photo Cr: Emerson Miller/Paramount+ (C) 2022 MTV Entertainment Studios. All Rights Reserved.
BY APRIL NEALE
I
n short order, LaMonica Garrett became a rough-riding cowboy for his breakout role as Thomas in Paramount+’s breakout hit, 1883. Thomas is a laconic cowboy (formerly a Civil War veteran) who rides into the unknown with his partner Shea (Sam Elliott) and John Dutton’s great-grandfather, James Dutton (Tim McGraw). These men become the leaders of a slowly dwindling group of brave souls looking for a better life in the Oregon coastal valleys. To get there, they had to brave hostile Native American territories and swaths of desolate lands filled with bandits, mercurial weather, and lethal snakes hidden in the grass. Paramount+’s 1883 is the origin story of Yellowstone’s Dutton family. In 1883, the Dutton ancestors are heading West 20
with no idea what to expect, and this is showrunner Taylor Sheridan’s latest effort in the expanding Yellowstone mythology, filled with realistic narratives as well as the perspective of Thomas, or the story told through his costar, Isabel May as well as Thomas’s slow-building love interest with Noemi (Gratiela Brancusi), one of the immigrants looking for a new life. This expansive POV was not lost on Garrett or how profoundly it influenced his performance throughout the series. “Some showrunners want to change things or do things just for doing it,” he says. “The idea is that I should be doing something when sometimes the best thing to do is take a step back and let the people you hired bring these characters to life and embrace each other. Taylor Sheridan knows that, and his words are so powerful. The
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script was just so amazing. Sam [Elliott] and I have to say these [written] words and be truthful about what we’re saying and where these words are coming from, and the rest will figure itself out.” In Sheridan’s vision of 1883, Garrett’s Thomas was accepted as part of the norm for the times in America, fresh out of the Civil War and slavery. We know today that one out of four cowboys were African-American. However, Sheridan’s take on Thomas and Garrett’s interpretation of this complex Civil War veteran-turned-cowboy revealed a lesser-known history for audiences starved for veracity and fresh takes on a well-worn genre. This realistic approach by Sheridan was not lost on Garrett, who devoted his Twitter feed in February to educating his followers on real Black cowboys who thrived
out in the West. He says, “I grew up watching Westerns and what was so unique to me when I was reading the [1883] scripts was Thomas and Shea’s relationship. We hadn’t really seen that play out in the genre of television Westerns before. I love that Taylor never made references about him being a Black cowboy. It was just who he was. These were two guys, buddies, trying to make it in this frontier and get to the next day. Sometimes Thomas would reference his past, but he wouldn’t live in it and be all ‘woe is me.’ He got up, made coffee, and got the day going. That’s a part of his identity, but it was not who he was. And that was special to me.” One of the most surprising facts about Garrett’s turn as Thomas is how inexperienced a rider he was before winning the role.
Watching him in action as Thomas, he gives the impression that he has ridden horses his entire life. However, that is thanks to Sheridan’s “cowboy camp” training ahead of shooting. Garrett shared that the camp kicked his horsemanship skills into high gear. He says, “I had been on a horse before, but more like the Griffith Park single-file line, just walking behind each other while on a horse. But we went to cowboy camp for a few weeks, and that’s where all that stuff just started for most of us on the cast who had to ride horses, aside from Tim [McGraw] and Sam Elliott. They had been on a horse before. Most of us hadn’t been on horses. So for a little over two weeks, cowboy camp was necessary, and it paid off.”
Shea Brennan (Sam Elliott) is a Civil War veteran who later becomes a Pinkerton Agent. Early in the series, his family dies of smallpox. So he burns his home to the ground with the bodies of his wife and daughter inside. Of LaMonica Garrett and his turn as Thomas, Elliott says: “LaMonica Garrett is a good human being. He’s also a gifted actor, and that innate goodness about him permeates his characterization of Thomas. It made both men a joy to be around. It was a long, hard trail we rode together, and I am forever grateful that LaMonica’s Thomas was at Shea’s side. And it would not have been the same without him. LaMonica looked good in the saddle from day one, but like a lot of us, it took a while before he felt like he belonged there. In his case, it was a very short while.” Sam Elliott and LaMonica Garrett
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Pictured: LaMonica Garrett as Thomas of the Paramount+ original series 1883. Photo Cr: Emerson Miller/Paramount+ (C) 2021 MTV Entertainment Studios. All Rights Reserved.
Sheridan’s assiduous details and the historical accuracy of 1883 forever left a mark on Garrett. His interest in untold tales of African-Americans in the West is now his cinematic addiction. He says, “On my social media for February in the stories mode, each day I would post and write about African-American cowboys who helped shape the American West. We had 28 days of February, yet I could have kept going. There’s so much to tell that I would love to jump back into the saddle. You do one cowboy role sitting on a horse, and you’re in nature, filming and working. You tend to go back [to these roles] over and over. Robert Duvall talked about it, and Clint Eastwood talked about it. Tom Selleck talked about it. Once you’ve experienced that, it’s hard to go back to a studio and hit the mark with the AC going and everyone quiet on the set. I want to be back on a horse sooner rather than later. I don’t know when that’ll be, but this isn’t the last cowboy I’ve done on film.” Though the ending in the first season of 1883 sees Noemi and Thomas coupling and making it to the Willamette Valley, fans want more of his character. Garrett was unsure if Thomas would surface in 1883 again. But, he says, “I learned a lot from Thomas. It was a great experience, but you never know. I hope it’s not the last time we see Thomas. I’ve seen shows in the past where they get resurrected, or characters come back to life and other places. And in that world, there’s a world of flashbacks that could happen.” Sam Elliott would have intimidated many novice horsemen actors, but not Garrett, whose admiration for the iconic star was intense. “The first day we met on the shooting range, he saw me, came over to me, embraced me, and gave me this big hug, and all the nervous energy I had knowing that I was about to be opposite Sam Elliott for a season was left right there on the range,” he remembers. Sheridan was a fixture at rehearsals and the camp, but he knew he had a winning cast by observing Garrett and Elliott together. Garrett adds, “[Sheridan] let us do our thing, and Sam and I figured it out. It was just so special to let it unfold how it did.” 22
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The secret to 1883’s charismatic casting was that Sheridan fostered a familial structure for the actors on location. Elliott and Garrett shared quarters with Tim McGraw, Faith Hill, and others in the cast. As Garrett says, “I think being away from home, away from our environment, for us, our happy hour, our home, our family was each other because we were all pulled away from everything we know. It all started with cowboy camp. We had this ‘us against the world’ kind of mentality. We’re all learning together. And right from cowboy camp, it rolled into us filming. And many places that we went along this journey every few weeks, we’d pick up and move to a different part of Texas or Montana or Oregon or wherever it was.” Noting that in most of these locations, cable, wifi, and cell service were negligible or completely missing, he adds, “When we would wrap, a handful of us stayed together in a cabin– Sam, Tim, Faith, Gratiela, Isabel, Audi, and Audi’s mom. In Montana, we would come back to the house where we shared the common area living spaces. We ate together. And on the weekends, we would all hang out together and watch movies together. That’s all we had. In Texas, we were in Guthrie at the Four Sixes Ranch. We’d all wrap at the same time at night. And there was this big, long table in the main house where we got our food and talked about the day, the following scenes, about life. This was our family for six months. And there was so much humility and kindness, no egos or big-timing. Tim and Faith are super icons, and Sam is a Hollywood icon. You wouldn’t know who the stars and celebrities were if you were just a fly on the wall watching us. So that’s a tribute to all of them. I kept telling some of the younger actors who hadn’t worked a lot before, ‘Soak this up. This may never happen in our lives again, and it’s so special what’s going on right now.’ I think that’s the feeling that we all had while doing this. That’s why 1883 turned out so well on screen.”
DIP into Boise’s History BY KAREN DAY
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n today’s real estate market, this truth will seem stranger than fiction, but in 1952, Boise successfully presented a bond issue for $200,000 to fund the modernization of the Natatorium pool and build two new community swimming pools, one on the Bench and one in the North End. Wesley Bintz, an engineer from Lansing, Michigan, was chosen to build the two above-ground, ovoid-shaped pools. In 2022, there are fewer than 20 remaining Bintz above-ground pools in the U.S., with only eight still in use. Boise’s Bintz pools endure as iconic, Art Deco structures, but now sit emptied of cool water and swimmers, awaiting an unknown fate. The City of Boise recently completed a public outreach and engagement program to gather community preferences and ideas on the future of the Lowell and South Pools. “The next step is a
feasibility study,” says Shawn Wilson, a representative of Boise Public Works on site at the Lowell Pool public viewing. “We haven’t done any design or cost analysis, but the current estimates for remodeling or rebuilding have very low accuracy.” Whatever their accuracy, the cost estimates posted for each pool were 4 to 6 million dollars. That’s a steep fiscal guess to accommodate the priorities identified by survey respondents, which predominantly focused on accessibility and preservation. Only 14% said that the pools should be torn down and be replaced by modern, in-ground community pools. Clearly, Idaho real estate may be exorbitant, but the majority of locals believe our history isn’t for sale. COURTESY WARD HOOPER For more information on the future of the Lowell and South Pools: https://www.cityofboise.org/ departments/parks-and-recreation/lowell-and-south-poolsplanning-public-outreach-and-engagement.
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Zone of Alienation Ukrainians in Idaho watch in horror as Russia invades their home HARRISON BERRY
KAREN DAY
At a recent demonstration at the Idaho State Capitol, Ukrainian-Americans and allies raised awareness of the Russian invasion of Ukraine.
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n the south Boise home where Oleksandr “Alex” Solodovnik lives with his family, the remains of his 21st birthday celebration hang over the fireplace, juxtaposed with the mood in the room. “It’s mostly [between] the civilized countries, the civilized part of the world, and Russia,” Alex says about the Russian invasion of Ukraine, which escalated dramatically just a month earlier, on February 24. Seven people and a lot of feelings sat at a circular kitchen table meant for four. The Solodovniks had recently welcomed several family members from Ukraine, including Alex’s grandparents Taisa Baranova and Anatolii Baranov, and an aunt, Yelisaveta Volianyk. Taisa was undergoing treatment for cancer and on March 3, a Russian bomb had killed Igor’s father in his home. Every day they receive reports from friends and family in the war-torn country about deaths, the destruction of cities and other 26
atrocities, and mourn the people they’ll never speak with again. A good word to describe the sentiment isn’t English, but German: heimweh, which translates to “homesickness,” but with added emphasis on tension and longing. While hard numbers are scarce, people involved in relief work estimate that between 150 and 200 Ukrainians have left the Eastern European country for the Treasure Valley in southwestern Idaho. Often, they come into the homes of friends and family who live in the Gem State, sometimes with little more than the clothes on their backs, and they’ve received scant resources from the government to find housing, employment, or basic necessities. This does not perturb Ukrainians like Alex and his family, in part because their eyes are fixed on the conflict tearing their homeland apart. “It’s really hard to see what is happening right now, and that you
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are not able for some reason to be there,” Yelisaveta says. “You have a job, you have a car, you have a family, a whole life, and now, because of other people, if I can call them this way, you have to leave this place. It is just really hard for everybody.” Popular Ukrainian support of closer ties to the West have been a source of tension between Ukraine and the Russian Federation since the early 2000s. The situation escalated in 2014, when Russian troops took control of the strategically significant Crimean Peninsula, the location of one of the few warm water ports available to the Russian Navy. That same year, Russian-backed separatists seized two regions in eastern Ukraine. Russia’s stated goal of the present invasion is to permanently orient Ukraine toward Russia, and away from the European Union and the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO).
Russian aggression against its neighbors is old hat. What’s new are the casualties, the refugees, and the leveled cities. Approximately 25,000 civilians are dead and 3.7 million people have fled the country. The United States plans to admit 100,000 of them. By the dictionary definition and popular understanding, they are refugees — people who have left their homes because of war or persecution. Instead, the U.S. has admitted thousands, notably under the umbrella of humanitarian parole. It’s a distinction with important consequences. Unlike holding refugee status, which only comes after a lengthy process, humanitarian parole is a way for people to rapidly enter the country during a crisis. It’s a temporary solution. When someone’s term of two-year lawful stay expires, the U.S. Customs and Immigration Service may deny applications to extend their stay, leaving those who can’t return to their home countries in legal limbo. Adjustment acts, like those passed after the Vietnam War and the Cuban Revolution, create a pathway from parole to permanent immigration status; but with peace in Ukraine a far-off dream, there remains the possibility that the window opened by President Joe Biden at the start of the war could close. Another difference is that parolees are ineligible for the state-sponsored bene-
fits given to those who come to the U.S. through the refugee resettlement process. That leaves this wave of displaced people outside the mandates of organizations like the College of Southern Idaho Refugee Center and the Idaho Office for Refugees. Instead, traditional refugee-oriented organizations have directed people interested in donating or assisting to groups like the Idaho Alliance for Ukrainian Refugees and Immigrants, which have started providing newcomers with essentials. “When we saw that it was only a matter of time before Ukrainians came here, we felt like it was our responsibility to make sure they had a chance to settle and recover, first and foremost, from what they experienced there,” says Alliance Director of Outreach Tina Polishchuk. The Alliance has longstanding partnerships with Slavic churches across the Northwest to coordinate access to Ukrainians coming to Idaho and host families, develop local resources, and make them accessible to Ukrainians, and communicate news and information. By the end of April 2022, the Alliance had interviewed more than 75 people, managed almost 25 cases, and begun collaborating with outside organizations to expand its efforts. The Alliance’s response to the crisis has had to adapt as displaced people arrive and settle in Idaho. Newcomers may have
material needs like shelter, documentation, transportation, and financial assistance; but those who have been in the country longer have different problems. One new arrival, Polishchuk says, was able to stay with a family member already renting a home in the Boise area, but when the landlord cited the rental agreement that said only the renter could stay longer than two weeks, the Alliance stepped in to find new accommodations. The problem of American bureaucracy is at least on par with that of fulfilling the base of Maslow’s hierarchy of needs. Before finding employment, displaced people must obtain a stable address, transportation, and a Social Security number, and these proceedings often cost money and are conducted in English. Polishchuk says a lot of the people she works with have Ukrainian driver’s licenses, and significant academic and employment histories, but struggle to get around in automobile-centric Idaho. The housing affordability crisis affects them doubly, too. “Housing in Idaho, and the Treasure Valley specifically, is really challenging, even for people who have really good jobs and have been around for a long time. So how do you make housing a possibility for people who are here on a temporary basis or starting out from scratch?” she says.
Left to right: Oleksandr “Alex” Solodovnik (left) discusses the arrival of several family members fleeing the violence in Ukraine. A Russian bomb hit the home of Igor Solodovnik’s parents, killing his father.
KAREN DAY
COURTESY IGOR SOLODOVNIK
COURTESY IGOR SOLODOVNIK
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KAREN DAY
The Idaho Ukrainian Lions Club arranges aid for Ukrainians who have come to Idaho. Julia Marten (left) says that a pillar of the group’s mission is also to raise awareness about the Russian invasion of Ukraine. Other aid groups have different priorities. In late March, the Idaho Ukrainian Lions Club met at the offices of the Lions Club in south Boise, where the items on the agenda ranged from providing for the most immediate needs of those arriving in the Treasure Valley from Ukraine, to where they should celebrate Easter. Sometimes the members broke into folk songs. Like the Alliance, the Lions Club group raises money and supplies for people displaced by the war — but its almost entirely Ukrainian-American membership does the same for people and relief efforts in Ukraine. Keeping the public’s gaze on the war is an important piece of that effort. Reports of Russian attacks on civilian centers abound: the bombing of a maternity and children’s hospital, and the destruction of a theater in the city of Mariupol that investigators say left 600 dead. These and other news items are burning reminders of Ukrainians’ loved ones in peril and homeland under attack. Public support for the group’s work is strong. At an April demonstration on the steps of the Idaho State Capitol, hundreds of people, including a large contingent of students from 28
nearby Boise State University, came to express solidarity and advocate for a stronger American response to the invasion. Communicating the urgency of the war, both among its members and to the public, is one of the pillars of the Idaho Ukrainian Lions Club. Julia Marten, the club’s president, speaks with friends and family in Ukraine daily. What she hears contrasts sharply with what Russian state-run media presents to its viewership. Holding demonstrations, bake and garage sales, and increasing the visibility of her group keep eyes trained on the conflict. “We’re trying to remind people that there is a war, there are people dying. There are kids dying. This is what we are doing: We’re trying to support Ukrainians in any way we can, and we are trying to keep people informed and reminded,” Marten says. It’s also how she and others assert moral truths about the invasion. Idaho Ukrainian Lions Club member Oleksandr Tarasenko has lived in Idaho for the last six years. His sister Ina arrived in April on humanitarian parole after passing through Poland, Spain, and Mexico. He came to study at the College of Idaho — he now works at Franklin
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Building Supply — and she fled war. “She lived at her mom’s under the air defense sirens in our city, and she lived in a region that was actually attacked,” Oleksandr says. “When Russia started to shower the place next to her [with bombs], they had to leave the city. My mom told me that they were shaking after hearing any loud sound. It was a terrible experience.” Meanwhile, Oleksandr has raised money and material in support of military operations in Ukraine. He, like many others in Idaho’s Ukrainian community, believes that a Ukrainian victory is inevitable. The Russians are demoralized, he says, and the momentum is behind the underdog. This kind of patriotism and optimism are common among people close to the war in Ukraine — counterpoints to the horrors they see and hear about from friends and family, and the displaced people they now support. And Oleksandr has one request to make of Americans. “The only thing that I would ask the American people to do is just not to normalize it. It’s getting worse and worse, and [the Russian military is] killing more and more people,” he says. “Just be as informed as possible.”
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Why Life’s Kitchen’s Mission Matters Now More Than Ever BY APRIL NEALE
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eagan Overgaard’s world was at a standstill until she learned about Life’s Kitchen. The Boise resident was seeking to get her GED. Then, in 2021 and by chance, a teacher told her about the local nonprofit program, Life’s Kitchen, that teaches opportunity-seeking youth ages 16 to 24 how to navigate the adult world with a marketable set of skills to help break cycles of poverty and homelessness. Overgaard was drifting, and she knew it. “I was already planning on pursuing my GED,” she tells us inside the Fairview-located gem, Rory’s Cafe, a nonprofit restaurant that turns out addictive grilled cheeses, burgers, homemade soups, and killer eggs Benedict. “I went to my career counselor at Eagle Academy. And I asked her, is there any place that could help me get my GED? I don’t know where to go. So she showed me a pamphlet for Life’s Kitchen, and then I ended up coming for a tour, and as I walked through here, I thought, ‘I want to do this.’” Upon her spring 2022 graduation, Overgaard learned skills as a baker, which led to an excellent position at Deja Brew Laugh A Latte in Meridian, thanks to her Life’s Kitchen teacher, Chef Kyle Swanbeck.
COURTESY LIFE’S KITCHEN
Reagan Overgaard is moving forward at Life’s Kitchen.
As Overgaard says, “Chef Kyle helped me get a job at Deja Brew. He referred me. I’m going to be their baker, and I think they’re going to cross-train me to help me learn all kitchen positions to further my training, but initially, I’ll be focused on baking.” Founded in 2003 by local restaurateur Rory Farrow, Life’s Kitchen has helped over 750 kids with circumstances similar to Reagan’s acquire their GEDs and learn how to become skilled workers through its four-month zero-cost internship program. At the culinary training facility, participants ages 16 to 24 immerse in a ladder-like series of life and social skills and confidence-building
sessions, where studies for GED classes coincide with knife skills, plating, food safety classes, and meal preparations. Tammy Johnson, the program’s Executive Director says, “[Life’s Kitchen founder] Rory Farrow, a restaurant owner, found that many young adults were coming to work for her without the basic work or life skills. And many of our Program trainees have dropped out of school, live at or below the poverty level, experience homelessness, or were referred to us by the juvenile justice system. Here, they can access the educational resources and learning opportunities that they need to live independently.”
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It takes a village of chef trainers and staff to get the 16 trainees ready to take on the job market here in Idaho and beyond. As Johnson explains, “Currently, we have 10 full-time staff and 16 trainees in the program. We’re a social enterprise, meaning that our businesses, such as café, catering, and our contracts, help support the program financially
“We provide over 1,000 meals per week free to Interfaith Sanctuary, thanks to so many great supporters, Caffe D’Arte, Simplot, Hayden Beverage Company, Shamrock Foods, The Idaho Foodbank, Idaho Power, and more,” adds Johnson. “These partnerships are vital and have a daily impact on our ability to serve our trainees and mission. Without the partnerships mentioned, plus other corporate and foundation grants and individual support, it would be difficult to have such an impact on our young adults continually.” Experienced chefs are always encouraged to enquire about training the kids at Life’s Kitchen. Johnson says, “They can reach out to Life’s Kitchen for teaching opportunities. We have Guest Chef Mondays, where chefs from the local community come to the facility and provide a culinary experience for our trainees. The professional chefs do donate their time.” As graduation day approached for Reagan, she took part in the signature dish challenge. Johnson says, “On the last week of their program, trainees work on
“We provide over 1,000 meals per week free to Interfaith Sanctuary, thanks to so many great supporters...” and provide the much-needed workforce development for our trainees. About 53% of the program costs come from that [cafe and catering] revenue.” There’s tremendous goodwill overlap— not only from other nonprofits like Allumbaugh House and Interfaith Sanctuary, that reap the largesse of Life’s Kitchen’s delivered prepared meals, over two million served and counting—but also from local businesses that actively support and provide valuable machines and equipment for the trainees to learn and prepare food and drink items that earn revenue as well.
a signature dish of their choice. Reagan’s was a spicy tuna stuffed rice ball and marinated cucumber salad.” Creative approaches when it comes to baking are where Reagan’s passions are. She told us that incorporating fresh herbs as garnishes or ingredients was a twist for traditionally sweet baked goods. Noting her fascination with seeing how chefs reinvent baked good classics, Reagan says, “I like to look at other people’s ideas and then tweak them and add my ideas. For example, I made an Earl Grey cake with a honey cream cheese frosting, and then I topped it off with fresh thyme and lavender to decorate it, and it turned out nicely.” Johnson adds, “Reagan’s shortbread cookies with her twist of a thyme sprig were delicious.” As for her four months spent at Life’s Kitchen, Overgaard wanted people to know what the entire experience meant to her. She says, “I would recommend Life’s Kitchen to anyone, even if they’ve completed high school. It’s a great place to come and learn those skills you need to know as an adult because even in high school, I wasn’t learning about the things that I’ve learned here, like taxes, finances, and how to rent an apartment. So anyone struggling with completing high school should do this program.” COURTESY LIFE’S KITCHEN
Reagan making her famous shortbread cookies.
Life’s Kitchen 8574 W Fairview Ave, Boise, ID 83704 Rory’s Cafe is open to the public M-F 7 AM-2 PM daily. www.lifeskitchen.org/how-to-apply
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PAINTING to Pave the Way Aaron Hazel BY ARIANNA CRETEAU
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O
n Instagram, Boise artist @ ahaze2, better known as Aaron Hazel, has created a space for art and history lovers to unite. He does this by sharing his own artwork alongside detailed captions that shed a light on minorities and their stories, specifically Native Americans. Before Hazel was recognized for his Native portraits, he lived in Seattle for 11 years, gaining exposure and success by creating commissioned art for professional athletes and locals. Today, his portfolio is stacked with oil paintings focused on urban life, landscapes, wildlife, sports, and people. Now, he is back in Idaho and based in Boise. “I love. I love seeing a painting of a huge cloud or something awesome, you know?” says Hazel. “Although I usually gravitate towards the less realistic and more impressionistic and abstract art.” Hazel attended Whitman College where he earned his Bachelor of Fine Arts degree as a studio arts major between games for the school’s basketball team. Later, he went on to learn from his mentor, Robert Moore, a renowned impressionist from Burley, Idaho. Hazel attributes much of his skill and current interests to
the time he had studying with Moore. Audiences have described Hazel’s works as something they’ve never quite seen before. On canvas, the oil paintings are vibrant and portray emotion in a way that entices a viewer to hesitate and look just a little bit longer. It’s as if his paintings have something to say that you can’t quite hear unless you lean in. The faces speak in deep colors and the landscapes seem to silently call your name. “In the very beginning, I was doing whatever anybody would pay me to do,” says Hazel. “I became known as the sports painter.” No longer confined to those restrictions, Hazel’s focus changed around 2016. Today, his paintings predominantly feature historical figures from the American COURTESY AARON HAZEL West. According to Hazel, a big reason for the gradual shift in his work is in part, thanks to Moore, who opened up a space for Hazel to enter the Western gallery world. “I’ve always been really curious about what I did not learn in high school, middle school, and grade school about Native Americans and just minorities in general of the Old West. I use art as a chance to really focus on understanding and unearthing the stories of the underrepresented,” says Hazel.
Plain Owl, 36x48
Johnny, 24x36
Plain Owl was a Crow Chief from 1910. The Crow are one of the largest federally recognized tribes in Montana. Having 3 galleries in that state I wanted to get a better understanding of Native life there. The Crow have a very unique style and history. I have enjoyed researching and depicting Crow subjects over the years and will continue to do so.
I was particularly struck by this photo from friend Ivan McClellan of cowboy Johnny Yates Jr. His posture is stoic, calm, and confident; emblematic of cowboys both new and old. The upright side profile harkens back to classical forms of portraiture, yet Johnny is undeniably contemporary. In this painting, I imagine Johnny patiently waiting in the backroom at the rodeo competition minutes before he mounts a wild bull. In a figurative sense, he represents African American cowboys everywhere, who have been patiently waiting for recognition of their existence.
OPPOSTE PAGE (34) John Fire Lame Deer, 24x36 This is a portrait of Lakota holy man John Fire Lame Deer. Lame Deer came into the world at a time when Natives had already been sequestered from their land, and assimilation was in full effect. Born in 1903 on the Rosebud Indian Reservation, Lame Deer was eventually sent to boarding school to learn to live and act like a settler. Lame Deer never lost sight of his Sioux heritage, however, he took a keen interest in cowboy culture, and then some. As a young man, he traveled the circuit as a rider and rodeo clown. He was a self-admitted gambler, drinker, petty-thief, womanizer, and peyote advocate. Lame Deer eventually settled down and became a medicine man (aka “Holy Man”). Lame Deer was also a visionary and toured the country. His fame especially rose amongst Lakota and the American public alike during the 1960s. At this time Indigenous customs were given a sort of rebirth, combining Native spirituality with psychedelic drug culture. Lame Deer also participated in sit-ins protesting the excavation of the sacred Black Hills. A book was written about his life in 1972 by Richard Erdoes titled “Lame Deer, Seeker of Visions.” www.idahomemagazine.com
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Yellow Calf, 60x60
Prodigy, 30x40
This is a portrait of Arapaho Chief Yellow Calf from 1927. The Ethete, Wyoming native was considered the last formal Chief of his tribe before they were eventually modified to a council-based form of government. Yellow Calf took a keen interest in the youth of his people, at a time when they were adopting a more Euro-centric way of life. He was also an advocate of the Crow Dance Ceremony. This was similar to the Ghost Dance Movement adopted by Sitting Bull in that it was a supernatural ritual thought to interact with old spirits and inspire a sense of enlightenment, honor, and self-worth. The authors of “Arapahoe Politics 1861-1978” explain the Crow Dance as “an effort to restore a sense of prestige and belonging to tribal youth, unmoored by reservation life.” Yellow Calf worked tirelessly with the youth until his death in 1938.
The painting entitled “Prodigy” is a lighter piece. The subject serves as a depiction of a budding child rodeo star, full of innocence, fervor, and ambition to live out his dreams. It also shines a light on the lesser-known urban cowboy programs throughout the US that cultivate the kids’ love for rodeo and cowboy life.
The U.S government officially recognizes 574 Native tribes in the contiguous 48 states and Alaska. There are five federally recognized tribes in the state of Idaho: the Shoshone-Bannock, the Shoshone-Paiute, the Coeur d’Alene, the Kootenai, and the Nez Perce. Tribes differ in language, culture, and location. Today, a majority of tribe members reside on various reservations throughout the state, including the Coeur d’Alene Reservation, Duck Valley Reservation, Fort Hall Reservation, Kootenai Reservation, and the Nez Perce Reservation. Starting in the early 1800s, executive orders and treaties created land reservations. Leanne Campbell, an artist who works in cultural tourism and is a member of the Coeur d’Alene Tribe, says that it’s important to not only portray historical Native figures in art but also modern ones. “A lot of the time, we are presented as people from the past, but we are an active, living and breathing culture of people. It is important to have representation,” says Campbell. She also pointed to the importance of Native American artists having the opportunity to participate in spaces where Western art is displayed and sold. Hazel had been painting people and civil rights activists for quite some time, but Western art, specifically Native American portraits, gave him a new space in which to explore and grow. “I am a proponent of civil and human rights throughout history, but I use my platform and artistic ability to try and teach or highlight these people’s stories,” says Hazel. Daring to challenge the norms of the Western art world, Hazel puts in the work beyond painting by conducting extensive research ahead of time about the people he paints. However, that wasn’t
always the case. Starting out, Hazel wasn’t conscious about how he treated Native American subjects and was “just painting cool images,” not knowing the background and history of the people he chose from old photos. There are plenty of entertaining and individualistic pop art pieces in Hazel’s portfolio, but he’s now determined to better understand the subjects he chooses and includes a brief summary about the subject of each of his paintings. And, if he can’t find the names or understand the people he is researching, he’ll end the process all together. “The sad part is that it speaks to the lack of documentation. If I don’t find a name, tribe, or year then I shy away from it,” says Hazel. He avoids titling portraits as “unknowns,” saying that when he did that before he was being lazy. “I didn’t want to be just another Western artist,” says Hazel. “I’m trying to bridge a gap and have people enjoy my paintings but also feel educated.” Going beyond a Google search, he’ll connect with Native American painters to verify his information and the approach he takes to his work as a non-Native. Within the Western gallery space, Hazel says that people still aren’t having conversations about representation and cultural appropriation. “It seems like so many Western artists are appropriative white males who paint something for design’s sake and because it’s aesthetically pleasing. They don’t do much work finding out about what they’re painting,” says Hazel. Using his brush as a tool of inspiration, Hazel paints to compel viewers to learn more about First People’s history. Check out his work at aaronhazel.com.
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SWISS, AUSTRIAN, BAVARIAN, and GERMANIC delights in Boise
found at Das Alpenhaus Delikatessen
BY APRIL NEALE
J
amie Webster, Das Alpenhaus Delikatessen’s owner, grew up in Idaho and obtained dual citizenship in his father’s homeland of Bavaria, Germany. After a 2015 trip to the motherland, his love of the culture and the food
inspired him to open a proper delikatessen, German-style, in Boise. The shop is cheerful, colorful, quaint, and filled with gustatory delights, including 150+ beers. You can find crispy paprika potato chips alongside freshly baked German-style bread and desserts, seasonal treats like marzipan-filled stollen as well as frozen currywurst along with the proper currywurst sauce, or a stupefying selection of chocolates and grocery items that would make any visiting German feel right at home. Webster’s eatery and the market are laden with traditional fare from Germany and the surrounding Alpine regions, as he sells imported food products from Germany, Switzerland, and Austria. However, according to Webster, his true calling card is his addictive Schnitzel Sandwich. He says, “It
is a piece of pork loin that is pounded thin, egg-washed, breaded, and flashfried and served on a German pretzel bun, dressed in mayo, spicy brown mustard, fresh lettuce, tomatoes, and onions with a couple of German pickle spears on the side. We don’t usually serve any of our dishes with a side because they are filling enough on their own. However, we initially decided to go with the Schnitzel Sandwich—one of our first signature items—because folks wanted Schnitzel a lot, and we decided that, in true deli form, a Schnitzel Sandwich would be the way to go. The rest is history.” A Bench stalwart since late 2015, Das Alpenhaus Delikatessen has plans to expand, and Webster says the original restaurant footprint will enlarge sooner rather than later. Displayed European beers and wines are housed in a small cave-like nook at the back of the cold cases, and communal tables and seating make it a great place to meet like-minded fans of the cuisine and vibe. Das Alpenhaus Delikatessen (208) 426-0773 - 1340 S Vista Ave, Boise, ID 83705
www.idahomemagazine.com
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RIVER STREET EVOLUTION I
love spring! It holds special significance following two years of isolation, a pandemic, and uncertainty. This year, I’m joyful to raise my voice in celebration of yet another season, full of promise, a time to: • Reconnect and unite with community • Renew energy depleted by challenges of the past • Review and mobilize sources of power, influence, and opportunity • Re-establish personal, professional, community, and spiritual lives All of these are embodied in the recently completed restoration of the Erma Hayman House that will be home to a phenomenal cultural center, located at 617 Ash Street in the River Street neighborhood. This small 900-square-foot sandstone house constructed in 1907 (purportedly of the same sandstone used in the construction of the Idaho State House) represents a convergence of divergent entities joined in purposeful collaboration: Dick Madry and the Hayman family, Capitol City Development Corporation, Boise City Department of Arts and History and the Erma Hayman Task Force, Micron Foundation, Shannon McGuire of Spark Strategy Solutions, William A. White, PhD, Director, River Street Archeologist Project, hundreds of volunteers, and the University of Idaho. The facility will serve as a testament to
Boise’s commitment to historic preservation, arts and culture, a reminder of the challenges and triumphs of Blacks in Idaho and historical narratives of residents from the neighborhood. Additionally, William A. White, PhD, will present findings from archaeological projects including the discovery of a 1910 Basque Fronton, the recovery of 20,000 artifacts, and more, in late summer. The River Street neighborhood was dubbed, pejoratively, as “across the tracks” when I was a youngster, and “where the colored folks lived.” And while many Black families lived in the area (including mine) bordered on the south by River Street, the north by Front Street, west by Americana Boulevard, and 11th Street on the east, there were far more white folks living in the area than Blacks. However, River Street was one of few areas in Boise in which Black folks could rent and even purchase a home. And so it was that Mrs. Hayman and her husband purchased their home in the River Street neighborhood in 1948, where she lived, raised a family, contributed to the community, and toiled valiantly for 60+ years. The Erma Hayman house will pay homage to one petite, yet fiercely courageous Black woman, the daughter of Amanda Chouteau Dodge Andre and Charles
BY CHERIE BUCKNER-WEBB Edward Andre, born and raised in Nampa, Idaho, the 12th of 13 children. An Idahoan through and through, Mrs. Hayman was born on October 18, 1907, and passed away on November 2, 2009. Renowned New York sculptor and representational figurative artist, Vinnie Bagwell, has been selected to create a public art exhibit with interpretive panels at the Hayman House, which pays tribute to Mrs. Hayman’s life and work from the time of her family’s move to Nampa, Idaho, to the time of her death at age 102 here in Boise. This is not just the Hayman’s history. This is Boise’s history and therefore, your hometown history too.
Left: The Erma Hayman House today. Right: Erma Hayman in the snow.
JEANNE MADRY-YOUNG COLLECTION, MS078, BOISE CITY ARCHIVES
40
www.idahomemagazine.com
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