The Art Museum of Eastern Idaho is planning on expanding its art education programs to a new building.
The museum will host a fundraising brunch on Sunday from 11:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. to raise money for the new education center.
Museum Communications Director Chloe O’Laughlin said the community’s response to the plans for the new center have been supportive, with many people giving back to the museum through donations.
“We’ve been a community-based museum pretty much since the beginning. We live to serve the community. We really try very hard to be there for all aspects of our community, regardless of income, regardless of family size. It definitely shows that we’ve been working hard and doing well, because the community that has come to back us has been absolutely incredible,” O’Laughlin said.
The education center will still include child, youth and adult classes as well as the different workshops, such as watercolor painting, oil painting, sculpture and clay workshops.
O’Laughlin said the museum plans to introduce a new lecture series as well, which will go into the new education center. The lectures will range from architecture to art oddities.
New additions with the education center will include a printmaking studio and ceramic studio, both of which will be accessible outside of the museum's regular hours.
This means anyone who is a member of the museum will be able to work on projects in the studios, even if the museum is not open.
O’Laughlin said the thing she is looking forward to the most with the new center is the wrap-around patio with a view of the Snake River.
“When it comes to artwork, you can’t have windows everywhere, just because of how sunlight affects artwork over time, so I think having access to see the actual view that we have behind our museum is going to be really stunning,” O’Laughlin said.
Ground has not yet been broken for the new education center, but O’Laughlin said the blueprints are drawn and there are plans to start construction in the next few years, with a three-year capital campaign already underway to fund the project.
Proceeds from the brunch on Sunday will go toward the museum and funding for the new education center.
Entry for the brunch costs $80.
O’Laughlin said brunch guests will have access to brunch catered from A Street Soup Market, access to the museum outside of regular hours and will get to participate in a special art project at the museum as well.
To purchase tickets to the brunch, visit the museum's website.
If you cannot come to the brunch, there are other ways to contribute as well. To donate to the museum online, visit their website.