Public Art in 'The Big Potato'

"Creating a space for the arts in public life is a sign of growing civic maturity, said Karen Bubb, public art manager for Boise City Department of Art and History.

'A city has to have a distinct cultural presence. The arts have a strong role in attracting people to live there and in driving economy,' Bubb said.

Bubb started as a staff member for the volunteer Boise City Arts Commission in 1996. She has seen Boise's arts scene grow to the point where the commission became part of the city's Department of Art and History in 2007.

Boise is the big potato in the Valley, and the surrounding towns have existed in the glow of its arts. Now, those burgs have grown to a point where it is important to have their own identity, said Linda Butler, who heads the Eagle Arts Commission."