Public Art

Local Art for Light Boxes - Coming to downtown McCall soon!

Adri Meckel: “McCall is embraced by mountains, which creates a visual reminder that its rhythm is defined by a unique collaboration between its residents, the rugged terrain, seasonal weather, vast wildlife, and fluctuating tourism. These variables can sometimes create an unpredictable crunch on our town. The sketch of a storybook forest scene submitted for Pub Lightbox Public Art playfully suggests kindness as we interact with the precious habitat that we call home.”

Jack Aitchison: “A huge part of the shared bond between those that live here is the presence of nature and how we react to it. I have many fond memories from my childhood of seeing foxes on the route to school, and stopping in awe with my buddies when we would see a fox making its way over the snowy drifts.”

Jenni Ritch: “We have so many different staples that make McCall McCall…from the lake that lies front and center in our town, to the airport and Smokejumper base that brings activity to the skies. From the Ponderosa forests that shelter the foraging of morels and huckleberries, to the physical structures that shelter community events, like the Alpine Playhouse…I believe that what defines a healthy community is not just its physical attributes, but in a feeling of being connected accepted and supported. I want to give a literal reminder that ‘We are all connected,’ and that our community is not only a beautiful city, but a kind and accepting place to live and visit.”

Randy Resimius: “McCall isn’t merely a place on a map; it’s a sanctuary for adventurous spirits, a haven where true happiness lies not in material possessions but in the beauty of the world around us…In McCall we’re all about adventure and nature. Our town is surrounded by mountains, lakes, rivers, and forests, making life here pretty amazing.”

McCall's Public Art Collection

Download a map of McCall's entire public art collection here. Below are descriptions of just a few example pieces...

Downtown Mural Project: by Jay Rasgorshek
Installed 2023 on the McPaws Thrift Store building

Read the full Mill Whistle public art project proposal here.

Mill Whistle: Sound of an Era by Amy Westover  
Installed 2021 in Brown Park 

In McCall’s early years, logging and lumber production were principal industries largely responsible for the founding of McCall as a township. Several lumber mills were built over the years and all of them burned down. A few artifacts were salvaged from the final burn. The mill steam whistle being one of them. 

This public art project is meant to give back to McCall the sound that embodied the character and livelihood of the town for decades. It is meant to create a new “village” tradition of blowing the whistle each year both as a honoring of the past and also a distinct celebration of the present.

Read the full Mill Whistle public art project proposal here.

Our Confluence - 2nd Street Public Art Project by Erica and Jamie Laidlaw

Local artist/design team Erica and Jamie Laidlaw of Laidlaw Design Company designed and fabricated artwork to complement the recently-completed reconstruction of the city's downtown core. Their project, Our Confluence, celebrates the iconic local waterways of the South Fork and Main Salmon River in this functional concrete and metal bench installed at the corner of Lenora Street and 2nd Street at the heart of McCall. Review the full project description here.

Bridging the Source: Arts and Payette Lake 

The City of McCall, in partnership with the McCall Arts and Humanities Council and the National Endowment for the Arts, partnered with Boise, Idaho artist Susan Madacsi to create public art for the newly re-built Lardo Bridge at the outlet of beautiful Payette Lake. The artwork, called "Seasons," consists of four forged steel and kiln formed glass sculptures installed on each of the four corners of the bridge. 

Listen to an interview with the artist on BSU Public Radio's Idaho Matters here.

See a video documenting the project here.

Mountain Goats at Play 

In summer 2016, artist Matt Babcock of Seattle, WA, installed a grouping of three powder coated aluminum goat sculptures in a newly created pedestrian plaza next to the historic Alpine Playhouse in downtown McCall. The goats jump and play from natural stone seating elements, creating a fun public gathering place. The plaza and public art project was funded thanks to grants and contributions from Idaho Commission on the Arts, Idaho First Bank, Northwest Hardscape Specialties, City of McCall, and many generous citizens of McCall.

Rotary Park Railings 

The City of   McCall, in partnership with the McCall Improvement Committee and the  Idaho Commission on the Arts commissioned artist and fabricator Susan Bond to create unique railings for new stairs leading to the lake front in Rotary Park. Look for the hand-forged "Waves of Payette Lake" while you enjoy the view. The artwork was installed in 2016.