Surel's Place

YOUR CREATIVE VISION: DRAWING WORKSHOP
2025-11-22 13:00 - 16:00 (America/Boise) | Surel’s Place, 212 E. 33rd Street, Garden City, 83714, United States
WORKSHOPYOUR CREATIVE VISION: DRAWING WORKSHOPSaturday, November 22nd | 1:00pm – 4:00pm

$45 | General Registration

$35 | Surel’s Place Sustaining Membership (with Special Passcode)

Partial scholarships available by request to info@surelsplace.org

at Surel’s Place: 212 E. 33rd Street in Garden City

REGISTER

Marshall Toomey will lead a workshop sharing drawing tips to incorporate into your own art practice. The class will be a combination of lecture and observational drawing from still life. Included will be practice studying light and shadows, and, throughout the day, you’ll have plenty of time to experiment, ask questions, and get personalized feedback.

All experience levels are welcome. All materials supplied.

BIOGRAPHY

Marshal Toomey (California) is an accomplished artist with a career spanning over 40 years as a painter, illustrator, and movie animator. He was born and raised in Kansas City, Missouri but moved to Southern California in the seventies to pursue his artistic career.

He worked for 20 years at the Walt Disney Animation Studio with credits including the supervising character lead in the creation of the animation of Rafiki in the The Lion King and Quasimodo in The Hunchback of the Notre Dame. You can see the many films he has worked on at his IMBD profile here. He has also illustrated many books – one of them being the The Lion King book published after the movie.

Marshall describes his work as autobiographical. “My own style is blended with traditional techniques to create an enriched view of the life I’ve experienced. I placed myself in the scene along with other characters from my life. I am taking a look at the positives in everyday life; the perspectives, traditions, and routines of being outside of the struggles.”

Fall Yard Day
2025-11-10 14:00 - 17:00 | Surel’s Place, 212 E. 33rd Street, Garden City, 83714, United States
VOLUNTEERFALL YARD DAY

Monday, November 10th | 2:00pm – 5:00pm

You can be a part of this incredible community of artists and art lovers. Volunteers are crucial to the work we do together to support the arts in Idaho.

We will be hosting a volunteer gardening day on Monday, November, 10th. Snacks and drinks will be provided. Surel’s Place has an assortment of garden tools, but feel free to bring garden gloves and any tools you think might be helpful. See you there!

If you are interested in gardening or other volunteer opportunities please fill out our Volunteer Interest Form.

Art Talk and Exhibition: The Souls of Resilience
2025-11-03 18:30 - 20:30 | Surel’s Place, 212 E. 33rd Street, Garden City, 83714, United States
ART TALK AND EXHIBITIONTHE SOULS OF RESILIENCEMonday, November 3rd | 6:30pm – 8:30pm

This residency is a collaboration with Global Lounge who is supporting music by Classical Queens during the reception beginning at 6:30pm. Art Talk at 7:30pm.

free

at Surel’s Place: 212 E. 33rd Street in Garden City

During her residency, artist Yidan Guo focused on creating new portraits of immigrant and refugee women—rooted in deep connection: she visited Boise’s local immigrant and refugee communities, conducting heartfelt interviews to infuse her work with their lived experiences.

At this event, you’ll encounter these new, high-quality portraits alongside existing pieces from her ongoing series Women Who Are Immigrants and Refugees. Together, the works weave a richer, more nuanced tapestry of the diverse experiences within our community.

This is your chance to engage deeply: explore the exhibition, hear the stories behind the portraits, and join Yidan for an intimate art talk. She’ll share her creative process, the challenges she navigated, and the profound insights gained through this project—followed by a Q&A where you can dive deeper.

Come connect with art that honors resilience, identity, and the threads that bind our community.

BIOGRAPHY

Yidan’s journey as a painter has spanned thousands of miles, from her birthplace in China to her present home in the US. This migratory experience has deeply influenced her choice of subject matter: women who are immigrants and refugees. As an Asian immigrant and a woman artist, there’s a shared bond, a collective experience of navigating new cultures, which forms the core of her creative exploration.

At the age of 15, Yidan began eight years of rigorous training at China Central Academy of Fine Arts – the most prestigious art school in China and earned her Bachelor of Art degree in Chinese Painting. In 2005 she earned a master’s degree in Philosophy from Renmin University of China and a MFA from Idaho State University in 2024.

This residency is in collaboration with Global Lounge.

Workshop: Watercolor Painting Techniques for Beginners
2025-10-26 13:00 - 16:00 | Surel’s Place, 212 E. 33rd Street, Garden City, 83714, United States
WORKSHOPWATERCOLOR PAINTING TECHNIQUES FOR BEGINNERSSunday, October 26th | 1:00pm – 4:00pm

$45 | General Admission$35 | Surel’s Place Sustaining Member Admission (register with Special Passcode)Partial scholarships are available by request to info@surelsplace.org.

REGISTER

Watercolor is a vibrant, approachable medium that invites creativity—even if you’ve never picked up a brush before! In this workshop, artist Yidan Guo will guide you through the fundamentals of watercolor, making it easy to start exploring.

You’ll learn essential basics, including:

Key materials (paints, brushes, paper) and how to use them

Core techniques: wet-on-wet (blending colors on damp surface), wet-on-dry (applying color to dry surface), and dry-on-dry (layering crisp, dry brushstrokes)

Brushwork styles and simple composition tips to make your art feel balanced

Yidan will demonstrate each technique step-by-step, and you’ll get plenty of hands-on time to practice. By the end of the workshop, you’ll walk away with new skills and a finished watercolor piece of your own to take home.

No prior experience needed—just bring curiosity and a willingness to play!All experience levels are welcome. All materials supplied.

BIOGRAPHY

Yidan’s journey as a painter has spanned thousands of miles, from her birthplace in China to her present home in the US. This migratory experience has deeply influenced her choice of subject matter: women who are immigrants and refugees. As an Asian immigrant and a woman artist, there’s a shared bond, a collective experience of navigating new cultures, which forms the core of her creative exploration.

At the age of 15, Yidan began eight years of rigorous training at China Central Academy of Fine Arts – the most prestigious art school in China and earned her Bachelor of Art degree in Chinese Painting. In 2005 she earned a master’s degree in Philosophy from Renmin University of China and a MFA from Idaho State University in 2024.

Workshop: Watercolor Painting Techniques for Beginners
2025-10-25 13:00 - 16:00 | Surel’s Place, 212 E. 33rd Street, Garden City, 83714, United States
WORKSHOPWATERCOLOR PAINTING TECHNIQUES FOR BEGINNERSSaturday, October 25th | 1:00pm – 4:00pm

$45 | General Admission$35 | Surel’s Place Sustaining Member Admission (register with Special Passcode)Partial scholarships are available by request to info@surelsplace.org.

REGISTER

Watercolor is a vibrant, approachable medium that invites creativity—even if you’ve never picked up a brush before! In this workshop, artist Yidan Guo will guide you through the fundamentals of watercolor, making it easy to start exploring.

You’ll learn essential basics, including:

Key materials (paints, brushes, paper) and how to use them

Core techniques: wet-on-wet (blending colors on damp surface), wet-on-dry (applying color to dry surface), and dry-on-dry (layering crisp, dry brushstrokes)

Brushwork styles and simple composition tips to make your art feel balanced

Yidan will demonstrate each technique step-by-step, and you’ll get plenty of hands-on time to practice. By the end of the workshop, you’ll walk away with new skills and a finished watercolor piece of your own to take home.

No prior experience needed—just bring curiosity and a willingness to play!All experience levels are welcome. All materials supplied.

BIOGRAPHY

Yidan’s journey as a painter has spanned thousands of miles, from her birthplace in China to her present home in the US. This migratory experience has deeply influenced her choice of subject matter: women who are immigrants and refugees. As an Asian immigrant and a woman artist, there’s a shared bond, a collective experience of navigating new cultures, which forms the core of her creative exploration.

At the age of 15, Yidan began eight years of rigorous training at China Central Academy of Fine Arts – the most prestigious art school in China and earned her Bachelor of Art degree in Chinese Painting. In 2005 she earned a master’s degree in Philosophy from Renmin University of China and a MFA from Idaho State University in 2024.

BOSCO: Boise Open Studio Tour
2025-10-12 10:00 - 18:00 | Surel’s Place, 212 E. 33rd Street, Garden City, 83714, United States
BOISE OPEN STUDIOS TOURYIDAN GUOSaturday & Sunday, October 11th & 12th10:00am – 6:00pm

free

at Surel’s Place: 212 E. 33rd Street in Garden City

Boise Open Studios Collective Organization features over 125 Treasure Valley artists working in painting, sculpture, photography, ceramics, printmaking, jewelry, textiles, mosaic, collage, assemblage, digital images, and glass. Our main event, the Open Studios Tour, occurs during the first two weekends of October each year, with half of the artists opening their studios on the first weekend and the rest on the second. This event aims to enhance public understanding of the artistic process, foster connections, and build community.

Join us at Surel’s Place to see the work of our Artist-in-Residence Yidan Guo. Yidan’s journey as a painter has spanned thousands of miles, from her birthplace in China to her present home in the US.This migratory experience has deeply influenced her choice of subject matter: women who are immigrants and refugees. As an Asian immigrant and a woman artist, there’s a shared bond, a collective experience of navigating new cultures, which forms the core of her creative exploration.

At the age of 15, Yidan began eight years of rigorous training at China Central Academy of Fine Arts – the most prestigious art school in China and earned her Bachelor of Art degree in Chinese Painting. In 2005 she earned a master’s degree in Philosophy from Renmin University of China and a MFA from Idaho State University in 2024.

BOSCO OPEN STUDIOS TOUR

BOSCO: Boise Open Studios Tour
2025-10-11 10:00 - 18:00 | Surel’s Place, 212 E. 33rd Street, Garden City, 83714, United States
BOISE OPEN STUDIOS TOURYIDAN GUOSaturday & Sunday, October 11th & 12th10:00am – 6:00pm

free

at Surel’s Place: 212 E. 33rd Street in Garden City

Boise Open Studios Collective Organization (BOSCO) features over 125 Treasure Valley artists working in painting, sculpture, photography, ceramics, printmaking, jewelry, textiles, mosaic, collage, assemblage, digital images, and glass. BOSCO’s main event, the Open Studios Tour, occurs during the first two weekends of October each year, with half of the artists opening their studios on the first weekend and the rest on the second. This event aims to enhance public understanding of the artistic process, foster connections, and build community.

Join us at Surel’s Place to see the work of our Artist-in-Residence Yidan Guo. Yidan’s journey as a painter has spanned thousands of miles, from her birthplace in China to her present home in the US. This migratory experience has deeply influenced her choice of subject matter: women who are immigrants and refugees. As an Asian immigrant and a woman artist, there’s a shared bond, a collective experience of navigating new cultures, which forms the core of her creative exploration.

At the age of 15, Yidan began eight years of rigorous training at China Central Academy of Fine Arts – the most prestigious art school in China and earned her Bachelor of Art degree in Chinese Painting. In 2005 she earned a master’s degree in Philosophy from Renmin University of China and a MFA from Idaho State University in 2024.

BOSCO OPEN STUDIOS TOUR

Dark Night Artist Talkback
2025-10-06 19:00 - 20:30 | Surel’s Place, 212 E. 33rd Street, Garden City, 83714, United States
Join Andrew Nemr at an intimate gathering as he shares stories from his groundbreaking 12-hour performance. On August 8, 2025, Andrew performed DARK NIGHT LIVE, a 12-hour improvised solo tap dance inviting participants to encounter, reflect on, and honor the choice to endure dark nights of the soul.

At this Artist Talkback, Andrew will share anecdotes from behind the scenes, his experience of performing Dark Night Live, and what is next for the project.

Be the first to see official photos from the performance, enjoy snacks and drinks, and join the conversation.

RSVP

This event will be livestreamed on Andrew Nemr’s channel on YouTube.

"Heavy Weather:" Garth Claassen Open Gallery Hours
2025-10-05 10:00 - 13:00 | Surel’s Place, 212 E. 33rd Street, Garden City, 83714, United States
FLASH SHOW GALLERY HOURSHEAVY WEATHER with GARTH CLAASSENSunday, October 5th | 10:00am – 1:00pm

free

at Surel’s Place: 212 E. 33rd Street in Garden City

ARTIST STATEMENT

I work a lot in mixed media and often make pieces that consist of multiple, regular parts. The layout is somewhat like the panels in a comic book or graphic novel, and it implies a narrative, although there is no coherent story arc. Sometimes small printouts of earlier works are collaged onto pieces along with related sketches, other images, and simple abstract shapes. I am interested in process, specifically the exploitation of chance textures that arise during the making of the work.

Much of my work explores the tension between flat shapes and modeled forms, jagged and rounded contours, strong value contrasts, and dramatic changes in scale. This sense of struggle and conflict prompted my exhibition title, Heavy Weather. The bulbous white forms were partly inspired by Alfred Jarry’s King Ubu, a comically vulgar and satirical play first performed in 1895. The flatter black shapes are partly indebted to Eugene Ionescu’s absurdist play, Rhinoceros, of 1950. The former play was probably a critique of imperialism and corruption, and the latter is considered an allegory of the rise of fascism, but I have made no attempt to illustrate the plot of either play.

The ambiguity of the imagery is not intended to confuse the beholder (although it may do that). Rather, it is an invitation to viewers to construct their own stories based on what they see in my work.

BIOGRAPHY

Garth Claassen studied art at the University of Natal, Pietermaritzburg, South Africa, earning a BAFA in 1976, with majors in ceramics, art history, and English, and then a Postgraduate Diploma in Fine Arts.

In 1982 Claassen was awarded a Fulbright Fellowship to study art history at Indiana University in Bloomington, graduating in 1991 with a doctorate in the history of modern art. During his time at Indiana, he continued to make ceramic sculpture, and mixed-media abstract collages. In 1989 he returned to South Africa and taught there for five years. Claassen joined The College of Idaho in 1994. He taught art history, life drawing, and painting. His attitude to making art has been deeply influenced by his academic studies and teaching experience.

Claassen’s work has been included in three Idaho Triennial Exhibitions—1995, 1998, 2011, and he was awarded Idaho Commission of the Arts Fellowships for 2001, 2009, and 2023. He has exhibited at the College of Idaho, the College of Southern Idaho, the Stewart Gallery in Boise, the Boise Art Museum, the Visual Arts Collective in Garden City, MING Studios in Boise, the Art Association Gallery, Jackson Hole, Wyoming, the Yellowstone Art Museum, Billings, Montana, and the Prichard Gallery, University of Idaho.

"Heavy Weather:" Garth Claassen Opening Reception/Art Talk
2025-10-04 17:30 - 20:30 | Surel’s Place, 212 E. 33rd Street, Garden City, 83714, United States
FLASH SHOW RECEPTION & ARTIST TALKHEAVY WEATHER with Garth ClaassenSaturday, October 4th | 5:30pm – 8:30pm | Artist Talk at 7:00pm

free

at Surel’s Place: 212 E. 33rd Street in Garden City

ARTIST STATEMENT

I work a lot in mixed media and often make pieces that consist of multiple, regular parts. The layout is somewhat like the panels in a comic book or graphic novel, and it implies a narrative, although there is no coherent story arc. Sometimes small printouts of earlier works are collaged onto pieces along with related sketches, other images, and simple abstract shapes. I am interested in process, specifically the exploitation of chance textures that arise during the making of the work.Much of my work explores the tension between flat shapes and modeled forms, jagged and rounded contours, strong value contrasts, and dramatic changes in scale. This sense of struggle and conflict prompted my exhibition title, Heavy Weather. The bulbous white forms were partly inspired by Alfred Jarry’s King Ubu, a comically vulgar and satirical play first performed in 1895. The flatter black shapes are partly indebted to Eugene Ionescu’s absurdist play, Rhinoceros, of 1950. The former play was probably a critique of imperialism and corruption, and the latter is considered an allegory of the rise of fascism, but I have made no attempt to illustrate the plot of either play.The ambiguity of the imagery is not intended to confuse the beholder (although it may do that). Rather, it is an invitation to viewers to construct their own stories based on what they see in my work.

BIOGRAPHY

Garth Claassen studied art at the University of Natal, Pietermaritzburg, South Africa, earning a BAFA in 1976, with majors in ceramics, art history, and English, and then a Postgraduate Diploma in Fine Arts.

In 1982 Claassen was awarded a Fulbright Fellowship to study art history at Indiana University in Bloomington, graduating in 1991 with a doctorate in the history of modern art. During his time at Indiana, he continued to make ceramic sculpture, and mixed-media abstract collages. In 1989 he returned to South Africa and taught there for five years. Claassen joined The College of Idaho in 1994. He taught art history, life drawing, and painting. His attitude to making art has been deeply influenced by his academic studies and teaching experience.

Claassen’s work has been included in three Idaho Triennial Exhibitions—1995, 1998, 2011, and he was awarded Idaho Commission of the Arts Fellowships for 2001, 2009, and 2023. He has exhibited at the College of Idaho, the College of Southern Idaho, the Stewart Gallery in Boise, the Boise Art Museum, the Visual Arts Collective in Garden City, MING Studios in Boise, the Art Association Gallery, Jackson Hole, Wyoming, the Yellowstone Art Museum, Billings, Montana, and the Prichard Gallery, University of Idaho.

ADDITIONAL FLASH SHOW GALLERY HOURS:Sunday, October 5th | 10:00am – 1:00pm

First Friday Art & Studio Stroll
2025-10-03 17:30 - 21:30 | Surel Mitchell Live-Work-Create District, 212 E. 33rd Street, Garden City, Idaho, 83714
Garden City’s Surel L. Mitchell Live-Work-Create District is bustling with artists, artisans, and creative, artisanal businesses. Come to our neighborhood on the river as much as you can, but especially during our First Friday Art & Studio Stroll. You’ll find many locations open during the event, including artist studios, restaurants, and businesses featuring art events. In addition, there will be special events at many locations, including exhibits, readings, and performances.

More information about the next First Friday, is available at The LWC District First Friday Event Page on Facebook.

See below to view an interactive Google map of the First Friday participating venues.

OCTOBER 3RD HIGHLIGHTS

“Illuminate” projected video art and things that shine in the dark: 7:30pm – 9:30pm.

Surel’s Place

212 E. 33rd Street

In the gallery, Heavy Weather exhibition by Garth Claassen.

Material Mirages Projection artists from the 2025 CWI Sculpture Class:

Ava Madrigal, Gracie Sosa, Sadie Meyer, Bronwyn Hitchcock, Ellie Wilson, Ilene Antonov, Madi Miller, Nalani Roberts, Casey Stitzel, Natalie Masterson, Emily Hall, Josefine Carver

The Tiny House ILLUMINATED!

Material Mirages Projection artists from 2025 CWI Sculpture Class: Eden Hunt, Ali Henslee, Ahmed Abouzeid, Kim Bessette, Kiwi Edington.

The GreenBox

Rhythm Brie Schettle & Megan White ILLUMINATED!

The Holdover House

3338 N Carr Street

Sally Brock, paintings

On loading dock at SGW Designworks – New Venue!

Corner of Clay & 33rd

Vievvs The Band, 7:00pm – 8:00pm ILLUMINATED!

ensemble performs instrumental music set to video

andrew | keys, guitar, style

chuck | vidZARD

john | cello, ·̩̩̥͙＊•̩̩͙✩•̩̩͙˚˚•̩̩͙✩•̩̩͙˚＊·̩̩̥͙

mike | space gator, clarinet

The Waterfront District

First time in many years!

3640 N Willowbar Ln

Sara Hill (Painting)

Samuel Paden (Pottery)

Sandra Shaw (Painting)

Linda Williams (Painting)

Wade Bollinger (Oil Painting)

Plus a dedication to the Mosaic along the Greenbelt at 6:30pm with artist Reham Aarti

Visual Arts Collective (VAC)

3638 Osage Street

“When the Light is Right”

Recent paintings by

Terry Vineyard – Rick Friesen

Oldspeak

3640 W Chinden Blvd

solo show by Jaime Roberts aka Amended Archives (mixed media highlighting the feminine experience)

Water’s Edge Gallery at The Riverside Hotel

2900 W Chinden Blvd

Main Level

OPUS by Treasure Valley Artists Alliance

New Gallery! The Catwalk

perched above the Event Center and Fireplace Foyer

The Color of Sound, featuring seven local artists whose work explores the intersection of visual art and sound. Each piece invites you to imagine what it might sound like—what rhythm, melody, or tone it might carry.

Ken Levy

Preston Craig

Killi Smith

Irina Mackay

David Rodriguiez

Mary Docktor

Hilary Ackley

The Common Well

110 W. 31st Street

You are invited to wander throughout the building to see all of the many artists in their studios.

Gallery- Luma Jasim: Rage Given Over to Mourning

2nd floor popup- Bex Wilkinson Opening!

Create Gallery & Frames

3520 W Chinden Blvd

Nicole Hitchcock Contemporary Art

206 E 35th Street

Door #3 Artist Collective

413 E. 37th Street

Home to Mosaic Essentials and other artist events.

Zion Warne Studios

3242 W. Chinden Blvd

Glassblowing

sPacePort

112 E. 33rd Street

Jessica Evett

Lala’s Fresh Pots

eC wares

Kim Bennett Porter

Lindsay Rae

Starbelly Dancers ILLUMINATED!

Justin Blauch ILLUMINATED!

Goran Fazil ILLUMINATED! (pictured)

Grandpa Crump (Music)

Becoming Who I Always Was: A Graphic Memoir of Trauma and the Search for Identity
2025-09-29 19:00 - 20:30 | Surel’s Place, 212 E. 33rd Street, Garden City, 83714, United States
FINAL EVENT & ARTIST TALKBECOMING WHO I ALWAYS WAS: A GRAPHIC MEMOIR OF TRAUMA AND THE SEARCH FOR IDENTITYMonday, September 29th | 7:00pm – 8:30pm

free

at Surel’s Place: 212 E. 33rd Street in Garden City

Maja Miłkowska-Shibata will share from her graphic memoir weaving together themes of growing up with a disability, navigating a dysfunctional home, and building a career within the healthcare field. The memoir follows her experience as a patient undergoing forearm-lengthening surgeries due to an infection in infancy, alongside the highs and lows of her professional journey in health sciences, which took her from Poland to the Netherlands, across South Asia, and eventually to the United States. Through this work, she examines the lasting effects of medical trauma, the intergenerational impact of addiction, and the complexities of navigating the healthcare system.

The genre of graphic medicine blends the medium of comics and the discourse of healthcare, merging the principles of narrative medicine with visual storytelling. Moved by the power of visual storytelling to capture the complexities of personal experience, Maja strives for an intimate and authentic account of her journey. Her graphic memoir integrates written narrative with visual storytelling, including sequential art, illustrations, photographs, and archival documents, all presented in her own handwriting.

The art talk will be followed by a short Q&A and reception.

Open Zine Studio with Maja Miłkowska-Shibata
2025-09-24 17:00 - 20:00 | Garden City Public Library, 6015 N Glenwood St, Garden City, Idaho, 83714, United States
OPEN STUDIOOpen Zine Studio with Maja Miłkowska-ShibataWednesday, September 24th | 5:00pm – 8:00pm

free

at the Garden City Public Library

Join us for a hands-on evening exploring the art of zines! Maja Miłkowska-Shibata, Artist-in-Residence at Surel’s Place, will guide the participants in creating their own mini comic zines. Discover how this DIY medium can be used for self-expression, storytelling, and community connection. All supplies provided. Parental supervision is required for younger makers.

Open Studio: Maja's Comic-Making Journey
2025-09-18 09:30 - 17:30 | Lake Hazel Library, 10489 W Lake Hazel Rd, Boise, Idaho, 83709, United States
OPEN STUDIOMAJA’S COMIC-MAKING JOURNEYThursday, September 18th | 9:30am – 5:30pm

free

at Lake Hazel Library

Drawing from Experience: An Introduction to Graphic Medicine and Creating Autobiographical Comics
2025-09-13 13:00 - 16:00 | Surel’s Place, 212 E. 33rd Street, Garden City, 83714, United States
WORKSHOP

Drawing from Experience: An Introduction to Graphic Medicine and Creating Autobiographical Comics

$45 | General Admission$35 | Surel’s Place Sustaining Member Admission (register with Special Passcode)Partial scholarships are available by request to info@surelsplace.org.

REGISTER

In this workshop with Maja Milkowska-Shibata, we will explore the advantages of comics as a medium, highlighting their various applications, such as simplifying complex concepts to enhance understanding and knowledge retention. We invite participants to focus on personal encounters with illness and disability exploring the genre of graphic medicine. These applications will be illustrated with examples from published graphic medicine works, showcasing various visual styles and diverse authors.

As a hands-on exercise, the workshop participants will choose a memorable or challenging topic to transform into a short comic strip. We will start by developing a written narrative, which will then be adapted into a script and illustrated as a one-page zine. Participants will learn the basics of creating comics and relevant terminology. No drawing experience will be required, and participants will be able to use publicly available images for reference.

After completing the comic, we will discuss participants’ impressions of using a visual format to convey information, share experiences, and express emotions. Participants will be encouraged to complete and publish their works as zines, which can be copied and distributed at Surel’s Place community spaces, the local libraries, or submitted to short comic calls.

Mix + Mingle + Maja
2025-09-12 15:30 - 17:00 | Oldspeak Bar, 3640 W Chinden Blvd, Garden City, Idaho, 83714, United States
Come meet Maja and see some of her work on display during Happy Hour at Oldspeak! She will also have some zines available.

Maja Milkowska-Shibata (Illinois) was born and raised in Poland. She is a public health professional and medical interpreter by training, using writing and art to share stories and perspectives. Over the past few years, she began seeking a deeper connection to humanity in her work, which led her to discover the field of graphic medicine, which uses comics to discuss health-related topics. Her comics have been featured in Sequential Artists Workshop Anthologies (2023, 2024), as well as in the journals The Rhetoric of Health and Medicine (2023), Intima (2024), and Tendon (2025).

Exhibit and Art Talk: The OmniGripper
2025-08-29 19:00 - 20:30 | Surel’s Place, 212 E. 33rd Street, Garden City, 83714, United States
EXHIBITION & ARTIST TALKThe OmniGripperFriday, August 29th | 7:00pm – 8:30pm

Alieh Rezaei has created four fiber-based panels depicting the emergence of bodies and organs from the chest of a mountain. These works are inspired by four monumental tombs carved high into a cliff face in her native Iran. Her research centers on Naqsh-e Rostam, a necropolis northwest of Persepolis, where rock-cut tombs honoring Achaemenid kings (circa 550–330 BCE) embody both historical preservation and political narrative. Reinterpreting these carved facades through a personal lens, she engages the body as a site of memory and transformation. At the heart of this project is an investigation of materiality: she associates the woolen texture of rock with a Quranic verse that describes mountains turning into carded wool on the Day of Judgment–an image etched into her memory since childhood. This symbolic connection becomes a framework for confronting and resisting recurring cycles of pressure, as she continuously reshapes carded wool, reclaiming the repetitive act of needle-felting as a gesture of endurance and transformation.

The art talk will be followed by a short Q&A and reception.

Workshop: Felting Techniques
2025-08-23 13:00 - 16:00 | Surel’s Place, 212 E. 33rd Street, Garden City, 83714, United States
WORKSHOPFELTING TECHNIQUESSaturday, August 23rd | 1:00pm – 4:00pm

Open to ages 16 & up – beginners to advanced.

$45 | General Admission$35 | Surel’s Place Sustaining Member Admission (register with Special Passcode)Partial scholarships are available by request to info@surelsplace.org.

REGISTER!

This workshop with Artist-in-Residence Alieh Rezaei explores the ancient art of felting, with a focus on Iranian nomadic techniques and their global counterparts. Participants will delve into the historical, cultural, and emotional significance of the wet-felting process.

By the end of the workshop, participants will have created their own 2D felted pieces, using their chosen color compositions and personal design preferences.

Reeb Willms & Caleb Klauder at the VAC
2025-08-02 19:00 - 22:00 | Visual Arts Collective, 3638 Osage St., Garden City, Idaho, 83714, United States
SUREL’S PLACE PRESENTS: REEB WILLMS & CALEB KLAUDER

Saturday, August 2ndDoors 7:00pm | Show 8:00pm

The melody of a song can come back to us over and over throughout our lives, but a Surel’s Place resident coming back to our community is not as common. Surel’s Place is pleased to present Alumna Artist-in-Residence Reeb Willms with Caleb Klauder, a country roots music duo bringing soulful harmonies, driving dance tunes, and classic original songs. It’s been 6 years since Reeb’s artist residency at Surel’s Place where she led harmony singing workshops and developed her own original songwriting. She shared this personal music for the first time at The Audio Lab and now one of those songs, “All About Love,” is her first ever published song in the their new album, Gold In Your Pocket (2024). Join Surel’s Place at the Visual Arts Collective to listen to heartfelt music, tunes both new and old, and celebrate hardworking artists and our vibrant arts community.

THANK YOU TO OUR GENEROUS TITLE SPONSOR:

THANK YOU TO OUR GENEROUS SUPPORTING SPONSOR:

ABOUT CALEB AND REEB

Caleb Klauder and Reeb Willms live in the San Juan Islands of Washington, though until recently, home was Portland, OR. They are foundational to the exceptional old-time and country music scene in the Pacific NW with the Caleb Klauder Reeb Willms Country Band and their membership in the Foghorn Stringband, of which Caleb was a founding member. Charismatic performers, they bring their unique set of talents to the stage with an eye towards good times and an ear towards the deepest songs and tunes.

Caleb Klauder and Reeb Willms both originally hail from Washington State: Caleb from the coastal islands, and Reeb from the high desert plateau. The two have come together in music and are hailed as some of the most compelling musicians making country roots music in America today. When these two sing together, their honest incantations leave us spell-bound and smiling.

Their repertoire is made up of original songs and tunes as well as gems from American roots repertoires, and the music they make is Americana in the truest sense of the word. Music is clearly in their blood. Caleb and Reeb’s originals and interpretations of songs have been covered and recorded by many performers and their musical presence reaches into a diverse and loyal fanbase, giving creedance to the impact that this duo has on their listeners. Pillars of the Northwest music scene, they carry the torch of their music around the world, and can be found touring as a duo, as well as with the Caleb Klauder Reeb Willms Country Band, their bluegrass band the Cali Cutups, and with the Foghorn Stringband. Their fans exude admiration for the timeless sound that these two produce, capturing the essence of American roots music.

First Friday Art and Studio Stroll
2025-08-01 17:30 - 20:30 | Surel Mitchell Live-Work-Create District, 212 E. 33rd Street, Garden City, Idaho, 83714
Garden City’s Surel L. Mitchell Live-Work-Create District is bustling with artists, artisans, and creative, artisanal businesses. Come to our neighborhood on the river as much as you can, but especially during our First Friday Art & Studio Stroll. You’ll find many locations open during the event, including artist studios, restaurants, and businesses featuring art events. In addition, there will be special events at many locations, including exhibits, readings, and performances.

More information about the next First Friday, is available at The LWC District First Friday Event Page on Facebook.

See below to view an interactive Google map of the First Friday participating venues.

Concert: DEATH'S MOTIF
2025-07-31 19:00 - 20:30 | Surel’s Place, 212 E. 33rd Street, Garden City, 83714, United States
CONCERTDEATH’S MOTIFThursday, July 31st

Musician and composer Siobhan Cassidy Robinson has been writing music during this residency that goes beyond the concert stage. She is conceiving a stage production set in the heart of mid-1900s New York, during the golden age of Broadway, where director Theodore “Teddy” Blackwood is preparing for his most ambitious play yet! Beneath the glittering surface of the theater, something sinister is unfolding: actors and staff disappear–or worse, turn up dead! The composer and music director, Edmund Vale, secretly uses these dark events as inspiration for his compositions. Unable to finish the final song due to his growing infatuation with the lead actress, Celine Dubois, the show is at risk, and the mystery surrounding the theater grows darker. With the support of local musicians forming a quartet, Cassidy will share some of the immersive music at the core of each character.

This programming is supported in part by Creative West and the National Endowment for the Arts.

Workshop: Color Your Brain, But Which Color?
2025-07-19 13:00 - 16:00 | Surel’s Place, 212 E. 33rd Street, Garden City, 83714, United States
$35 | General Registration$25 | Surel’s Place Monthly Sustaining Members (Access with Passcode)

Register

Experiencing writer’s block? Feeling like you are in a rut? Don’t know what to work on next? The issue may not be a lack of material- it could be your process. This workshop will create a space for you to consider not just what but how you enjoy creating.

Musician and composer Siobhan Cassidy Robinson will guide you through activities to reveal a direction you want to take when you’re unsure what to create. Whether you are a visual artist, performing artist, or a writer- this workshop offers a variety of activities to expand your paths to creativity. This will also be a networking opportunity to learn from other creatives about what work gets people excited, what sounds/looks beautiful, and the stories that inspire. You will find your color personality and what clues that offers for your work. Activities drawn from music, theater, and visual art will lead you on a path to color your brain!

This programming is supported in part by Creative West and the National Endowment for the Arts.

Cover image by Surel MitchellUntitled (Davis Commission), acrylic on canvas, 5′ x 8′, 2010Commissioned by Julia Davis of Boise, this was the largest painting Surel ever made. Untitled, this piece was nevertheless one of Surel’s favorite works, and it was featured in the 2010 Triennial at The Boise Art Museum.

SUREL’S PLACE GARDEN PARTY FEATURING ANDREW NEMR
2025-06-28 18:00 - 21:30 | Surel’s Place, 212 E. 33rd Street, Garden City, 83714, United States
SUMMER FUNDRAISING EVENTSUREL’S PLACE GARDEN PARTY FEATURING ANDREW NEMRSaturday, June 28th

6:00pm$145 | Dinner + Wine + Show8:00pm$45 | Show

at Surel’s Place: 212 E. 33rd Street in Garden City

Surel’s Place is honored to host Artist-in-Residence Alumnus ANDREW NEMR (2015) accompanied by local musician Justin Nielsen for an early summer evening performance in the back garden of Surel’s Place. Join us for a world-class tap dance performance or make it a combo – with dinner featuring delicious Puerto Rican food from our neighbors at Wepa and wine by Proletariat Wine Company. Summer in the back garden at Surel’s Place is always magical, so we hope you’ll join us for this special performance.

BIOGRAPHY

Mentored by Gregory Hines, Andrew Nemr is an international artist, teacher, and speaker. His work has crossed music, dance, theatre, film, and the visual arts, exploring art as a vehicle for storytelling and community building. Described as “A masterly tapper” by The New York Times, Andrew is recorded on the Grammy nominated recording Itsbynne Reel by Dave Eggar, and is the co-founder of the Tap Legacy(tM) Foundation, Inc. (along with Hines.) Andrew’s work has been recognized with numerous awards, grants, fellowships, and commissions and is the topic of the award-winning documentary short film Identity: The Andrew Nemr Story. He writes regularly at The Notes with Andrew Nemr and considers his highest personal achievement his ability to wiggle his ears.

Thank you to our generous sponsors for this event:

Thank you to our generous garden sponsors:

Garden Party Digital ProgramDownload

Reading: WATER EYE
2025-06-24 19:00 - 20:30 | Surel’s Place, 212 E. 33rd Street, Garden City, 83714, United States
The central focus of Ivy Raff’s residency at Surel’s Place has been revisions to her third poetry collection. The titular poem and others meditate on the slower, more internal movements – like the small water that drips on a boulder for centuries before cracking it – that define our evolving relationship to family and community, to individual and cultural bodies that live and die out. Much of the “source material” for these pieces root in her own experiences balancing her feminism and pro-Palestine activism with her Eastern European Jewish heritage and identity. Still, the questions with which this work grapples are cross-cultural. How can those of us who are more of a pariah at home than in the world outside of it find belonging in the communities we forge? The answers loop through lifetimes; our personal struggles are indeed personal, but not unprecedented. What can our culture’s forgotten past feed us, when its present seems ill-fit? How can we name ourselves as part of its future?

BIOGRAPHY

After writing poetry privately for two decades, in 2021 Ivy Raff (Queens, New York) left a long career in technology and public policy to focus solely on writing. Since then, she’s written two poetry collections: Rooted and Reduced to Dust and What Remains/Que Queda, a bilingual English/Spanish translation which won 2nd place in the Dolors Alberola International Poetry Prize. Her heritage threads through her poetry. The two collections explore how a Bolshevik-influenced Jewish immigrant family in Amerika moves across time. Their granddaughter is a pro-woman, pro-Palestine writer working with complex individual and cultural histories of trauma, abuse, and healing.

Her individual poems and translations have been published in such noted literary spaces as Ninth Letter, International Poetry Review, Electric Literature, Atlanta Review, and Aesthetica Creative Writing Award Annual, among numerous others. Ivy serves creative communities as the Senior Systems Project Manager at MacDowell, the United States’ first artist residency, and as a member of the editorial staff at Seventh Wave Magazine.

Ivy holds an MPA in public policy from the City University of New York at Baruch College and a double Bachelors in economics and psychology from Fordham University. She lives in Morelos, Mexico with her partner, the novelist and human rights attorney Jorge Ríos.

This programming is supported in part by Creative West and the National Endowment for the Arts.

Workshop: Writing from the Bottom of the Mind
2025-06-14 11:00 - 18:00 | Surel’s Place, 212 E. 33rd Street, Garden City, 83714, United States
In this full-day generative writing workshop, Artist-in-Residence Ivy Raff guides participants to learn or hone the Zen approach to writing as instructed by Natalie Goldberg. With the primary objective of clearing mental clutter and writing from “the bottom of the mind,” students will first learn the simple and effective concepts of Zen writing practice. We intersperse guided sitting and walking meditations with timed, prompted writings in pairs. We reconvene the full group to read and listen uncritically to each other’s work.

Open to all levels of writers and aspiring writers. Newly-published or prolific, casual, or committed, those who write only in private journals or carefully-crafted work emails…this workshop is perfect for anyone curious about expressing themself with the written word.

Materials. Minimal. Bring a notebook and fast-writing pen. A cushion for sitting meditation is optional and recommended. Select a boxed lunch from Roots as an add-on or bring your own.

Workshop Schedule:

11:00-11:30 AM – Welcome and introductions. How did you come to be here?

11:30-11:45 AM – Explanation of Zen writing practice concepts

11:45 AM-12:15 PM – Guided seated meditation

12:15-1:15 PM – Break into pairs for a series of short timed writings

1:15-1:45 PM – Lunch (Add-on available for a box lunch from Roots Zero Waste Market)

1:45-2:45 PM – Full group reading/listening to each other’s work

2:45-3:00 PM – Remarks and closing

Optional Extension (available in add-ons for $20 after you register)

3:00-4:00PM – Guided walking meditation on Boise River Greenbelt

4:00-4:45 PM – Break into pairs for short timed writings

4:45-5:45 PM – Full group reading/listening to each other’s work

5:45-6:00 PM – Closing meditation and remarks

Partial Scholarships available upon request to info@surelsplace.org

REGISTER HERE

This programming is supported in part by Creative West and the National Endowment for the Arts.

READING: Poetry and Pints
2025-06-10 18:30 - 20:00
READINGPOETRY AND PINTSTuesday, June 10th | 6:30pm

at Oldspeak: 3640 W Chinden Blvd in Garden City

21+

Donate to attend

Special Event: Poetry and Pints

Surel’s Place is partnering with The Lit Room and gaining special access to Oldspeak on Tuesday, June 10th at 6:30pm for a private poetry reading from our next artist-in-residence Ivy Raff. Cozy up with a pint of Alliteration Beer (or other NA offerings) and absorb Ivy’s readings from both published and unpublished work in English and Spanish.

Ivy will be reading from her book Rooted and Reduced to Dust published just last year from Finish Line Press. The book is included in some of the donation levels and Ivy will be available to sign them at the reading. She will also read from What Remains / Que queda, a bilingual English/Spanish collection that won the Alberola International Poetry Prize with publication pending. The reading will be followed by a discussion led by The Lit Room’s Cristina Houston.

Heaven and earth conspire that everything which has been, be rooted and reduced to dust.

-Isaac Bashevis Singer

So begins Ivy Raff‘s debut poetry chapbook, which plumbs the depths of movement, of growth: from one generation to the next, from Eastern Europe across America, from sickness to health. With braided fearlessness and vulnerability, Raff bridges the past with the heartbreaking tenderness of today.

Observant, challenging, sensuous, glowing with an undercarriage of mystique, Raff’s poems are torsos that twist to embrace the universe. Every muscled line is taut, knowing its desire and how to hold what it loves in its arms.

–Jimmy Santiago Baca, American Book Award-winning author of Martin and Meditations on the South Valley

This programming is supported in part by Creative West and the National Endowment for the Arts.

First Friday Art and Studio Stroll: PROUD
2025-06-06 17:30 - 20:30 | Surel Mitchell Live-Work-Create District, 212 E. 33rd Street, Garden City, Idaho, 83714

Spring Yard Day
2025-05-27 10:00 - 14:00 | Surel’s Place, 212 E. 33rd Street, Garden City, 83714, United States
VOLUNTEERSPRING YARD DAY

Tuesday, May 27th | 10:00am – 2:00pm

You can be a part of this incredible community of artists and art lovers. Volunteers are crucial to the work we do together to support the arts in Idaho.

We will be hosting a volunteer gardening day on Tuesday, May 27th. Snacks and drinks will be provided. Surel’s Place has an assortment of garden tools, but feel free to bring garden gloves and any tools you think might be helpful. See you there!

If you are interested in gardening or other volunteer opportunities please fill out our Volunteer Interest Form.

Metamorphilia: Open Studio and Art Talk
2025-05-22 19:00 - 20:30 | Surel’s Place, 212 E. 33rd Street, Garden City, 83714, United States
Metamorphilia is a conceptual framework that embraces change. Hybridizing scientific research and creative process, Nina Elder imagines a future where planetary dynamics act as scores for human behavior and we become adept in the flux between life and death, grief and joy, creativity and mourning. Inspired by the story of biologic extinctions and resilience compressed into Boise’s metamorphic rock, Metamorphilia investigates personal and environmental potentiality.

During her residency, Nina asked the land how we can learn from cycles of fracture and transformation. Erosion was her teacher. Granite revealed what endures after disintegration. Explored and expressed through performance, drawing, and writing, Metamorphilia invigorates the mind and body towards the future, imagines a planet that is dynamic and beyond human control, yet fosters deep connection and stewardship. As Nina works towards the culmination of this project, she will share both collections and creations from her residency: photos, videos, sculptural props and pseudo-scientific tools.

BFF Block Party for Idaho Gives
2025-04-29 16:00 - 20:00
IDAHO GIVES EVENT

BFF BLOCK PARTY

Tuesday, April 29th | 4:00pm – 8:00pm

at Lost Grove Brewing: 1026 S. La Pointe St. in Boise

Come to Lost Grove Brewing in the Lusk District for the 7th Annual BFF Block Party for Idaho Gives. Surel’s Place will be there along with dozens of other Treasure Valley nonprofits. Lost Grove Brewing is donating the money from all beer sales to the Idaho Nonprofit Center, helping fund future scholarships. Boise Rock School will be showcasing their talents on the stage all evening long. Come have a pint while celebrating community and the good work nonprofits are doing.
