Freak Alley Gallery, Downtown Boise
Freak Alley Gallery is the northwest’s largest open-air, multi-artist mural gallery, located between 8th and 9th street and Bannock and Idaho in Downtown Boise. The outdoor art gallery started with a single mural that Colby Akers painted on the back alley door of Moon’s Café in 2002. When businesses next door saw his work, many were so impressed that they to wanted the artist to paint their buildings.
The ever-changing space is known for its impressive street art that features local artists. There is an indoor gallery that promotes local artists and sells their art as well. The artwork is changed regularly, ensuring a new experience every time you visit.
And so began Freak Alley! In the time since its establishment, the alley has blossomed from a single drawing to include an entire alley and adjacent parking lot of art. It’s now filled with an extraordinary range of beautiful murals to vibrant graffiti for the public to enjoy. Along the way, Freak Alley cemented itself as a beloved city landmark.
Traditionally, most of the art in Freak Alley last one to two years with a few notable exceptions, such as the popular Jimi Hendrix piece at the alley’s heart. This continuous introduction of new art has kept the project fresh. The process of changing the art each year formalized into an annual event held in early August when the new murals would be painted.
In 2019, Akers handed the reins of the project over to a new director, Melissa Nodzu. Nodzu has expressed a commitment to staying true to Akers’s founding vision of the art gallery. However, she also hopes to utilize the alley to host art events in the coming years.
The gallery is free and open to the public 24/7. The entrance to Freak Alley itself is on the west side of North 8th Street midway between West Bannock Street and West Idaho Street (with some additional art housed indoors at the 9th Street address).
Source: https://www.atlasobscura.com/places/freak-alley-gallery , https://kidotalkradio.com/boises-freak-alley-celebrates-20/
