Lisa Cheney is president of the Boise Open Studios Collective Organization.
A sample of journal making.
A sample of her art.
Lisa Cheney is president of the Boise Open Studios Collective Organization.
A sample of journal making.
A sample of her art.
Meet Lisa Cheney. She grew up in eastern Idaho, moved briefly to San Diego, California and now lives in Boise. She’s an artist, freelances as a graphic designer and illustrator and teaches drawing, painting, bookmaking and visual journaling workshops throughout the North and Southwest regions in the U.S. Her visual journals have been published in “1000 Artist Journal Pages,” “Art Journaling Magazine,” “1000 Artists’ Books, An Illustrated Journey — Inspiration from the Private Art Journals of Traveling Artists, Illustrators and Designers,” and she was the featured artist in “A World of Art Journals.” She also works in other mediums including painting (watercolor, acrylic, oils, and encaustic), drawing (graphite, ink, mixed media), and printmaking. And, she is the president of the Boise Open Studios Collective Organization.
Boise Weekly recently chatted with Cheney about art, artists and the upcoming BOSCO tour. The following has been gently edited for length and clarity.
Lisa, as president of the Boise Open Studios, can you please give an overview of the organization — when did the open studio tours start, how does it work, etc.?
Boise Open Studios Collective Organization started in 2003, this October will be our 19th tour. BOSCO is a non-profit organization that focuses on educating the public about the creative process of the visual arts. We currently have about 120 members, of those almost 90 will be participating in the 2022 Open Studios Tour. Although the tour originally was located only within Boise’s boundaries, we have grown over the years. The Open Studio Tour has now expanded across the Treasure Valley to include Garden City, Meridian, Eagle, and Star.
The public can expect to meet the artists in their personal studios, learn about their unique creative process (how the art is made), see where the art is made, learn about who the artist is and what inspires them. Through educating the public about the artist and the creative process the public will gain a better understanding of the value of the art created. Many of our artists will also have their work available for purchase. Visit our website, boiseopenstudios.com, to view the interactive Studio Tour map and plan your route.
What kinds of BOSCO programs or education are on board — what are your hopes and plans for the future?
I have been on the executive board as the Marketing Chair (designing the tour maps and all the promotional materials) since 2010. In 2019, I had lofty goals for the future of BOSCO which included: expanding the tour to two weekends with the option of three weekends in the future; growing our committees to include the new Education & Community Outreach and Development committees; redesigning our website to include an interactive Tour Map and in-depth information on each artist; finally, to research and apply for our official 501c3 non-profit status. In 2020, I was voted in to the positions of both President and Marketing Chair and over the past three years, through the help of our awesome board, we have checked off all those goals. Our Events and Education and Community Outreach committees have worked hard to establish additional events and exhibits where our members offer live demos of their artistic processes, and organized student-internships with professional working artists which includes a collaborative exhibit at the completion of the internship.
My hopes and plans for BOSCO’s future include establishing full time executive positions that will take the organization to the next level of being a professional non-profit organization that offers more opportunities for our local professional artists to collaborate, more educational opportunities for the public and artists to interact, collaborate with other local non-profits to create more internship opportunities for students, and to open up a third weekend devoted artists in Canyon County, Meridian, Eagle, Kuna, Star.
Can just anyone who is an artist become a member — is there a vetting process?
BOSCO is open to all professional working artists, and senior year college/grad students majoring in visual arts, located in the Treasure Valley. To participate in a BOSCO Studio Tour or exhibitions you must be a BOSCO member. Membership applications are accepted annually, Jan. 1 through March 31. BOSCO uses two independent outside jurors for membership consideration. Our website lists all the items the jurors may consider in evaluating the applicant’s work.
Can you talk a little about the artists’ visual creative process?
Each artist has a unique creative process they go through to create their artwork. This is exactly why it is so fun and educational for the public to visit artists in the comfort of their personal studios. They are offered the chance to see and hear, and sometimes even experience the process themselves, while touring the many different studios.
Opening up their personal studios so the public can get up close and personal, kind of a behind the scenes look to see how the magic happens — how often would you say that inspires more art or a way in to art? Sort of unlocking the mystery.
Creating visual art can be a solitary process for most artists. By opening their studios and sharing their process with the public, the artist has a unique opportunity to explore and express why they created a body of work, as well as learn how their work impacts the viewer. So often, I am offered the gift of a new perspective while listening to how my work connects with another person’s story. For me, it makes what I am doing feel even more important and I love the connections I make with others through my art.
BOSCO is coming up on Oct. 1, 2 and Oct. 8, 9. As one of the artists opening up your studio, what can we expect to see at your place?
My studio will be open the second weekend of the tour. My studio is one of the smaller studios, yet it is inviting and has good energy! Most everyone asks me upon entering, “So, what do you do?” Which always brings a chuckle to my lips. I love to see the look of surprise when they hear my answer. “I am most well known for my book arts and visual journaling; however, I also draw, paint in acrylic, oils, watercolor, and encaustic; I have an amazing printing press that was custom made by my father, I am a professional graphic designer and illustrator, and I teach art to adults and children … basically, I am an artist.”
Upon entering my studio, you will see many of my “collections” filling window sills, bookshelves … most surfaces are filled with things that interest and inspire me. I also have samples of my art in its many different mediums and styles hanging on the walls. I also lay out my visual journals for everyone to look through, study, and be inspired by. My most favorite compliments are from those that express how moved they were after spending time in my studio, and those that return each year with a friend because they wanted to share the experience of my work with them.
Second of a three-part series on the Boise Open Studios Collective Organization
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