BOBoise Open Studios Cooperative Organization
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About Boise Open Studios Cooperative Organization
If you want to see how art actually gets made, BOSCO gives you the door in. Through its annual Open Studios Tour, visitors step inside working studios across the Treasure Valley, meet artists, and see original work up close. The collective also keeps that access going year-round with workshops, mentorships, internships, and collaborative exhibitions that connect artists with the broader community.
BOSCO’s big idea is simple and unusual in the best way, it invites people into working studios instead of keeping art at a distance. Then it stays useful to artists through education, mentorship, and public programs that reach into music, dance, history, and community life.
Programs
The concrete work this nonprofit runs. Each program may later become a fundable project.
Open Studios Tour
An annual two-weekend tour in October that invites the public into working artist studios across the Treasure Valley.
Educational workshops and classes
Business-building classes, workshops, lectures, and other educational events that support artists and the public.
Artist mentorships
Mentorships that pair experienced BOSCO members with emerging and aspiring artists through partnerships such as the Catalyst Arts Collaborative.
Student internships
An educational internship program that pairs students with working artist mentors.
Exhibitions and collaborative events
Pop-up exhibitions, gallery shows, and public art projects created with local businesses, cultural institutions, and community organizations.
Juried membership
A juried membership for Treasure Valley artists with participating and supporting tiers and year-round access to BOSCO activities.
About this work
Mission
To foster greater understanding of the creative process between artists and the public. BOSCO strengthens understanding of the creative process by connecting artists with the broader community, nurturing meaningful dialogue and shared inspiration through artistic expression.
Who they serve
Treasure Valley visual artists, students, art lovers, collectors, families, and the broader public interested in the creative process.
Their impact
- The collective includes over 125 Treasure Valley artists.
How your donation helps
- Essential marketing and paid services
- Behind-the-scenes efforts
- Workshops, lessons, and educational events for all ages
- The annual Open Studios Tour
- Internships for university students
- Support for artists to create public art and community programs
Stories
The people behind the work.
In their words
I create assemblage artwork with found objects, natural materials, vintage oddities, unrecyclable plastic, and most passionately, objects discarded on beaches, in rivers, parking lots, and roadside streets and highways.
Ways to help
Concrete needs and volunteer roles Boise Open Studios Cooperative Organization has shared.
Volunteer opportunities
- Volunteer at events
- Assist with outreach
- Help behind the scenes
Partners & funders
Frequently asked questions
Common questions about this nonprofit and how its work happens.
What happens during the Open Studios Tour?
Visitors spend two weekends in October touring working artist studios across the Treasure Valley, meeting artists, asking questions, watching demonstrations, and seeing or buying original work.
How does BOSCO support artists beyond the tour?
BOSCO offers mentorships, business-building classes, workshops, exhibitions, collaborative events, and student internships that connect learners with working artist mentors.