There are two new murals in downtown Idaho Falls and here’s who’s painting them
Published at | Updated at
IDAHO FALLS – Two mural projects in downtown Idaho Falls by two local artists are catching people’s attention.
One of them is an image of a snake across from the Museum of Idaho on the building where Alpine Heating & Air Conditioning is located. The second one, which is located near the D Street underpass, shows the words “Idaho Falls” with relevant images inside each letter.
Both images are intended to provide some beautification in downtown with images that reflect the local culture.
The snake mural, which is being funded by a grant given to the Museum of Idaho, was created by Idaho Falls artist Chris Doucette. He tells EastIdahoNews.com it’s a surreal representation of the Snake River.
“If you spent time in Idaho Falls and went to the museum and then had a dream that night, this reflects images that might be conjured up,” Doucette says.
He started the project last month and hopes to have it complete by mid-October.
Doucette explains what the completed image will look like.
“You can see some cutthroat trout in it. Right now, it’s cascading down some rocks and morphing into a river. There’s going to be a lava flow scene with sagebrush coming out,” Doucette explains. “There will be some other images, but it’s all going to be surreal and dream-like.”
The Museum of Idaho approached Doucette about this project earlier this year. His wife, Chloe, is the museum’s managing director and he’s done artwork for museum exhibits in the past.
Locals may have seen his work in other places as well. He painted a mural of running horses in Pocatello several years ago. He owns an art studio at his house, through which he sells his art. Visit his website to see more of his work.
Doucette says there are “plenty of blank walls” in downtown Idaho Falls and he’d love to be involved in another mural in the future.
Jessie Mendoza, who owns Bardoza’s Taphouse on Park Avenue and a house painting business, is the artist behind the D Street mural.
Mendoza explains the mural at this location was his idea and he got multiple sponsors, including the Museum of Idaho, to help fund it.
He says the idea behind the “Idaho Falls” mural was to bring a little art to downtown.
“We don’t have a ton of art in our town,” Mendoza says. “It was just a way to clean up that area and give us something (colorful) to look at.”
Mendoza has been painting since he was in high school. He launched his painting business, Dynamic Painting, in 2015. He created the murals in Bardoza’s and on the outside of East Idaho Aquarium.
Since starting the D Street mural in July, Mendoza says he’s been approached by several business owners to do a mural on their building. He’s hoping to begin another mural project soon.
“We’ve got a lot of broken down buildings, especially in downtown and there isn’t enough color,” he says. “It’s cool to see people (like Chris) doing artwork and it’s cool to be a part of it.”
Mendoza’s goal is to have the D Street mural completed by the end of September. The city is planning a ribbon-cutting in connection with its completion.
