Since being settled a little more than 100 years ago, the Wood River Valley has amazed, and disconcerted to some degree, old timers by turning itself gradually into an arts destination. Once, mining, sheep and alfalfa were the agricultural staples of the valley's economy. Now the economy is boosted by the presence of art galleries, two arts festivals, a writer's conference, the country's largest privately funded symphony, outdoor summer music concerts, a jazz festival and a "Renaissance Faire."
It was not always thus. Firstly, bars, restaurants and churches were once the only venues in town. Those who helped create some semblance of culture and art did it against odds.
"It was a very small town. A lot of people weren't interested. They just wanted country Western. The revolution hadn't started yet," said Millie Wiggins, owner of Leadville Espresso in Ketchum from 1960 to 1965. "We had arts, music, espresso and foreign newspapers. Folk singers Rosalie Sorrels, Jack Elliot and the New Lost City Ramblers played, and then it became a rock palace with Barry and the Jaywalkers and then they played at the Fillmore."
Theater began when Kathy Wygle, at the time a waitress, founded the Laughing Stock Theatre Company in 1977. The company has since produced over 70 shows and calls the nexStage Theatre in Ketchum home. The Sun Valley Shakespeare Festival, run under the auspices of Sun Valley Performing Arts/nexStage Theatre, finished a fifth consecutive year with several Equity actors in the cast.
Within 20 years other groups sprang up—the New Theatre Company, Company of Fools, St. Thomas Playhouse and the gem of Hailey for the past 28 years, the Northern Rockies Folk Festival. The latter is now an important stop on the folk festival summer circuit.
The valley has always embraced its music. Founded in 1985, the Sun Valley Summer Symphony has grown from a small group of vacationing musicians into a world-class organization that draws its musicians from all over the country. Part of its growth involves education. There are master classes, a Summer Symphony Camp and a Music Conservatory, which provides tuition-free, year-round instruction for area youths. The Edgar Bronfman Chamber Music series proceeds the symphony's season each summer.
The Sun Valley Center for the Arts began in a humble, albeit progressive, fashion in 1970. The organization has moved twice in that time and refined its mission from one of teaching artistic skills to involving a more inclusive and rounded public arena for the arts. Increasingly, the Center, which has a new satellite gallery in Hailey, has become a central force in all manner of arts in the valley.
"My dream is to have most of our events under one roof," said Kristine Bretall, the Center's marketing director. "We want to have the synergy of a vibrant art center."
In pursuit of these dreams, the Center plans to purchase land for a new site, and to erect a classroom building behind the Hailey site.
"I'm so excited to have a home for classes in Hailey, just a block from the elementary school. Now we can have after-school classes whenever we want," Bretall said. "We do 120 events a year so there are many ways a person can jump in, whether it's a watercolor class or a concert at River Run."
In fact, the accessibility of arts in the valley is part of what keeps hope alive for the future. Arts are not priced out. In fact, cultural events remain remarkably affordable.
"Overall, the Center will continue changing, stretching and responding to the community's needs and bring people in from all throughout the valley," Bretall said. "Everybody has a place at our table."
Among the art galleries in the valley, there is a sense of everyone having a piece of the artistic pie. There's a little bit of everything, from Western art to abstracts, landscapes and thankas, photography to Americana to antiques and mixed media contemporary.
Sun Valley Gallery Association, which sponsors monthly "Gallery Walks," is celebrating its 20th anniversary this season.
"We were in our first space for 18 years. We were young and excited and had Western art. In the early years the openings were just jam packed," said Minette Broschovsky, owner with her husband, John, of their eponymous gallery, now in the Courtyard, in Ketchum. "I see the future of the galleries and art scene in general in Ketchum's future as expanding and attaining more national as well as international attention for its abundance and high quality."
Kristan Kennedy, manager of Wood River Gallery, thinks all of "retail and the galleries would be helped tremendously by having more high-end hotel rooms in downtown Ketchum."
Other arts organizations think the inclusion of more hotels would be an asset to their businesses as well. Not surprisingly, during the high seasons, theater audiences increase. The trick is to convince valley residents that what's available is open and accessible for them as well year round.
"We have to address that we don't have large audiences," actress and New Theatre Company board member Claudia McCain said. "We have to look at what the needs of the community are. The North Valley is in a time of major assessment. Is that reflected in the arts? I don't know. Attendance in the valley goes in this order: music, visual arts, theater and dance. Theater and dance have a larger challenge with fund raising and audience attendance."
That's not to say theater in the valley isn't healthy. After years without venues, quality theatre, music and performance can be seen at a few established venues—the Liberty Theatre in Hailey, The Community School in Sun Valley, the Community Campus in Hailey and most especially the nexStage Theatre. This is compared to Aspen, Colo., which has several performing arts venues including the city-funded Wheeler Opera House.
Originally home to the Sun Valley Repertory Company, nexStage is now where Sun Valley Performing Arts, Sun Valley Shakespeare Festival, Laughing Stock, New Theatre Company, Royal Larkspur, play readings, dances, concerts, antique fairs, film festival screenings, private parties, and benefits are held. The theater is booked nearly every night of the year.
Five years ago, a Ketchum couple bought nexStage for Sun Valley Performing Arts. But due to a recent change in circumstances the theater's future is not secure.
"They have been generously letting us use nexStage. But they want to do other things with their foundation," said Wygle, who also manages nexStage. "Step one is to have a secure place for us to perform. Get organized and see this theatre saved. We need our own theatre outright. We have roughly a year to do that."
Soon, the nexStage board will embark on a capital campaign to raise $2 million to buy the theater.
"It would be disastrous for us if nexStage were to close," said musician R.L. Rowsey, managing director of Company of Fools. "Not only for the theater companies, but for the community. The Liberty cannot handle all the valley's needs."
McCain agrees. "Ketchum is in need of a place for gathering. The nexStage has become that place. My dream is to see nexStage upgraded to a fully functioning theater."
Company of Fools have the luxury of having a dedicated theater to call their own but they too change and adapt by working on new angles and mixing up the kinds of plays they produce to keep interest alive.
In their 10th season, they continue to build a fan base and stay involved in the community, through education outreach, student matinees and other special programs.
"The Wood River High School Theatre Academy is pretty cool, too," said Bob Rais, who teaches for the academy, runs the education arm of Sun Valley Performing Arts and is an Equity actor. "The professional acting and technical instruction are a wonderful feeder (of talent) for the local productions."
The community also needs dedicated space for the three dance companies for youths in the valley as well as the many visiting dance performances. Due to the efforts of people like Hilarie Neely of Footlight Dance Centre, dance has become—next to snow and team sports-—the biggest extracurricular activity for youths in the valley. In fact, Footlight's spring extravaganza sells out over 500 seats for two performances, a number other organizations would kill to duplicate.
Reversing the trend of artistic growth is simply not an option for the organizers and patrons of the many entities that call the Wood River Valley home.
At a luncheon last month in Ketchum, Idaho Commission on the Arts Director Dan Harpole reiterated that grants are available. The "Impact of the Arts on Our Cities" gathering also urged town leaders to closely consider the economic benefits to supporting the arts.
Two valley organizations are working to promote just these concepts.
Founded in 1990, the Wood River Arts Alliance aims to keep communications open between the art organizations. They also host seminars and meetings on such issues as public art. The Arts Foundation of the Wood River Valley is a charitable foundation whose mission it is to assist and promote various arts organizations in the Wood River Valley.
Kathy Wygle: "You want people to say, 'Thank God, I came out tonight.' The reward is afterwards. It does take effort but if they don't take advantage of it, it won't be around. Theatre is not real life. It's a point honed. People could pledge to attend live theater once a year. Even if people did that it would increase our audiences. Basically, our belief is once they come, the chance of doing it again increases." Photo by Willy Cook
