Murals and Benches

Want to See Art in Garden City? Just Look Around.

Garden City has earned a rep as a haven for artists, so it’s no surprise that their work is tucked throughout the city — all you have to do is keep an eye out for these unexpected delights.

Each artwork has been created by artists with ties to the area, and each reflects an aspect of life in Garden City. Walk along an Osage Street alley in front of Cinder Wines and you’ll stumble upon a bigger-than-life postcard of the Chinese gardens that once filled the land by the river. An angular, bright-blue bench on the Greenbelt seems a bit out of place … until you realize it offers two “frames” of the Boise River and the sunny sky overhead.

The city’s public art benches are the brainchild of the Garden City Arts Commission. The Garden City Arts Commission revealed the first four benches in 2019 and plans to add another five in the near future.

Of course, you don’t have to randomly stumble upon these works of art. Take a self-guided art tour by visiting the following locations:

• Heron Bench, Heron Park, 3858 Reed Street
• Greenbelt Sherbet, end of 50th Street on the Greenbelt
• Blue Bench, Mystic Cove Park on the Greenbelt
• Trio, E. 40th Street and the Greenbelt
• “Underneath” located at Riverside Park at Glenwood & Riverside Dr
• Airplane Mural, Signs by Smith Building, 4747 N. Glenwood Street
• Be Great Mural, Boys & Girls Club of Ada County, 610 E. 42nd Street
• Hunter Mural, Boise Hunter Education Center, 109 W. 44th Street
• Fishing Mural, under Glenwood Bridge
• River Rafting Mural, under Glenwood Bridge
• Garden City Postcard Mural, across from Cinder Wines, 107 E. 44th Street
• A Garden of Creativity, back of Cobby’s Sandwich Shop, 4348 Chinden Boulevard

Don’t forget that you can explore even more of Garden City’s amazing, living art heritage through our Artisans Pathways map.