Artists in residence selected by Valley Regional Transit to design vinyl wraps for buses, shelters

At Interfaith Sanctuary, our guests have many talents, and some love to create. When a guest wants to explore their talent and creative ability, they participate in our artists in residence program. Our staff help those guests develop professional creative practice while working with case managers and community partners to navigate housing and job opportunities.

Last week, two of our artists in residence were selected to participate in the inaugural Valley Regional Transit Artist Roster! Geoffrey McCauley and Chris Alvarez submitted samples of their work to the transportation agency over the summer and were chosen with a group of 18 local artists to design vinyl wraps, graphics, and posters for transportation vehicles, transit shelters, and more.

The group of artists will participate on a project-by-project basis across the next five years, according to a statement from the Boise City Department of Arts & History. Individual project budgets may range between $500 and $25,000.

McCauley, an artist and musician who founded the art collective hosted by Interfaith Sanctuary, paints in different mediums, creating abstract and floral art through a distinct creative process involving the observation of flowers. Alvarez is inspired by graffiti. He draws, paints, and tattoos with emphasis on portraits and the human face. 

Both artists are additionally preparing to showcase their work at Artfort, the fine arts section of the Treefort Music Festival in Boise, scheduled for the third week of September. The artists will set up their galleries on Thursday, Sept. 23 at 6:00 p.m. in the parking lot of LED, located at 1420 W Grove St, Boise, ID 83702. Alvarez and McCauley will also participate in a live creative show on Saturday, Sept. 25 outside of the Owyhee building, located at 1109 W Main St, Boise, ID 83702, between 2:30 and 5:00 p.m.