Boise City Arts & History director resigns; Carrie Hall named acting director as commission reviews website overhaul and FY25 accomplishments

Courtney Washburn, chief of staff for the City of Boise, told the Boise City Arts & History Commission at its meeting (date not specified) that director Jen Stevens has resigned and that Carrie Hall will serve as acting director while the city begins a recruitment process. Commissioners also approved the September meeting minutes, received a briefing on a planned overhaul of the Arts & History website to meet federal accessibility requirements and heard a summary of the department’s FY25 accomplishments, including $150,000 in grants to local organizations and multiple public-art projects.

Washburn opened the announcement by saying, “You should have all received an email from me, regarding Jen Stevens' resignation from the position as director. I did want to let you all know we're, starting the recruitment process immediately.” She said the recruitment would likely remain open through October and that the commission would be asked for input later in the hiring process.

Washburn introduced Carrie Hall as acting director. Hall, who told commissioners she has worked for the city for 10 years and previously served in community engagement and human resources, said she accepted the interim role to support staff and maintain continuity: “I was here when we acquired the James Castle bus originally... So I'm excited to be here on this team and just support them during this incredible time.”

The commission formally approved the September meeting minutes after a motion from Amanda and a second from Rachel; the motion was carried by voice vote and recorded as passed.

Megan Fox, web strategy manager in the Office of Community Engagement, briefed the commission on a full update to the Arts & History website. Fox said the work addresses technical debt, improves user experience and, critically, advances compliance with federal web accessibility standards. “We are approaching the end of a full update to the arts industry website,” she said, and added that federal legislation passed in June sets an aggressive compliance timeline with a compliance target cited as April 2026. Fox said the team is targeting final development in mid-October and a likely public launch in late October or November, and invited commissioners to an in-person hands-on demonstration before the site goes live.

Fox described design and content goals intended to make information easier to find — “the goal is to always get to the final destination in 3 clicks or less” — and noted planned features including an updated calendar and an integration with Public Art Archive to surface the city’s public-art collection from the site.

A department staff member identified as Tilly delivered a summary of FY25 accomplishments and projects, emphasizing partnership work and community programming. Items Tilly highlighted and the commission discussed included:

- Grants and funding: $150,000 awarded to 41 organizations (grantees not individually enumerated in the transcript). The department said it has announced grants for 2026.

- Public art and maintenance: migration of the city’s public-art collection into Public Art Archive; rewrap of 16 older traffic boxes downtown; temporary public-art installations such as “Linen Blocks” on Grove Street (in partnership with CCDC and property owners), Cash Out Corner, and rotating art ports in partnership with Boise State University; and maintenance projects including restoration of several public works and installation of hanging-rail systems in libraries and City Hall to protect walls during installations.

- Museums, houses and residencies: exhibitions and programming at the Irma Hayman House and James Castle House, including youth-oriented events, open studios, community celebrations and co-branded online store items. The James Castle House hosted residencies and a community celebration that included workshops and an accessible turnout from the deaf community, according to the presentation.

- Youth initiatives and the youth roadmap: staff said they are in an identification stage, mapping existing youth activities and prioritizing items for action. Christina Wilkins (education/public programs staff) and other team members are expected to develop specific initiatives; commissioners were told the work is not yet in an implementation stage.

Commissioners discussed the Art Corps student project (a temporary artwork created by a Boise State student). Tilly and other staff said the program is designed so the artist retains ownership after the temporary display period: the city pays a fee for exhibition time but the artist can sell or relocate the piece afterward. Staff noted storage capacity limits for three-dimensional works and said the department plans to keep images and records of pieces on the department website.

The meeting closed with no further business. The commission adjourned after a motion from Rachel and a second from Gabby; the voice vote was recorded as carried.

The meeting record presented no ordinance, statute or external legal citation tied to the actions reported. Recruitment timing, the website launch window, the accessibility deadline (April 2026) and the $150,000 grants total were stated during the meeting. Several project names and partner organizations (Public Art Archive, Boise State University, CCDC, Parks Department, Irma Hayman House, James Castle House) were cited by staff during the presentation.