Boise Arts & History staff announce $100,000 preservation grant, hiring plans and America 250 programming

Jennifer Wybarge, presenting for the Boise City Arts & History Department, told the Arts & History Commission that the department secured a $100,000 grant from the National Trust for Historic Preservation’s African American Cultural Heritage Fund and will use it to fund a two‑year, grant‑funded staff position at the Irma Hayman House.

The award, Wybarge said, will pay $50,000 a year for two years. “We did secure a $100,000 grant from the National Trust For Historic Preservation, African American Cultural Heritage Fund,” Wybarge told commissioners. When a commissioner asked who wrote the grant, Wybarge replied, “I did.”

The grant funded position is temporary, she said, and city council and the mayor adjusted the city budget to cover the difference needed to make the role full time. Wybarge also said the department will post a revised history/programs manager job early in 2025 after a national reclassification effort and that a new staff hire in January will manage volunteers and interns.

Why this matters

The grant and new hires are intended to expand programming and visitorship at the department’s cultural sites — including the Irma Hayman House and the James Castle House — and to support community engagement ahead of a citywide celebration tied to the…