Arts & Culture

Sun Valley seems an unusually cosmopolitan area for its 4,000 full-time residents, until you consider that many of them are transplants from major metropolitan areas. Unwilling to give up the culture that is synonymous with cities, Sun Valley's residents have worked hard over the years to attract international and national talent, giving residents and visitors opportunities to enjoy exceptional theater, music, and visual arts.

The arts and culture community in Sun Valley, Idaho is thriving, offering a variety of opportunities through over 30 presenting organizations. Local, regional, and nationally known artists are represented through gallery exhibitions, concerts, theater productions, dance productions, film festivals, lectures, opera and symphonic performances.

"At an elevation of 5,945 feet, the air in Sun Valley is rarified - and so is the clientele of the area's top-flight art galleries. Serving the valley's plethora of well-heeled and well-educated art collections are art galleries that could hold their own in Manhattan, Berlin, London, or Los Angeles."  -  Art Ltd Magazine

Sun Valley's art scene offers a variety of different and exciting mediums. The Sun Valley area was listed 18th in the book The 100 Best Small Art Towns in America.

"A great small art town with a nice balance between the visual arts, theater, and music." - The 100 Best Small Art Towns in America

Art galleries and craft shows showcase local talent, theater groups perform professional pieces in various local venues, and the sounds of symphony and jazz fill the summer's crisp night air and cozy winter nights. 

Museums & Art Galleries

The Sun Valley Center for the Arts is the oldest arts organization in the valley and presents a broad scope of year-round programming including museum-quality exhibitions at their facilities in Ketchum and Hailey. The Center has an innovative exhibition history and is one of five institutions in Idaho to have accreditation from the American Association of Museums. The Center’s visual arts, performing arts, lectures, and classes often all focus on a central theme or idea that has some currency with the local community as well as with the nation. Exhibitions include work by nationally and internationally known artists (Emmet Gowin, Ghada Amer, Walton Ford, Shahzia Sikander, Andy Goldsworthy, Shirin Neshat, Gabriel Kuri, and Iñigo Manglano-Ovalle). The Center is also an important educational resource for Blaine County schoolchildren, who tour exhibitions and participate in free after-school art classes.

Sun Valley's art galleries are some of the most unique in the west. Artists from all over the world are represented in over 20 local galleries, and the art ranges from depictions of local beauty to works by Picasso, Matisse, Chagall, Miró, Magritte, and Calder.

The galleries, located throughout the Sun Valley and Ketchum area, feature a wide variety of fine arts and crafts, watercolors, sculptures, and oil paintings. Evening Gallery Walks, held nine times throughout the year, offer an opportunity to view new exhibits and visit with many of the artists. The Sun Valley Gallery Association (SVGA) offers pre-arranged guided gallery tours for interested groups and organizations. Contact Robin Reiners at the Gallery DeNovo (208) 726-8180.

Lectures & Readings

Both the Sun Valley Center for the Arts and the Community Library offer year-round schedules of programs, lectures, and higher-learning. From legendary adventurers and novelists to White House employees and journalists, the halls are always buzzing with a who’s-who of respected speakers. The Center’s celebrated Lecture Series includes presentations and discussions with internationally respected authors, humanists, scientists, and journalists. (Sir Salman Rushdie, David Sedaris, Gloria Steinem, Garrison Keillor, E.O. Wilson). For a list of upcoming lectures and presentations, visit www.sunvalleycenter.org or www.thecommunitylibrary.org.

Live Performances (theater/music/dance)

The Sun Valley/Ketchum area is fortunate to host live theatrical performances year-round. Plays, musicals, drama, poetry/staged readings, operas and lectures, the list goes on for what can be found on the stages in Sun Valley throughout the year.

Company of Fools is an award-winning, professional non-profit theater company located at the historic Liberty Theatre on Main Street in the heart of Hailey, Idaho. Since 1996, the Company has brought dynamic mainstage productions and exciting programming to the Wood River Valley community. For complete information and the performance schedule of the current season, visit companyoffools.org or call (208) 788-6520.

NexStage Theater produces the Shakespeare Festival in mid-August, as well as Christmas shows during the holidays and several rotating productions throughout the year. For more information contact Kathy Wygle at (208) 726-9124.

Sun Valley is host to a thriving music scene. October always brings the Swing 'n' Dixie Jazz Jamboree to Sun Valley. One of the biggest events of the year, it attracts over 7,000 fans from all over the world for five full days of ragtime, jazz, and swing, as Sun Valley turns into Bourbon Street for a week.

The Sun Valley Center for the Arts offers music-lovers a wide-ranging slate of musical and dance performances throughout the year as part of the seasonal performing arts series. Indoor and outdoor concerts include world and popular music (The Avett Brothers, Lyle Lovett, Michael Franti, Carole King and James Taylor, Ben Sollee, Jake Shimabakuro).

During the winter months, music goers are brought inside for the Chamber Artist Music Series. The series brings some of the nation's finest musicians to the Wood River Valley, including the Vienna Boys Choir, American Brass Quintet, and The Eroica Trio.

The Sun Valley Opera welcomes headliners throughout the winter. Sun Valley Opera's goal is to bring top-quality opera music to the Wood River Valley, present it at affordable prices, and have fun doing it. For more information visit www.sunvalleyopera.com.

Every weekend live bands such as the Kim Stocking Band, Old Death Whisper, and Craig Myers Blues Band play in downtown Ketchum and in Sun Valley at various locales.

The Sun Valley Ballet School offers first-class instruction, top-quality performances, and opportunities for everyone in the Wood River Valley to dance and to find that joy within. During the school year Sun Valley Ballet offers a full schedule of classes which lead up to 2 or 3 performances each season. During the summer Sun Valley Ballet brings in special instructors and offers a 2- to 3-week intensive ballet workshop. This workshop is open to regular students, other dancers in the Valley, and to the many visitors who spend part of their summers here.

For more information contact the Sun Valley Ballet School at (208) 726-9876 or www.sunvalleyballet.com, or visit our classes and performances page.

Classes

Classes for adults and kids in the visual arts, dance, and theater are offered by Footlight Dance, Sun Valley Ballet School, Company of Fools, NexStage Theatre, and the College of Southern Idaho. Ceramics classes and workshops are presented by Boulder Mountain Clayworks, which also provides open studio time for potters and ceramicists. 

The Sun Valley Center for the Arts also provides classes in the visual arts and humanities for adults and children as well as offering writing workshops with award-winning authors.

Movies & Film

The Sun Valley Center for the Arts hosts a variety of different films throughout the year, often related to the theme of the current exhibit.

In addition, there are several places to catch the most recent flicks in town:

Magic Lantern Cinemas: This local movie theater has 6 screening rooms, comfy seats, and showcases the most recent releases. They also host several local film festivals throughout the year. For more info and showtimes, call 208-726-4274 or visit www.magiclanterncinemas.com. 100 Second Street East, Ketchum.

Sun Valley Opera House: Located right near the Sun Valley Lodge and Sun Valley Inn in the Sun Valley Village, the Opera House has one large screen. There are usually 1 or 2 shows each day and the theater often hosts seasonal films such as the annual Warren Miller ski movie. 208-622-2244

Bigwood 4 Cinemas: This movie theater in Hailey has four screens and offers multiple daily showings of the latest movies. Call 578-0971 for showtimes. 801 North Main Street, Hailey.

NOTE: Please be aware that we are currently in the process of adding content to our website. Check back soon for a full directory of Art and Culture activities.