Boise City Department of Arts & History

Meet Alla Aguilar and her son Tom Kanon, featured storytellers at our June 4th live storytelling event, America 250: First Thursdays at JUMP — We the People: Becoming American, in partnership with Idaho Office for Refugees.

Alla Aguilar is a case manager at the Agency for New Americans in Boise. Born and raised in Ukraine, Alla was 25 when she resettled in the U.S. with her young son and then-husband, who was escaping persecution based on his Jewish heritage.

Alla had an engineering degree but started over as a cleaner while she learned English and made friends. It was embarrassing to ask for help, but the safety nets helped Alla get back on her feet. She went on to receive her U.S. citizenship and continues to help refugees and immigrants navigate a new system in Idaho.

Her son, Tom Kanon, who was two when his family resettled in 1992, will also share perspectives from his life experiences.

Thank you, Alla and Tom!

Join us on Thursday, June 4 at 6:30 p.m. at JUMP Boise to learn more about Alla and Tom's journey, hear from fellow storytellers representing Afghanistan, Democratic Republic of Congo, and Uganda, and learn about the cultures they continue to share and shape in the U.S. Come early (doors open at 5 p.m.) to explore Boise Public Library's Excitetrike for books, games, and activities!

Free and open to everyone. Registration encouraged. For a full schedule of city-sponsored America 250 events, visit cityofboise.org/America250.

Meet Yasmin Aguilar, a featured storyteller at our June 4th live storytelling event, America 250: First Thursdays at JUMP — We the People: Becoming American, in partnership with Idaho Office for Refugees.

Yasmin Aguilar came to Idaho as a refugee from Afghanistan over 25 years ago. During this time, she has supported other refugees through her work at the Agency for New Americans in Boise, where she serves as Assistant Director.

Prior to her involvement with the Agency for New Americans, Yasmin was a physician in a refugee hospital in Quetta, Pakistan, and later a community development coordinator for Mercy Corp International.

Yasmin was a participant in the Welcoming Communities Transatlantic Exchange in Germany in 2016-2018 and has received several local and international honors over the years for her work championing refugees.

Thank you, Yasmin!

Join us on Thursday, June 4 at 6:30 p.m. at JUMP Boise to learn more about Yasmin’s journey, hear from fellow storytellers representing Ukraine, Democratic Republic of Congo, and Uganda, and learn about the cultures they continue to share and shape in the U.S. Come early (doors open at 5 p.m.) to explore Boise Public Library's Excitetrike for books, games, and activities!

Free and open to everyone. Registration encouraged. For a full schedule of city-sponsored America 250 events, visit cityofboise.org/America250.

Meet Moses Mukengezi, a featured storyteller at our June 4th live storytelling event, America 250: First Thursdays at JUMP — We the People: Becoming American, in partnership with Idaho Office for Refugees.

Moses Mukengezi is a dad, husband, soccer coach, commercial real estate broker, nonprofit board member and former resettlement worker in Boise.

Originally from the Democratic Republic of Congo, Moses’ family resettled in Boise, Idaho, in 2007 when he was 13. It was through soccer that he first felt connection to the community. He went on to play for Boise State University, where he earned a bachelor’s in sociology.

Moses has enjoyed several years of coaching refugee youth through Nations United Soccer and speaks six languages; he is especially fond of French.

Thank you, Moses!

Join us on Thursday, June 4 at 6:30 p.m. at JUMP Boise to learn more about Moses’ journey, hear from fellow storytellers representing Ukraine, Afghanistan, and Uganda, and learn about the cultures they continue to share and shape in the U.S. Come early (doors open at 5 p.m.) to explore Boise Public Library’s Excitetrike for books, games, and activities!

Free and open to everyone. Registration encouraged. For a full schedule of city-sponsored America 250 events, visit cityofboise.org/America250.

Kaixo Corner update! A few blue flappers from "Skyriver" at Kaixo Corner located at the corner of 5th & Grove streets have recently fallen due to high winds. Some of the flappers are also peeling. Out of an abundance of caution, our team is temporarily removing the flappers from the public art installation. The artwork is under warranty and we are working closely with the artists to find a long-term strategy for this artwork and shade structure. Thank you for your patience and understanding as we ensure "Skyriver" remains a beloved fixture in our community!

Join us on Thursday, June 4 at 6:30 p.m. at JUMP Boise for an evening of live storytelling featuring the voices of Americans whose journey to the U.S. started with displacement.

Explore Idaho's resettlement history, hear firsthand accounts from storytellers representing Ukraine, Afghanistan, Democratic Republic of Congo and Uganda, and experience the cultural heritages they continue to carry with them as they contribute to the American experiment.

Come early to explore Boise Public Library’s Excitetrike and check out books, games, and activities! This event is free and open to everyone. Registration encouraged at cityofboise.org/America250.

This event is presented in partnership with the Idaho Office for Refugees and hosted at JUMP, part of the City of Boise's America 250 celebration. For a full schedule of city-sponsored America 250 events, visit cityofboise.org/America250.

in 2001, 59% of Boise voters passed Boise's first Foothills Levy. 🌄 But what led to the levy?

Explore the rich history of the Boise Foothills and the first levy with our digital exhibit! Discover the origins, conditions, and pivotal events that shaped our environment and learn about the lasting impact of the levy on Boise's open space at https://storymaps.arcgis.com/stories/fe2deb40a95046c08d6d26f4ff7078e2

Later this fall, join us for a guided tour and panel discussion at the Jim Halls Foothills Learning Center. Stay tuned for details coming this summer!

All images courtesy Boise City Archives

Registration is now open for our summer-long City Steps guided tours held at 10 a.m. on Wednesdays & Saturdays from May to September!

To commemorate America’s 250th anniversary, we’ll explore the themes of "Power of Place" and "We the People."

🔵 Remembering Chinatown: Boise's Vanished Neighborhood

Learn about Boise's Chinese history from the 1860s through the 1970s with highlights that include contributions to Boise's built environment, economy, and community.

🔴 “We the People" Who Built Boise

Walk through Boise's immigration history and discover how history and public art come together to offer a lens into the city's evolution from its earliest days to the modern era.

Cost is $10 for residents and $15 for non-residents. Plus, don’t miss our Pay What You Can days on June 6 & July 1.

Learn more and register at BoiseArtsAndHistory.org/Tours.

Historic photograph: Corki Walking in Front of Ada Theater, Cordelia and William Onweiler Papers, MS031, Boise City Archives