In a small Idaho river town, creativity flows with free community art classes

The winter sun is shining through large windows onto a table filled with art supplies in the River Arts Kamiah studio space on Main Street in Kamiah, Idaho.  

Swirling splashes are heard as people dip their paint brushes into jars filled with water. There’s a watercolor class underway.

Janis Little paints green leaves around a bright pink flower. She says she drove in from Kooskia, about 10 miles upriver.

“ I’m learning to channel my inner child, so it’s good,” Little said. “To not overthink it, to just be in the moment.” 

Since River Arts Kamiah launched last August, there have been classes in beading, acrylic painting, pottery and nature journaling. 

Despite being located in a town with about 1,000 residents, the new arts program is attracting locals and people from across north Idaho.

Danae James has been teaching the watercolor class over the last few weekends.

She also works at a local coffee shop and said she’s heard a lot of feedback about the art classes from people in town.

“They’re like, ‘Oh great, I’m gonna go join your watercolor class.’ Or, ‘I’m going to come, I’m going to go do some beadwork,’” James said.

People of all ages are signing up to learn different types of art, she said.

“ For my classes, I’ve taught anywhere from (age) 12 to 60-something,” James said.

Funded by the new nonprofit River Arts Kamiah, this class and many more are totally free to the community.

Co-founder Theresa Henson said she had experience with arts programming at her former job at the Monastery of St. Gertrude in Cottonwood. 

Kamiah River Arts founders and directors Cynthia Valle, left, Theresa Henson, middle, and Stephanie Newkirk, right, stand in front of their Main Street studio space. (Credit: Lauren Paterson / NWPB)

“I really loved that sense of community building through the arts,” Henson said. “And I also knew this area to have a lot of artists and have a lot of people who wanted to connect through the arts.”

Henson’s friend, Stephanie Newkirk, had been inspired by a recent trip to Nicaragua, where she saw a community art studio.

“ This big warehouse where you walk in and lots of people were just standing around at tables doing artwork, and there were paintbrushes and big sinks and art on the walls,” Newkirk said.

Along with art for the community, Newkirk said it’s important to provide art opportunities for students.

“ A lot of the smaller schools, you know, they just don’t have the funding for it,” Newkirk said. “It’s not something the state provides funding for. ”

After dreaming up the idea of an art space for all ages, Newkirk and Henson spent a weekend coming up with a name, a logo and a website.

They pulled in Cynthia Valle, a Kamiah local with a love for the arts scene.

“ There’s perception maybe that in rural America there’s not a lot of creativity, but this place is full of creativity,” Valle said. 

At first, the three women used their own money to fund the classes and get the organization off the ground. Now, as an official nonprofit, they’re starting to file for grants and accept donations.

The positive response from people in the community and nearby towns filling up the classes is what keeps the organization growing and thriving, said Newkirk.

“There’s so many things we could do.  We could do artist residence program, we could do artists in the schools,” Henson said.

The organization is waiting on several grants to expand their programs.

“We started it, now we kind of want the community to come in and structure how best it will serve the community,” Henson said.

Valle says her favorite part of it all has been watching the multigenerational families enjoy the space together.

“The grandma coming in with the father, coming in with the grandchild, and having them create together has been very beautiful,” she said.

Ashley Rambal and her three sons, Leo, Zeus and Dante often use the Kamiah River Arts space for art projects. (Credit: Lauren Paterson / NWPB)

Just then, Ashley Rambal and her three young boys walk through the door.

And little 4-year-old Leo shared his favorite type of art to do during studio time.

“Um …  color and paint,” he said.

Just like their tagline says, the creativity flows in this river town.