Boise Museums About Communities
By Anna Poelo
Among Boise's many featured and famous museums are the Idaho Black History Museum and the Basque Museum and Cultural Center. These two museums differ from the rest of the museums in Boise by dedicating itself to the history and culture of their respective communities.
The Idaho Black History Museum was founded in 1995, built to educate people about the history and culture of African Americans, especially the African Americans from Idaho. It now stands at the former St. Paul Baptist Church Building at Julia Davis Park. St. Paul is one of the two African American churches founded by the Boise people, and is one of the oldest buildings built by the African Americans of Boise. It was a gathering place for the African Americans of Boise long before other social gatherings were established. The church was given to a preservation committee when the St. Paul congregation moved to a new church in 1993, and two years later ws the birth of the Idaho Black History Museum.
The Basque Museum and Cultural Center, on the other hand, focuses and promotes the history and culture of the Basque communities in Idaho. It was established in 1985 at the historic Cyrus Jacobs-Uberuaga House at Grove Street. It is here where the museum grew and flourished. More artifacts and exhibits were shown and developments were made to the place because of the need for more space and exposure. As the years went by, the Basque Museum and Cultural Center grew more and more with many dedicated people investing in making it a proud cultural institution in Idaho.
The Basque Museum and Cultural Center aims in promoting and interpreting the rich and colorful history of the Basque communities, their origins, and their life in America. It aims to preserve Basque history and tradition by researching and educating the people about the background of the Basque communities and the Basque collections.
The museum includes history archives, a library, records and tapes, manuscript materials, artifacts and photographs. The museum also branches out to supporting the Basque community in the area, like, for instance, establishing the first Basque preschool, the Boiseko Ikastola. Currently, the museum is focusing on offering more services to the community such as educational programs, technological improvements, and more Basque social activities.
The Idaho Black History Museum is evidently promoting the same things, and others. Aside from promoting awareness to the people of Idaho, the museum also presents educational and community outreach programs such as literacy programs, workshops, and musical performances.
These two aren't the only notable museums in Boise, Idaho. The Boise Art Museum, the Idaho Historical Museum, and the Discovery Center of Idaho are among the featured places to go to when in Boise. However, if you're interested in learning about the different communities in Idaho, especially the African American and Basque communities, then the Idaho Black History Museum and the Basque Museum and Cultural Center is just right here in Boise, waiting to educate and share with you the history and culture of the communities.