YOU SEE IT IN A CERAMIC POT.

YOU HEAR IT IN A FIDDLER'S TUNE.

IT'S IN A PAINTED ROCK.

IT'S THE SPIRIT OF IDAHO.

JOIN US AS WE LOOK AT IDAHO'S SPIRIT.

YOU CAN GET REALLY COLD MAKING A MONSTER LIKE THIS ONE.

HI, I'M PHYLLIS EDMUNDSON AND I'M AT WINTER CARNIVAL IN MCCALL.

THESE ARTISTS HAVE A LOT IN COMMON WITH THE VERY FIRST ARTISTS IN IDAHO.

WE DON'T REALLY KNOW WHAT THESE SIGNS MEAN.

THEY AREN'T WORDS.

BUT THESE DRAWINGS ARE ONE OF THE OLDEST EXAMPLES OF ART IN IDAHO.

THE ANCIENT IDAHOANS USED NATURE AS THEIR CANVAS.

ART WAS IMPORTANT TO THE FIRST IDAHOANS.

BASIL WHITE IS A KOOTENAI INDIAN.

HE MAKES MATS FROM CATTAIL REEDS.

ART ISN'T JUST PICTURES AND MUSIC.

IT'S THAT AND MUCH, MUCH MORE.

CAN YOU THINK OF SOMETHING IN YOUR HOUSE THAT IS A FORM OF ART?

LAWRENCE ARIPA PAINTS.

HIS PAINTINGS SHOW WHAT INDIAN LIFE WAS LIKE.

Lawrence Aripa: "I FEEL THAT PEOPLE HAVE A NARROW VIEW OF WHAT AN INDIAN IS.

IF I COULD MAKE A PAINTING OF A PERSON THAT SHOWS HIS SENSE OF HUMOR THEN I FEEL REALLY GOOD ABOUT IT."

Phyllis: ART WAS IMPORTANT TO THE FIRST PEOPLE WHO CAME TO IDAHO.

KERRY MOOSEMAN LIKES TO LEARN MORE ABOUT IDAHO'S EARLY ARTISTS.

ARTISTS LIKE F.P.

PAYNTON.

Cary Mooseman: "HE CAME UP HERE WITH HIS BROTHERS.

HE WAS A MUSICIAN.

HE LAID DOWN HIS FIDDLE.

AND WHEN HIS BROTHERS FINISHED THE SONG, HE WAS DEAD."

Phyllis: PAYNTON WAS 24 WHEN HE DIED.

ARTISTS WEREN'T ALWAYS EASY TO FIND BACK THEN.

IN THE LATE 1800s A TRAIN CONDUCTOR STOPPED IN AMERICAN FALLS.

HE SAW A GROUP OF COWBOYS STOPPED ON THE TRACKS.

HE THOUGHT THEY WERE GOING TO ROB THE TRAIN.

BUT THEY JUST WANTED TO HEAR THE MUSICIANS ON THE TRAIN.

SOME IDAHOANS WRITE.

IDAHO'S EARLY POETRY WAS PRETTY SILLY.

THIS POEM WAS WRITTEN IN THE LATE 1800s.

Drich Bowler: "HUGE SILVER SNOW PEAKS, WHITE AS WOOL.

THEIR FLOWER BEDS ONE FRAGRANT MASS OF FLOWERS.

GRASS TALL BORN AND GRAND, WHERE FLOWERS CHASED THE FLYING SNOW!

OH, HIGH HELD LAND IN GOD'S RIGHT HAND, DELICIOUS, DREAMFUL IDAHO!"

Phyllis: IDAHO WAS A NEW STATE WHEN JOSEPH MCMEEKIN PAINTED HERE.

HE SHOWED THE WORLD THE SNAKE RIVER CANYON.

HE PAINTED THE PEOPLE WHO LIVED THERE.

MCMEEKIN IS ONE OF AMERICA'S BEST PAINTERS.

ANOTHER ARTIST WROTE ABOUT THE STATE.

CAROL RYRIE BRINK GREW UP IN MOSCOW.

SHE WROTE ABOUT WHAT IT WAS LIKE TO LIVE IN HER TOWN.

HAVE YOU EVER READ A CAROL RYRIE BRINK BOOK?

BARNEY HILL TALKS ABOUT A SPECIAL TIME IN HIS POETRY.

HE TALKS ABOUT COWBOYS.

Barney Hill: "CAN LEARN A LOT BY READING BOOKS.

YOU CAN LEARN ABOUT A HORSE, OR HOW A COWBOY LOOKS.

BUT, THERE'S OTHER THINGS THAT COME FROM THE EXPERIENCE OF LIVING.

THAT NO BOOKS WILL BE A-GIVING.

VISIT WITH SOME OLD-TIMER.

HIS EYES WILL HAVE THAT FARAWAY LOOK.

HE DIDN'T LEARN HIS BUCKAROOIN' FROM READING IN A BOOK.

WE TRAIL OUR COWS NOW A MILE OR TWO, TRYING HARD NOT TO UPSET OUR NEIGHBORS.

MY KIDS LEARN TO HANDLE STOCKS AS A REWARD FOR ALL OUR LABORS.

SO WHEN YOU SEE ME WITH COWS, TAKE PITY 'CAUSE IT'S KINDA SAD.

'CAUSE IT'S A DIFFERENT WORLD NOW, AND I'M LIVIN' A PAST THAT I NEVER HAD."

Phyllis: SINGER ROSALIE SORRELS LOOKS FOR IDAHO'S SPIRIT IN MUSIC.

ONE OF HER SONGS IS ABOUT A WORK HAND.

IT'S CALLED "MY LOVE IS A RIVER."

Rosalie Sorrels sings: "MY LOVE IS A CURTAIN OF HIGH MOUNTAIN RAIN.

I DUG HER BRIGHT SILVER IN THE HIGH COUER D'ALENE.

BUT SHE'LL NEVER BE MINE.

SHE'LL NEVER BE MINE.

I HAVE WON ALL HER TREASURES SO SIMPLE AND FINE, BUT I GUESS SHE'LL NEVER BE MINE."

Phyllis: THE PEOPLE WHO MAKE THESE START WITH SNOW, ICE AND AN IDEA.

THEY SPEND DAYS PACKING SNOW AND ICE AND THEN CARVING IN THE DETAILS.

COULD YOU IMAGINE MAKING A CASTLE OR A DRAGON FROM A BLOCK OF ICE ?

ARTISTS CAN.

IDAHO ARTISTS CAN SEE THINGS OTHER PEOPLE CAN'T.

THEY MAKE US LAUGH AND CRY AND THINK.

JERRY LUTHER IS THE NORTH IDAHO HOOEY MAN.

HE SAYS HIS ACT IS VAUDEVILLE.

HE AND HIS WIFE BECKY TRAVEL FROM ART FAIR TO ART FAIR SELLING THEIR DUCKS AND OTHER CRAFTS.

Jerry Luther: "I PRACTICE SOMETHING OVER AND OVER.

BUT I CAN GO OUT AND PEOPLE FEEL BETTER BECAUSE I DO IT.

AND THAT'S OKAY."

Phyllis: THEY CAN MAKE A LIVING BEING ARTISTS.

MANY PEOPLE WANT ART BUT NOT EVERYONE WILL PAY FOR IT.

THAT WAS TRUE WHEN IDAHO WAS FIRST SETTLED.

AND IT'S STILL TRUE TODAY.

BUT YOU CAN CHANGE THAT.

ART IS IMPORTANT.

ROD KAGEN IS A SCULPTOR.

HE SAYS THE BEST PART ABOUT BEING AN ARTIST IS SEEING PEOPLE TOUCH HIS WORK.

Rod Kagen: "IT'S LIKE THE OLD BRONZES IN THE PARKS.

YOU KNOW, THE NOSES THAT ARE ALL POLISHED UP.

KIDS HAVE PLAYED ON THEM.

IT'S A WONDERFUL THING TO SEE."

Phyllis: ARTISTS AREN'T AFRAID TO THINK BIG.

ART TROUTNER THINKS BIG.

HE'S AN ARCHITECT.

AN ARCHITECT DESIGNS BUILDINGS.

TROUTNER DESIGNED THE KIBBIE DOME AT THE UNIVERSITY OF IDAHO.

CAN YOU SEE THE ART IN BUILDINGS AND CHAIRS AND OTHER THINGS?

THESE ACTORS IN SALMON ARE EXPRESSING THEIR OWN KIND OF SPIRIT.

HAVE YOU EVER THOUGHT ABOUT ACTING?

OR HOW ABOUT WRITING?

SOME WRITERS IN IDAHO EVEN LIKE TO HAVE THEIR WORK PRINTED WITH INDIVIDUAL TYPE SET.

OTHERS USE A COMPUTER.

BOTH ARE CREATING ART.

SO IS THIS HISPANIC WEAVER.

AND THESE QUILTERS.

AND THIS ORCHESTRA.

SO ARE THESE FIDDLERS.

PEOPLE FROM ALL OVER COME TO PLAY AT IDAHO'S WEISER FIDDLER FESTIVAL.

ART IS ONE WAY OF TELLING OTHERS HOW YOU FEEL.

CARY MOOSEMAN TRIES TO EXPRESS THAT IN HIS POTTERY.

Cary Mooseman: "I THINK JUST HAVING AN INTEREST IN HISTORY HAS INFLUENCED MY WORK.

I LIKE TO KNOW WHAT CAME BEFORE.

I'M VERY CURIOUS ABOUT HOW PEOPLE LIVED AND WHAT THEY DID."

Phyllis: THE ARTS HAVE MADE A DIFFERENCE IN IDAHO'S HISTORY.

WE'VE SEARCHED FOR IDAHO'S SPIRIT IN ITS ART.

YOU CAN SEE IT IN THE WORK OF IDAHO'S FIRST RESIDENTS OR IN A JOSEPH MCMEEKIN PAINTING.

IDAHO ARTISTS ARE MAKING HISTORY TODAY.

AND THEY WILL CONTINUE TO EXPRESS IDAHO'S SPIRIT.

THOUSANDS OF PEOPLE COME TO MCCALL EVERY YEAR TO LOOK AT THE ICE SCULPTURES.

BUT ON A WARM DAY LIKE TODAY, THE SCULPTURES MELT.

IT'S IMPORTANT TO TAKE TIME TO LOOK AT ART.

BUT IT'S MORE IMPORTANT TO MAKE ART YOURSELF.

ART MAKES A LASTING MARK ON HISTORY.

YOU CAN ADD TO THE SPIRIT OF IDAHO.

I'LL SEE YOU AGAIN NEXT TIME.

CLOSED CAPTION TRANSCRIPTION BY SARA J. HANSEN