Beyond the frame: The Luminary makes masterpieces accessible to Idaho students

By Nick Cesare

Terra Feast, K-12 professional development and Onramp program manager, guides student groups through the Luminary as part of the university's Onramp program (an educational initiative bringing science, technology, engineering, art and math experiences to Idaho students), for Boise State Magazine, photo by Priscilla Grover

It's the middle of the morning on a school day, and students on a field trip are breaking the number one rule of art museums: they're touching the art. No one is stepping in to scold this class of fifth graders from Taft Elementary in Boise. Instead, staff are encouraging it.

That's because these Idaho students aren't at a New York art museum. They're at Boise State's Center for Visual Arts, in the Keith and Catherine Stein Luminary, an all-digital immersive and interactive gallery.

Thanks to an array of high-powered projectors, touch-sensitive walls throughout the room and a powerful supercomputer, details in the paintings spring to life under the students' fingers. Students drag and zoom to see individual brush strokes, cracks in old paint and even reflections in a subject's eye.

The effect is dazzling. "To say that it was extraordinary would be an understatement," said Tim Lowe, principal at Taft. "Our students were absolutely enthralled with the technology that allowed them to physically interact with visual wonders."

The space doesn't just inspire wonder. It's also a one-of-a-kind educational platform. Terra Feast, K-12 professional development and Onramp program manager, guides student groups through the Luminary. She pulls up two paintings of George Washington from different time periods. She uses the Luminary's technology to show the works side by side, zooming in on details and explaining what the artists were trying to express.

"Many of our programs are developed in partnership with different departments across campus and supported by current Boise State students," Feast said. "During their visits, teachers and students not only learn about the Luminary and create their own content with digital tools, but they also learn about Boise State's programs and facilities."

For Idaho students, the Luminary is a journey into a world of art they may never experience otherwise and their first step towards becoming Broncos.

Idaho student outreach at the Luminary is possible thanks to generous support from Boise State alum Kim Adler, David Adler and two other anonymous donors.

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