A Garden of Creativity
The Surel Mitchell Live-Work-Create District provides more seamless lives to artists and artisans, in which living space supports creativity and creative space supports lives.
District History
In 1998, well-known Boise artist Surel Mitchell built a home in Garden City where she would not only live but also create and share her art. Surel became active in the community, serving on Garden City’s Planning & Zoning Commission and the city’s first Arts Commission. During those efforts, she introduced and championed the idea of designating a special area of the city as a “live, work, create district.”
In 2007, thanks to her efforts, the Garden City city council formally approved the creation of such a district between the city limits to the east and 37th Street on both sides of Chinden Blvd. After her passing in 2011, the Garden City city council officially named the Live, Work, Create District in her honor.
Surel’s family and friends have transformed her Garden City home into “Surel’s Place,” a non-profit artist-in-residence program that attracts artists from around the nation and the world. This legacy offers artists and artisans the opportunity to experience Surel’s live-work-create dream.