Boise native Serena Allen-Szatkowski (BFA, sculpture, arts entrepreneurship, 2024) arrived on campus as an undeclared major. Four years later, she graduated with professional art experience and a work of public art in downtown Boise.
In her senior year, Allen-Szatkowski enrolled in Associate Professor Lily Lee’s course, Art 334, Assembled Form, where students practice advanced sculpture techniques while working to earn an art commission. Lee’s class partnered with the City of Boise, including the Department of Arts & History, Department of Public Works and the Capital City Development Corporation’s Rebuild Linen Blocks on Grove Street project.
The city created a call to artists for Lee’s students, who then followed the same application process as any professional artist. That meant brainstorming, writing a proposal, making sketches and waiting.
Allen-Szatkowski found out she’d won the commission – chosen by a panel of community members – when a fellow student congratulated her as she walked into class. “It was a weird surprise, definitely a nice booster,” she said. “I felt like I was coming into my career path.” The commission earned Allen-Szatkowski an artist fee of $4,000.
“Serena’s proposal of a coyote and her cub gazing towards the Boise Foothills not only showcased an intentional, recognizable, and beautiful application of ‘reduce, reuse’ with the use of scrap metal, but highlighted the interconnectedness between humans, animals and Boise’s natural setting,” said Hannah Williamson, public works public art project coordinator.
A commitment to creative and professional artist development is a hallmark of the School of the Arts at Boise State. “When I was a student, [professional development] wasn’t a big focus,” Lee said, recalling her time as an undergraduate at another university. “But in our department, we’re looking at how to best prepare students. I think it’s extremely important for students to learn how to have their creative practice be self-supporting.”
Allen-Szatkowski’s piece, a mother coyote and pup titled “Reclaimed Majesty,” will be on display in front of the Modern Hotel on Grove Street until summer 2026. At that point, she will have the option of selling or leasing it.
Allen-Szatkowski used the welding skills she had learned through the university’s sculpture program to make the piece. With “reduce, reuse” as the guiding theme, she sourced scrap metal from Pacific Steel & Recycling in Boise and from the university’s sculpture studio. She wanted her design to respond to local landscapes. A coyote, a common resident of the Boise foothills, was a natural choice, she said. “They are incredible creatures. They have been through a lot, but they come back. I love that persistence and ability to adapt.”
Once she settled on her idea and studied canine anatomy, Allen-Szatkowski built several models before constructing the 165-pound sculpture. The process went smoothly, though it took her about two months to complete.
Allen-Szatkowski is building on her artistic success. She hopes to start a graduate program in the fall and study a mix of disciplines, including painting, sculpture and animatronics, creating immersive works that invite touch, interaction and storytelling.
By Nick Cesare and Anna Webb