Picture of a tractor in front of a green backdrop — Courtesy: Shawna Donahue

CWI Photographers Capture a Changing Boise

Published: October 28, 2026

From agricultural equipment and changing landscapes to familiar streets and overlooked corners of the city, local photographers are capturing Boise and Garden City through their own lenses.

Among them are three College of Western Idaho (CWI) photography alumni, Amy Jauregui, Michal Temkin Martinez, and Tran Tran, along with Digital Photography Instructor, Shawna Donahue.

The four are part of The Midway: Boise PhotoGrid, a group exhibition featuring work by 15 local photographers documenting the area as it changes. The exhibition opens Saturday, Nov. 14, at MING Studios in downtown Boise.

Organized by photographer, John Francis, Boise PhotoGrid began in February 2025 as a collaborative project to create a visual record of Boise and Garden City. The two cities are divided into 42 geographic sections, each approximately 1.7 square miles. Each month, participating photographers randomly select a section to explore and photograph, documenting familiar places and unexpected discoveries through their individual perspectives.

The Midway marks the project's halfway point, bringing together photographs of the area's changing landscape and everyday life.

One of Donahue's exhibited photographs captures agricultural equipment with satellite communications infrastructure and the Boise foothills in the background. The image brings together elements of the region's agricultural history and changing landscape.

For CWI students, the exhibition offers a chance to see how photography skills can be used outside the classroom. It also brings together former students and their instructor as photographers contributing to the local arts community.

The exhibition is hosted by MING Studios, a nonprofit contemporary art center and international artist residency program.

Students, employees, and community members are invited to attend the opening reception, meet the photographers, and view their work. An artist talk on Dec. 5 will provide another opportunity to learn about the project and the creative decisions behind the photographs.