USA, Idaho: Geothermal Energy Inspires City Art-work

Colorful new sculpture at Boise State draws inspiration from Valley’s geothermal wonders (Idaho Statesman)

Geothermal heat is as emblematic of Boise as the foothills or the famous blue turf at Boise State. Now, the university has a new sculpture on campus based on that famous hot water that’s heated houses and buildings in the area for well over a century.

Boise artists Ken McCall and Leslie Dixon created the colorful metal and plexiglass sculpture, “Transference.” It was installed Friday, Nov. 4 near the back entrance to the Environmental Research Building on University Drive.

The title of the piece, say the artists, refers to the circular system that pipes hot water underground throughout the city, then returns it to its underground source.

The City of Boise has operated a geothermal district since 1983. The city’s hot water is pumped from the ground near St. Luke’s Regional Medical Center. It circulates through the downtown area, heating about 3.8 million square feet of building space. In 2010, the city expanded its geothermal district to the Boise State campus.

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