‘Arts Passport’ offers ticket to human connection

Treefort Music Fest performance by San Holo at the Knitting Factory, Photo by Torin Alm

Have you ever felt transported by an amazing film or theatre performance, the beauty and introspection of an art exhibit, or the soul-thumping bass of a live musical performance?

Experiencing art is a ticket to personal exploration, as well as an invitation to deepened human connection. When we enter that music hall, attend that exhibit, or pick our seat and popcorn in that movie theatre, we are engaging with art and the world around us.

These experiences are critical to mental and physical health, especially in light of the epidemic of loneliness highlighted by the Surgeon General Dr. Vivek Murthy in May 2023. Loneliness is associated with premature mortality, poorer health outcomes, depression, anxiety disorders and suicidal ideation.

For former Dean of the College of Arts and Sciences Leslie Durham, School of the Arts Director Amanda Ashley and Program Coordinator Sue Latta, wielding the arts to protect and empower students was a natural choice.

The spring 2026 performance of Grease at the Morrison Center. Photo by Priscilla Grover

The Arts Passport one-credit course is a semester-long invitation to students in every discipline to engage in seven arts activities of their choosing, with the caveat that they must select at least one experience in each of the areas of visual art, live music, live theater and film. Students complete each experience with written reflections to specific questions. The course can be taken at the 200 and 400 level.

"It is really a great opportunity where students can get an upper division credit, and have experiences that they might not have pushed themselves out into the world to have," Latta said.

Community partners such as the Boise Contemporary Theater, Treefort Music Hall, Shrine Social Club, Boise Philharmonic, Idaho Film Society, The Flicks, Morrison Center, and the Boise Art Museum have been enthusiastic partners, offering free or substantially discounted admission to Arts Passport students.

In spring 2025, computer science senior Martin Guzman took the class for the first time.

"I wanted to use my final year at Boise State to explore community events and spaces I hadn't engaged with before and saw this class as a way to encourage myself to explore," Guzman said.

In his seven art experiences, Guzman visited the Boise Art Museum; listened to a small concert called Lala's Jazz hosted in Boise State's Hemingway Center; observed visual arts exhibits featuring Veiko Valencia and then Natascha O'Dell at the Blue Galleries hosted in The Center for the Visual Arts; watched two movies titled 2:59 and Driving Miss Daisy at The Egyptian Theater in downtown Boise; and watched a live performance of The Great American Trailer Park Musical at the Stagecoach Theatre.

A live musical performance at The Egyptian Theatre in Downtown Boise, ID. Photo provided by Priscilla Grover.

"I would highly recommend this class to a friend," Guzman said. "I would make sure to make the most out of events chosen and to not pick events that are too 'safe' or familiar but rather go for something much less familiar. I found myself attending events such as the Treefort Music Fest not even for a mandatory assignment, but simply because this class gave me the inner drive to explore local events in downtown Boise."

For Latta, the most satisfying part of the class is seeing the students' excitement when they share an experience that was new to them.

"There is research to show that students who engage in arts activities feel more community connection, and it serves retention, health and well-being and lowered levels of anxiety when students are having fun. There are just so many benefits. There are benefits to the students, the arts organizations, and the university. I think it's a win for everybody," Latta said.

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