Harvey Pepper remembers the turning point in American comedy television.
He wasn't just present for it. He helped write it.
"None of us had any idea that we were steeped in history that was about to happen," Pepper said Monday morning.

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Gallery owner Steve Gibbs worked the room as he has for nearly 20 years, greeting friends and customers, catching up. He gripped a cane friends bought him at a garage sale, but even without that visual clue many of those gathered on this warm summer evening knew of his diagnosis.

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Steve Gibbs, owner of the Art Spirit Gallery in Coeur d’Alene, is receiving a lifetime achievement award from Spokane Arts.

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With joyful cheers and the snip of a red ribbon, citizens of Hayden welcomed the newest piece of public art to their community Friday evening.
More than 60 people gathered at the Hayden Library for the dedication ceremony of "Epiphany," a sculpture that represents a human head and the manifestations of the mind. It is made of steel and colorful pieces of Plexiglas. When lit beneath a darkened sky, it creates a vibrant stained-glass effect.

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The Hayden Chamber of Commerce recently honored several area citizens for their contributions to the community at its annual banquet. The annual H.A.Y.D.E.N. awards were presented for Human Rights, Arts and Culture, Youth, Distinguished Citizen, Education, and Noteworthy Business.

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Although they had their last day of class Friday at Sorensen Magnet School of the Arts and Humanities, the 64 fifth-grade graduates have left a lasting legacy of art.

For the second year in a row, through a partnership with The Art Spirit Gallery in Coeur d'Alene, the fifth-grade class at Sorensen had the opportunity to select one piece of art from more than 30 pieces created by local artists. The piece will have a permanent home in the halls of the magnet school and, for the second year in a row, a piece by Hayden Lake artist Michael Horswill was selected.

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Despite being one of the least densely-populated states in the USA, Idaho has a thriving contemporary arts scene that, if recent investments in the state’s arts are anything to go by, will only grow stronger. From the numerous galleries in the vibrant downtown capital of Boise to the arty town of Ketchum in Sun Valley, named one of America’s Best Small Art Towns in 2013, Idaho’s art scene has a lot to offer.

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 Harold Balazs made his way through The Art Spirit Gallery on Saturday, cane in shaky hand, chatting with guests and signing copies of one of his books.

The 87-year-old walked past many of the 157 works of his own art displayed in the gallery, stopping at one to turn it because the colorful and whimsical enamel had been unknowingly placed upside down.

More than 50 people crowded around Balazs during his informal talk and slide show that projected only some of his many works of art he created over the years.

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Harold Balazs has always been part artist, part prankster.

He even borrowed his motto – “transcend the bullshit” – from original “merry prankster” Ken Kesey.

Today, Balazs’ playful concrete, brick, wood and metal creations – particularly his Riverfront Park fountain – delight downtown visitors.

But one bit of mischief almost got him booted out of college, which might have ended his career before it began.

Fortunately, Balazs’ obvious potential outweighed his indiscretion, and three decades later he was given Washington State University’s Alumni Achievement Award “for sharing his exceptional talent in all mediums of art, bringing pleasure and joy to the public and great pride and distinction to his alma mater.”

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Check out this wonderful article in the Spokesman Review, about artist Harold Balazs and Dirk Stratton - along with their new book 'The Family Album'

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