BOISE, Idaho — A massive new mural will soon call the the Boise Airport home. It will be displayed across the face of the newly built rental car facility — visible from the main road when travelers arrive at BOI.
There will also be a smaller display in the new walkway that will connect the rental car facility to the airport.
“The theme for this whole thing in my mind and in my pitch for the city was about exploration and discovery,” said Chad Otis, the artist and designer behind the winning design.
The project is a collaboration between Otis, the Boise City Department of Arts & History and the Boise Airport.
“It really is big, I think it’s gonna be the biggest mural in Idaho," said Otis.
WATCH | Artist behind the mural Chad Otis explains the design
The city reviewed 57 submissions for the project before narrowing the field to three finalists. Otis’ design was chosen and highlights the history and spirit of Boise.
“I knew these guys needed to be there, I knew the capitol building, the depot, the airport, I wanted those to all be in there. The Shoshone-Bannock, a reference to them here, and then actually one here too,” Otis said while pointing out the different elements in the mural's design.
The mural also features the old Boise Airport and many forms of air travel — old and new — from a classic U.S. Mail biplane to a futuristic hydrogen-powered passenger plane.
“The city wanted to make sure that the history of the airport and the future of the airport and air transportation were a part of it,” he said.
While Otis has created murals before, nothing compares to this project’s scale.
“I went to the airport and drove by it, did videos, took pictures, walked up to it and so on and I was like — that really is a massive building, this thing’s gonna be huge. It better look good,” he said.
Otis is also the author and illustrator of seven popular children’s books. He explained the goal for the mural is to be easily readable and tell a story too.
“With any good illustration, and I hope this is one, there should be a harmony to it, a balance to it, so that the palette, the shapes, the contrasts, and everything work together as a whole,” he said.
The mural is scheduled to be completed and dedicated on April 6, 2026 — the Boise Airport’s 100th anniversary.
Otis' work will be displayed at the airport for three to five years.
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