A Painted Symphony

About the Painted Violin Project

The Idaho State-Civic Symphony Painted Violin Project is a unique fundraiser that brings together music, visual art, and community in support of our mission to perform, teach, and champion symphonic music in Eastern Idaho.

Each violin in this collection began as an unplayable instrument and was reimagined by a local artist into a one-of-a-kind work of art. Using a wide range of techniques—from painting and sculpture to mixed media—artists transformed these violins into expressive pieces with stories all their own.

When you bid on a painted violin, you’re doing more than acquiring original artwork. Proceeds directly support ISCS concerts, music education, and outreach programs that inspire musicians and audiences across our region.

Every violin has a story. Your bid helps write the next chapter.

Place bid on Violin #1 Learn about Anahi Ambriz Artist: Anahi Ambriz {{current_slide_index}} of {{total_slide_count}} Esto Perpetua Esto Perpetua's design concept draws inspiration from the color palette of Idaho's state bird, the bluebird, and state flower, the Syringa. Anahi Ambriz specifically referenced Picasso's Blue Period for the artistic direction of this work. A crucial structural element is the deliberate contrast between a prominent, visually impactful design featured on the back of the piece and a more understated, subtle treatment on the front. Place bid on Violin #2 Learn about Malcolm Asay Artist: Malcolm Asay {{current_slide_index}} of {{total_slide_count}} A Hunter's Legacy Inspired by the game series Monster Hunter, A Hunter’s Legacy brings together Malcolm’s love of music with his love of virtual gaming. The music featured in Monster Hunter showcases the multifaceted capabilities of a modern orchestra. Malcolm enjoys the way the game builds community as players have fun and hunt monsters together. Similarly, orchestra members derive joy in creating music together. Place bid on Violin #3 Learn about Lyman Asay Artist: Lyman Asay {{current_slide_index}} of {{total_slide_count}} Asian Soul Based on traditional Chinese ink paintings, this design depicts a distant mountain waterfall and bonsai tree with a home and pond in the foreground. The authentic inscription is simplified Mandarin that translates to: “Music is the language of the soul. Our souls sing in nature.” The rest of the instrument is adorned with Asian-style borders in gold shimmer paint, including a stylized bonsai tree on the back. Place bid on Violin #4 Learn about Lyman Asay
 Artist: Lyman Asay {{current_slide_index}} of {{total_slide_count}} Multnomah Falls
 The inspiration for this violin, executed in acrylic paint, is the beautiful Multnomah Falls, which is located in Oregon. If you look closely, you will notice that the design contains some clever constructs. For example, a small stream flows down the fingerboard, just like the strings of the violin. This rivulet cascades into a waterfall, where the iconic Benson Bridge over Multnomah Falls is placed exactly where the violin bridge is attached to the instrument. The final waterfall travels down to the tailpiece of the violin into a pool that is similar in shape and location to the instrument’s chinrest. Place bid on Violin #5 Learn about Todd Asay Artist: Todd Asay {{current_slide_index}} of {{total_slide_count}} The Highlands The painting on the back of the violin is of the famous Eilean Donan Castle in Scotland. Built in the thirteenth century, the castle was a stronghold for the Mackenzie Clan. The Castle was destroyed in 1719 during the Jacobite rebellion. The castle that presently stands is a reconstruction built by Lieutenant-Colonel John Macrae-Gilstrap between 1919 and 1932. The front contains a celtic knotwork thistle, the flower of Scotland. SOLD! Learn about Patricia Bingham Artist: Patricia Bingham {{current_slide_index}} of {{total_slide_count}} A Mysterious Language (SOLD!) Patricia recently saw a photo of the 600,000th Steinway piano ever made. It was intricately decorated with inlays of wooden Fibonacci spirals. She found this synergy of music, art, and math inspiring. Her plan is to try to capture this by incorporating these same elements on a much smaller scale while including her favorite muse - Mother Nature. Just as composing music is a give-and-take process where one element plays off the other, she is always surprised at how the individual parts of her artwork come together in ways she never anticipated. Place bid on Violin #7 Learn about Taryn Blackmon Artist: Taryn Blackmon {{current_slide_index}} of {{total_slide_count}} Sunset In her design, Taryn explores the serenity and contemplative mood associated with the transition between day and night. The use of oil paint lends itself to a rich, layered texture, effectively capturing the soft, shifting hues of a sunset, mirroring the peaceful calmness that descends as the day concludes. The artwork seeks to visually represent the quiet, often overlooked moment when the vibrant energy of the day yields to the tranquil stillness of the evening - a natural, gentle transition that brings with it a sense of quietude and reflection. Place bid on Violin #8 Learn about Bethany Buchi Artist: Bethany Buchi {{current_slide_index}} of {{total_slide_count}} Violins are the Sheet For her design, Bethany used saxophone sheet music from when she was in band in high school. This helped create an emotional connection between her past enjoyment of musicianship and her current joy in creating artwork. Violins are the Sheet is a means of exploring the harmony between the sounds created by different musical instruments. Place bid on Violin #9 Learn about Reece Dayley Artist: Reece Dayley {{current_slide_index}} of {{total_slide_count}} Wildwood Reece has always felt that the violin is an instrument that is very strongly connected to nature. The simple yet beautiful design of Wildwood highlights the violin’s origin as a living tree. This artwork helps us imagine and appreciate the wild creatures and birdsong within the forest that nurtured the wood used in its crafting. Place bid on Violin #10 Learn about Kailee Forrey Artist: Kailee Forrey {{current_slide_index}} of {{total_slide_count}} Reflection of Beyond The design concept of Reflection of Beyond celebrates all young musicians who strive to develop their talent and skill over time. Like the child depicted on this violin, we should keep the best version of ourselves, and who we hope to be, reflected in our own mind’s eye! Place bid on Violin #11 Learn about Lana Gribas Artist: Lana Gribas {{current_slide_index}} of {{total_slide_count}} Matisse and Picasso Duet Matisse and Picasso Duet is a mixed media work that includes fabric collage and paint. It is inspired by the works of Henri Matisse and Pablo Picasso. Like this violin piece, both artists produced work that fused visual art and music. Place bid on Violin #12 Learn about Sue Holbrook Artist: Sue Holbrook {{current_slide_index}} of {{total_slide_count}} Sprinkles Sue created Sprinkles to reflect a whimsical landscape scene painted with dots. She includes majestic mountains framed against a night sky on one side, and a desert under a daylight sky on the other. Place bid on Violin #13 Learn about Aaliyah Johnson Artist: Aaliyah Johnson {{current_slide_index}} of {{total_slide_count}} Todo Estará Bien The inspiration for this artwork comes from Juan Gabriel’s song, Todo Está Bien, which in Spanish translates to, “everything is alright.” Music offers a vital path to connection and peace, especially when navigating mental health challenges. This piece is part of a collection titled The Escape from Reality, where music is a central theme that connects each work. The pieces embody memories - from childhood to the present - and raw emotions associated with these. Music allows us to escape into a world that prioritizes the beauty of nature over some of the ugliness of humanity. Aaliyah believes that this design truly unites her pieces, and reveals the inspiration that moved her to create them. Place bid on Violin #14 Learn about Ava Lee Artist: Ava Lee {{current_slide_index}} of {{total_slide_count}} She Who Blossoms She Who Blossoms explores themes of growth and feminine power, specifically the transformative period of "blooming" into one's full self and achieving self-knowledge as a woman. The falling petals symbolize this transition, which the woman accepts with a calm expression. This piece is inspired by Ava’s own experiences as a young woman and serves as an extension of her art portfolio, where she uses the female perspective to share feelings and experiences with others. Place bid on Violin #15 Learn about Ty Nelson Artist: Ty Nelson {{current_slide_index}} of {{total_slide_count}} Untitled Ty is a lover of art and aesthetics that enhance the natural beauty of an object. Violins are already so beautiful in both style and function that Ty wished to enhance the nature of the violin rather than overshadow it. Using techniques of engraving and wood burning, Ty represents the feeling of being swept away by an ocean that overcomes you when listening to a sweeping violin concerto. Place bid on Violin #16
 Learn about Micah Patchin Artist: Micah Patchin {{current_slide_index}} of {{total_slide_count}} Le Cygne (The Swan) Micah’s piece is deeply inspired by "The Swan," the 13th movement of Camille Saint-Saëns's Carnival of the Animals, which is a very sentimental piece to them. Le Cygne is a gentle exploration of the ever-fleeting nature of beauty. For this creation, Micah created a relief sculpture directly onto the violin using homemade cold porcelain clay, and painted it using acrylics. Place bid on Violin #17 Learn about Magdalyne Peck Artist: Magdalyne Peck {{current_slide_index}} of {{total_slide_count}} Tsuyoi Melody
(Strong Melody) Magdalyne has played the violin for ten years and loves this instrument. Tsuyoi Melody features images of koi fish. These delightful creatures represent both strength and endurance. Playing the violin helps Magdalyne relax and endure hard things. Magdalyne knows that music helps many people in this way, and she hopes that her design brings strength and peace to viewers. Place bid on Violin #18 Learn about Tyler Robinson Artist: Tyler Robinson {{current_slide_index}} of {{total_slide_count}} Cinders of Symphony The front of Cinders of Symphony features a dark red dragon blowing his bright and sparklit fire right up onto the surface of the violin’s fingerboard. The back of the work features a snarling dragon face with smoke coming out of the nostrils. To create this piece, Tyler was inspired by her family's love of dragons. She is particularly pleased to cater to her sisters’ obsession with these fantastical and powerful creatures. Place bid on Violin #19 Learn about Lilly Rodriguez Artist: Lilly Rodriguez {{current_slide_index}} of {{total_slide_count}} If Not Now, Then When? The design of If Not Now, Then When? is inspired by renewal, endurance, and the passage of time. The blue swallows depicted across the violin symbolize loyalty, hope, and new beginnings. They embody Lilly’s experiences of personal growth and courage to start anew after hardship, no matter how uncertain the path ahead is. In the face of life’s challenges, these graceful birds represent both endurance and resilience. The surrounding floral and pin-striped motifs frame the piece with balance and grace to portray beauty in the struggle. This piece is a call to embrace change and to remind us that growth and transformation begins the moment we choose. Likewise, it is an invitation to trust in the timing of one's own becoming, to take flight despite fear and to find harmony in growth. Place bid on Violin #20 Learn about Adrienne Speer Artist: Adrienne Speer {{current_slide_index}} of {{total_slide_count}} Eyes on the Stars The night sky inspires the design for Adrienne’s Eyes on the Stars. Like the vast heavens, the design envelopes the entire surface of the violin, with geometric stars studded on a background of dark blues and purples. Place bid on Violin #21 Learn about Vic Thomas Artist: Vic Thomas {{current_slide_index}} of {{total_slide_count}} The Inextinguishable The Inextinguishable (named after Nielsen's Symphony No. 4), is a tribute to Holocaust victims. Vic incorporates origami butterflies and hidden lines from Elie Wiesel’s Night to honor their struggle against despair. The work aims to ensure history's lessons are not forgotten. Place bid on Violin #22 Learn about Jennifer Artist: Jennifer VanWasshenova {{current_slide_index}} of {{total_slide_count}} Where Wildflowers Sing Where Wildflowers Sing is inspired by Pocatello's natural beauty. The front features an impressionistic large black eyed susan flower revealing some of the natural oak of the violin beneath. The back, loosely, references a Pocatello scene with permission from the photographer, Gary Clay. Place bid on Violin #23 Learn about Chrystine Whyte Artist: Chrystine Whyte {{current_slide_index}} of {{total_slide_count}} Elevate Chrystine grew up skiing her winter weekends away on the slopes of Kelly Canyon and Grand Targhee. When she is on the ski hill, classical music is playing in her headphones. For these reasons, it seems perfectly fitting for Chrystine to represent the great outdoors on a violin! Elevate conjures a skiers’ paradise in the curves of the white instrument, and in the strings that suggest the cables of chair lifts. She hopes the fun bright colors of her violin bring you the sensation of rushing down a mountain in joy! Place bid on Violin #24 Learn about Chrystine Whyte Artist: Chrystine Whyte {{current_slide_index}} of {{total_slide_count}} Music of the Night “Phantom of the Opera” was the first Broadway-style opera that Chrystine ever saw. She fell in love with both the timeless music and the mysterious labyrinth present both in the stage setting and in the heart of the Phantom. The gold leafing on this black violin serves to capture the opulence of the opera house, while the mask and red rose symbolize the Phantom’s undying love for Christine Daaé, the central character in this tragic love triangle. In Music of the Night, Chrystine pays tribute to the classic themes of love, obsession, and redemption. Place bid on Violin #25 Learn about Kwani Povi Winder Artist: Kwani Povi Winder {{current_slide_index}} of {{total_slide_count}} Reflection Kwani created Reflection in shimmering metal leaf featuring traditional Santa Clara Pueblo Tewa designs. Blending Native tradition with a contemporary approach, it prompts contemplation of natural beauty, cultural heritage, and artistic innovation. Place bid on Violin #26 Learn about Alyssa Mabey Artist: Alyssa Mabey {{current_slide_index}} of {{total_slide_count}} Danse Macabre This piece is inspired by “Danse Macabre no. 40”, a symphonic poem composed by Camille Saint-Saëns. The narrative follows the accompanying poem written by Henri Cazalis. Every Halloween Death plays his fiddle as the dead dance before returning to their graves at sunrise. Place bid on Violin #27
 Learn about Douglas Madlock Artist: Douglas Madlock {{current_slide_index}} of {{total_slide_count}} Working Tools Working Tools features the time-honored implements of a master violin maker. If you look closely, you will notice that the back design includes a square and a compass. For Freemasons like Douglas, the square represents honesty and fairness, and is a reminder to act with integrity. The compass symbolizes the use of reason, wisdom, and self-restraint to set moral boundaries around one’s actions and desires. Esto Perpetua Back Esto Perpetua Front If Not Now The When, 19 If Not Now The When, 19
Online bidding opens February 6th at 8:00pm and closes March 19th at 8:00pm

How to Bid

In Person
View the violins and place bids at the following locations:

Pocatello Art Center — February 6 | 5–8 PM, then through February 19th (regular hours)

Stephens Performing Arts Center — February 20 | 6 PM–Intermission

Gate City Coffee — March 6 | 5–8 PM

Stephens Performing Arts Center — March 20 | 6 PM–Intermission
(Bidding closes at the end of intermission and winners are announced)

Online
Can’t attend in person? You can still bid online!