Boise State displays late artist's watercolors

Gaye “Doc” Hoopes’ watercolors are back in Boise. The exhibition, titled “Water and Light,” is currently on display in the Westmark Student Union Fine Arts Gallery at Boise State University. The show runs through the remainder of the fall semester.

The collection features landscapes of snowy mountains and illuminated buildings, as well as abstract experiments. Brian Hoopes, the late artist’s son, said his father focused on making skies look lifelike. “The sky was usually something that he made really lifelike,” Hoopes said.

Hoopes was born in Ellsworth, Kansas, and his family moved to Nampa in the late 1930s before settling in Boise. He graduated from Boise Junior College, now Boise State, and later earned a master’s degree in art education. Dr. Louis A. Peck, a former professor, encouraged him to pursue teaching, according to Richard Young, a former painting professor.

Young worked in the same art department as Hoopes during the 1980s. He described Hoopes as incredibly kind and open about his techniques. “He was perceived as somebody who was willing and open to share what he knew about the process of doing watercolors,” Young said. “He made it accessible and doable for a lot of people.”

Hoopes often projected images for students to paint in class. He demonstrated sharp edges, thoughtful washes, and strong contrasts. Brian Hoopes said his father explored different styles to show that there was no single right way to work with watercolor. “He tried to get really good at each of those styles so that he could show his classes,” Hoopes said.

After retiring from Boise State, Hoopes continued teaching community workshops in McCall, Idaho. He stopped teaching only about a month before he died. His students often took him to doctor’s appointments. “I know it was a home away from home for him,” Brian Hoopes said. “He was always incredibly proud in every way of Boise State.”

Current students are visiting the exhibit. Avery Strong, a Boise State freshman, said the colors caught her attention. “I think that it’s all very beautiful,” Strong said. Richard Young remembered Hoopes as a gentle man who cared deeply about his students.