Valley Regional Transit and the City of Caldwell Introduce New Bus Shelter Public Art

​Caldwell, Idaho - Valley Regional Transit (VRT), the City of Caldwell, local artist Bobb Gaytan, and the
Caldwell Chamber of Commerce revealed a new public art project Friday morning at the VRT bus stop
in front of the Caldwell Library.

“Public art is such an important investment in our public spaces. It provides a sense of place and
belonging and can foster a more vibrant community culture,” said VRT’s CEO Elaine Clegg. “This
installation is the result of a growing partnership with the City of Caldwell that we can all be very
proud of, and we thank Bobby for the wonderful work he’s done.”
The installation, “Con Estas Manos” (“With These Hands”), represents the newest public art project
in Caldwell and the first applied to public transit infrastructure. The project was funded by the City of
Caldwell and VRT.

“I am excited to share this with the community. This public art project not only brings art to the
community and the street but also increases the unique character of our city. Partnering with VRT on
this project is a success for everyone,” said Caldwell Mayor Jarom Wagoner.
Bobby Gaytan was born in Nampa, Idaho. As a former migrant farmworker, his family moved annually
from South Texas to East Michigan and then to South Idaho to work in the crop fields. During his
time in Texas, he started admiring street art and began sketching his own urban landscapes. He
went on to earn a BFA in Graphic Design from Boise State University in 2001 and started working for
the Bureau of Reclamation as an Illustrator shortly after. He owns a creative company called
Blakbook Pages where he works on commissioned projects like murals and digital illustrations. He is
a community activist, and his passion is geared towards helping youth achieve their goals through
creativity, hard work, and dedication. He currently serves as an Arts Commissioner for the City of
Meridian.

"A long time ago my grandparents migrated here to work in these northern farmlands,” Gaytan said.

“All they had was a dream and a lot of will. After the harvest seasons, a lot of workers would return to
their southern homelands. Those that stayed would eventually call Idaho home and raise families
that grew up to be freedom fighters and great contributors to this society. Working and fighting hard
so that future generations could have the opportunities their ancestors dreamed of. I dedicate this
work of art to my family, my community, and all the migrant farmworkers that continue to work hard
and contribute to this beautiful land we now call home!"

The Caldwell Library bus shelter is served by VRT’s Nampa/Caldwell OnDemand. Rather than being
picked up at a bus stop using fixed time schedules, riders are picked up near their location and
dropped off near their destination within the service zone. Riders can schedule trips through the
“VRT OnDemand” mobile app, online, or by calling VRT’s customer service team.