December 17, 2020 (Moscow, Idaho) -- The City of Moscow Arts Department launched Dear Moscow, its latest digital Third Street Gallery exhibition on Dec. 17.

Dear Moscow features illustrated letters from 61 community members. Submissions were received from the likes of long-time community members, students of every age and individuals expressing gratitude for Moscow.

“This exhibition…is now even more timely as people seek creative ways to connect with one another safely,” Megan Cherry, Arts Program Manager, said.

Submitted letters are available to view through March 5 via an online gallery at https://bit.ly/dearmoscowgallery.

The exhibition celebrates the 110^th anniversary of Moscow City Hall’s construction and its previous use as a post office. Participants were encouraged to submit artwork and writing in the stylings of mail art. Artists frequently employ the Postal Service as a collaborator in the delivery of their works, making mail art the perfect medium to express appreciation for the history and community of Moscow.

The Third Street Gallery is a space for art in the heart of downtown Moscow. City of Moscow Arts Staff and members of the Moscow Arts Commission have worked together to create artistic direction for the Third Street Gallery since the gallery’s beginnings in 1998. The gallery features works in a wide range of media, subject matter, and content while presenting a curatorial vision open to all cultures and art forms. By including the work of established and emerging makers from the Palouse and the broader Inland Northwest, the Third Street Gallery celebrates the creative excellence of the region in a well-loved public space. 

The Third Street Gallery features artwork on the second and third floors inside Moscow City Hall. The building was designed by architect James Knox Taylor in 1911, and was formerly the Moscow Federal Building. Entered in the National Register of Historic Places in 1973 as a Second Renaissance Revival brick building, the structure now houses City offices and meeting spaces such as the City Council Chambers. The Third Street Gallery is an essential part of this building, as it brings art into the center of civic life in the City of Moscow.

Due to the ongoing prevalence of COVID-19 cases in the area, the Third Street Gallery is currently closed to the public. Up-to-date information regarding exhibitions can be found at https://www.ci.moscow.id.us/230/Third-Street-Gallery.