History

In 2005, the Sun Valley Center for the Arts became the owner of a historic house at 314 Second Avenue South, one of the oldest houses in Hailey, Idaho. The house was the birthplace of poet Ezra Pound and was later the private residence of one of Hailey’s most beloved and busy citizens, Roberta McKercher, until her death in 1996.

Only the first floor of the house is open to the public. The upstairs is frequently used to house visiting artists.

The Hailey property also includes a freestanding, 1,200-square-foot classroom built to The Center’s specifications in 2006. Designed by local architects Marc and Jill Corney of Red Canoe Architecture, the classroom is named the Castellano-Wood Family Classroom in honor of Sun Valley Center benefactors Benjamin Wood and Theresa Castellano-Wood.

Together, the house and classroom allow The Center to offer exhibitions, classes, workshops and small lectures and performances in a location convenient to the growing population of southern Blaine County.