Driver crashes into famous artwork at Boise’s Grove Hotel. Here’s what happened, damage

A car crashed into the well-known River Sculpture on the side of the Grove Hotel in downtown Boise on Wednesday afternoon.

There were no reported injuries and was not any “significant structural damage” to the building, Boise Police Department spokesperson Haley Kramer said. Two cars collided near Front Street and Capitol Boulevard, sending one vehicle up onto the curb and into the side of the hotel, Kramer said.

The iconic glittering blue-, green- and purple-tiled sculpture embedded in the brown facade of the Grove Hotel was dedicated in June 1999. Wednesday’s crash naturally drew interest from passers-by, with several stopping to take photos of the damage.

Little pieces of debris were strewn across the bricks in front of the art. However, the harm seemed mostly contained to the lower right corner of the building, slightly below the sculpture. It is not clear how much it will cost to repair the damage.

This wasn’t the first time a vehicle crashed into the sculpture. In 2016, a Meridian woman was taken to the hospital after hitting a taxi and then the art, according to previous Statesman reporting. The accident happened soon after a $270,000 restoration of the artwork.