Julene Ewert grew up in Troy, Idaho, in a family of artists, who were very encouraging of her artistic inclinations from a very young age. Her father urged her to ‘Do what you love,’ and Julene took that to heart and has built an incredible career around just that. She initially considered pursuing music, but stage fright led her to the visual arts. Family financial constraints kept her close to home for college, where she received a Bachelor Degree in Fine Arts with a Minor in Advertising from the University of Idaho. After which, she embarked on a ten-year tenure in Denver, eventually becoming an Art Director and producing work for a wide array of clients locally, regionally, and nationally, including McDonald’s meal-tray prints.
Following a short stint in Spokane, Julene moved back to Idaho, settling in Moscow and working for the university’s Creative Services Department, where she oversaw the alumni magazine, created billboards, and graphic design projects of all sorts. In 2004, Julene’s son was born, and at the same time she started her own studio to focus on her own original artwork and designs, laying the groundwork for her eventual shift to fully independent work in 2006.
Though you may not know her name, you very likely have seen Julene’s work in a number of fascinating places. She was a featured artist and illustrator of several entries in the book Incredible Idaho Women: 43 Inspiring Stories for All Ages, designed a pair of 2025 Lionel Hampton Jazz Festival posters, illustrated several children’s books, and most recently, designed a utility box in Spokane. Julene also contributed artwork to exam room ceilings in Children’s Hospitals in Boston and a few other locations, where her colorful, cheerful art gives kids something lovely to focus on while undergoing procedures. And if you have been to Wallace, Idaho recently, you can thank her for the lovingly designed interpretive signs detailing the famous ghost town’s illustrious and sometimes lurid history.
Speaking of history, Julene’s family has deep roots in the rolling hills of the Palouse. Her parents still live on the same land her great grandmother and great grandfather homesteaded following their emigration from Sweden. Her grandmother and seven other children were born in the original house on Orchard Loop Road, and Julene even lived there for a time, but the family home burned down when she was in 1st Grade in perhaps the most Idaho way possible – squirrels gnawed through the house’s wiring leading to an electrical fire.
Julene loved the stories passed down to her by her elders, and it is these tales of day-to-day life of days gone that intrigue her most about history. Her grandmother used to gather eggs and stored them on their front porch. Much to her consternation, hill people from Moscow Mountain would sneak down during the night and steal their eggs. Her great-uncle ran the area’s first ‘school bus’, hitching his horses to take the local kids to and from Big Meadows School #57 in his wagon. Though the schoolhouse has long since burned down, as well, there is a plaque commissioned by the Troy Historical Society commemorating his contributions to the community. Julene enjoyed listening to these stories, going through old photo albums, and tracking what has persisted and what has been lost to history.
When moving into their historic 1940s-era home in Moscow, Julene was delighted to discover a cache of relics in an odd crawlspace attached to one of the rooms. She found a washbasin, desiccated corn cob, and a newspaper. With her background in marketing, it was no surprise she found the vintage ads for hosiery and other personal items of particular interest. Julene also has a love for historic places that continue to bring people together and provide a sense of community, singling out the 1912 Center in Moscow as a favorite place to regularly frequent.
Julene’s personal history and her parents’ interests were instrumental in the design process for IHT’s new Limited Edition A250 ‘Heritage’ License Plate. She recounts:
“As a designer, I often start with what I would like as an artist, but then you have to start expanding your point of view. I had been watching the eagles down in Bear Lake, so I initially went down that route, but the constraints on sizing, readability, and dimensions were causing trouble. Instead, I channeled my mom, a big American flag person, and thought ‘what would my mom like on her car?’, which led to the design we have today.”
As an avid license plate collector, Julene’s father is perhaps the most excited of all of us about the new plate. He and Julene texted almost daily while she was working on the design, providing input on which versions he liked best, as well as insights gleaned from examining license plates from all across the country. She recently saw her first plate on a car in Moscow and took a snapshot to share with her dad.
Though no one could have predicted it at the time, his encouragement to ‘do what she loves’ led directly to this crossroads of their two passions. It is these moments, small as they seem in the grand scheme of things, which connect us through generations. It is why IHT is concerned not just with preserving our historic resources, but also the stories they represent.
We could not be happier with the design, nor could we be happier to partner with such a talented, creative, and kind person for this project. While her design work speaks for itself, we cannot recommend strongly enough taking time to peruse Julene’s remarkable catalogue of artwork online at Art by Julene Ewert, or you can stop by and see her and her work in person at Moscow’s Farmer’s Market until late October. Her often-whimsical compositions burst with bold, bright colors, and you can see the influence of the rolling hills of the Palouse and her grandmother’s love of sewing, quilting, and embroidery throughout her extensive body of work. As if that is not enough, Julene donates a portion of her profits to other women-led small businesses through kiva.org.
If you would like to show your support for IHT and our mission, please consider purchasing a limited edition ‘Heritage’ license plate at your local DMV or through the License Plates | Idaho Transportation Department. IHT receives $25 of the specialty plate fee for new plates, $15 for renewals, all of which go to support our ongoing mission to serve all Idahoans by preserving our cultural legacy. Until the end of the year, 25% of the proceeds will go to support preservation projects located in Idaho State Parks & Recreation properties.