Grand Canyon's Artist-in-Residence Programs
photographer unknown Thomas Moran and his Daughters The parks have always welcomed artistic interpretations in support of land advocacy. Thomas Moran’s evocative and astounding paintings directly influenced the establishment of our first National Park (Yellowstone, 1872). This tradition continues today with more than 50 Artist-in-Residence programs throughout the National Park Service system. With changing times come bold new visions of what art can contribute to our conversation about preservation, environmental issues, and park (and arts) advocacy. Grand Canyon National Park’s Artist-in-Residence Program seeks artists whose work is engaged in issues that are relevant to the Park Interpretative Themes, while also challenging the visitor to become an active participant in preservation and environmental and cultural advocacy. We are pleased to host artists who communicate complex and contemporary issues through their chosen medium. Artists in all genres and in all disciplines, contemporary, traditional, or folk who have a genuine interest in contributing to our on-going national discussion on these issues will be of special interest to our program. Whether you are a traditionalist in the vein of Thomas Moran or a contemporary artist creating new paths towards understanding both environmental and cultural issues, you are welcome here. The Artist-in-Residence Program offers professional artists the opportunity to spend three weeks on either the North or South Rim of Grand Canyon in housing provided by the National Park Service. The North Rim AiR program is seasonal, with six residencies during the spring, summer, and fall. The South Rim AiR program is year-round, providing twelve artist opportunities. 
North Kaibab Switchbacks Anne Legge Artist opportunities: Contemporary, folk and traditional forms, including but not limited to: Visual arts: painters, sculptors, printmakers, new media artists, muralists, designers, ceramicists, artisans, multi-discipline artists, fiber artists, mixed media artists, jewelers Media: photographers, film makers, videographers Writers: fiction and non-nonfiction writers, poets, playwrights Performing arts: composers, musicians, dancers, performance artists, storytellers, dramatic artists
AiR artist proposals should be site-specific to Grand Canyon National Park, support the park’s Interpretative Themes, and will focus on such issues as ecology, the environment, park advocacy, conservation and other themes relevant to the parks. 
Meteor Man Kachina Hal Stewart
Artists! Grand Canyon Artist-in-Residence program is pleased to announce that we'll be using the Western Arts Federation (WESTAF) CaFE electronic application process this year. In order for artists to access our application, you'll have to register as a WESTAF CaFE user. You can find that HERE. This is a free system for all artists, and is a wonderful resource for all genres. Once you have registered, you'll be given access to all of their artist oppotunity listings. You can find our listing HERE The CaFE site allows you to create your own account which will hold your work samples and documents internally, making it easy to apply to all sorts of different opportunities. The Grand Canyon Artist-in-Residence opportunities are for openings in the South Rim AiR program (October 2012 - September 2013) and the North Rim AiR (May - October 2013), and will be available for your review by February 1st, 2012. Applications will be accepted this season between February 1st and midnight on April 1st, 2012. We will ONLY be accepting electronic applications this year. For now please review all the guidelines on this website knowing that it's likely that they'll be slightly revised before the application period is open. All artists currently on our email list will receive an announcement when the application guidelines and processes are posted. If you would like to be added to the email list to receive notices about the program and selected artist opportunities, please email us and you'll be added to our artist data bank. When you apply for our program please know that you'll be notified whether you are a selected artist or not. The south rim program juries in May and artists will be notified by the end of June of the selections. The north rim program jurying takes place mid-July, with artist notifications by the end of August. Good luck and thanks for your interest in Grand Canyon National Park's artist-in-residence program! ~ These artist opportunities are designed to both engage and inform the public audience (through outreach programming), and provide quality uninterrupted time for artists to pursue their own body of work. The North Rim of Grand Canyon, much of it true wilderness, offers unparalleled inspiration and unspoiled solitude for artists. The artist resides in a cabin on the rim for a three-week period in summer and early fall. The South Rim of Grand Canyon is teeming with wildlife, park visitors and peerless vistas. The artist resides in a second-story apartment in the historic Verkamp's Visitor Center overlooking the canyon for a three-week period. Artists are welcome to apply to both the north and south rim programs, and being selected to participate in one does not exclude you from being selected for the other during the same period of time. Application fees this year will be $30/rim, and payments will be accepted ONLY through our electronic process. In exchange for the adventure of living and working in a national park, the resident artist has the opportunity to create works that generate understanding and dialogue about the need to preserve this national treasure-one of the seven natural wonders of the world. Selection Process Selection of artists is based on a scoring system that includes evaluating excellence of art work within genre, an artist statement about what this experience will do for personal development as an artist, and proposed public programming. A jury panel of artistic genre specialists, art professionals and National Park specialists choose the artists and alternates. Find more information here:
Crown Fire, Ponderosa Caroly Van Duyn Calendar Both the South Rim and the North Rim programs will ONLY be accepting applications electronically submitted between February 1 and April 1, 2012. Complete instructions for application process will be available on or before February 1st. You are welcome to submit an application to both the North and South Rim programs or choose one program that is of special interest to you. Applications will not be able to be submitted before or after the open application dates. SEE FAQ PAGE FOR MORE INFORMATION. South Rim will be jurying for October 2012 through September 2013 AiR season. North Rim will be jurying for April - October 2013 AiR season. For more information concerning the programs on either rim, contact South Rim AiR coordinator René Westbrook or call 928-638-7324 |
Did You Know?
The more recent Kaibab limestone caprock, on the rims of the Grand Canyon, formed 270 million years ago. In contrast, the oldest rocks within the Inner Gorge at the bottom of Grand Canyon date to 1.84 billion years ago. Geologists currently set the age of Earth at 4.5 billion years.